The Observer, Volume L, Issue 10, 11/2/18

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Case Western Reserve University volume L, issue 10 friday, 11/2/2018

Observer Campus holds vigil for victims of synagogue massacre

Courtesy of CWRU Chabad Members of the Case Western Reserve University community gathered outside the Tinkham Veale University Center on Monday, Oct. 29 to mourn the victims of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Justin Hu Staff Reporter On Monday, a community memorial service was hosted outside of the Tinkham Veale University Center in memory of the 11 killed in the recent Pittsburgh shootings, the deadliest attack against the Jewish community in U.S. history. The service consisted of reading passages from the Torah, mourning prayers and the lighting of candles for each of the victims.

The event was planned by first-year students Sydney Fox and Rose Bernhard, who also gave speeches. Afterwards, attendees filled out forms pledging to honor the victims.

The shooting at the Tree of Life congregation in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Oct. 27, was carried out by 46 year-old Robert D. Bowers.

In addition to the 11 killed, four police officers and two other individuals were injured. After being put in custody,

Bowers said that Jewish people “were committing a genocide to his people.”

While he showed no outward indications of anti-Semitism, Bowers was a user of the social network Gab, a platform similar to Twitter. It was through this site that he would repost comments which expressed hatred toward the Jewish people. Such sentiments are not uncommon on Gab; many extremists moved to the site after a ban from the more mainstream social networks due to hateful and violent speech, and the most followed people on the network are members of the far-right.

The internet now exists as a breeding ground for hate speech due to largely uncensored public forums and a culture of relative anonymity. “[The shooting] was shocking because I’m protected, and I’ve experienced anti-Semitism, but not to that extent,” said first-year student Lauren Sharkey, who frequently attends services at Hillel, a Jewish organization

with a campus presence. “It could have been anyone.”

Fox also shared similar concerns.

“I don’t know where we’re supposed to go anymore,” she said. “I don’t know where in the world is safe anymore for Jewish people to pray.”

Despite the crimes committed against members of their religion, the speakers made it clear that their faith would overcome any acts of hatred.

“Don’t hide. Show support and show pride,” said Fox. “Send letters. Be tolerant. If you have faith, go pray for your own faith or church.”

Chabad, another Jewish organization on campus, posted a list of deeds people can do to honor the victims. The list included attending a weekly Shabbat dinner, participating in prayer service or attending a Torah class. For those who are non-religious, helping out is as simple as doing a random act of kindness or giving to charity.

Both Sharkey and Fox commended

CWRU, with Fox noting there was security at the memorial and that she has always felt safe at Hillel and Chabad.

Sharkey was impressed with amount of

For more reflection on the shooting, see pg. 11 support the event garnered.

“It was nice to see how many people went to the memorial.” she said, “Community is a very big thing in Judaism, and that’s why people everywhere are coming together to support of each other.”

University cuts positions in African-American history Sophia Yakumithis News Editor An open letter to President Barbara Snyder, Provost Ben Vinson and Dean Cyrus Taylor recently traveled through the student body, calling out the administration for cutting funding in an important position within the Department of History.

On Oct. 30, the Undergraduate Student

Government (USG) voted to sign the letter, following the CWRU Social Justice Institute, various Greek organizations, students and faculty.

Written by fourth-year student Andrew Thompson, the letter put the spotlight on the central administration’s response to filling a vacant position in African-American history. Rather than replacing a permanent faculty member who moved to a

different university with one of the same ranks, it suggested the Department of History instead appoint a visiting professor, a position history professor Ted Steinberg calls a “second-class citizen of the university.”

The University defended the decision, however, stating, “With regard to the position in African American history, the [College of Arts & Sciences] did not have

funds available to support a permanent hire. Because of the importance of this area of teaching and scholarship, central administration proposed that the department recommend a visiting professor with expertise in the subject for a two-year term.”

In the spring of 2017, Rhonda Williams, a specialist in African-American

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pg. 5 Guide to the local elections

pg. 7 Comedy at the Jolly Scholar

pg. 10 Divsersity on campus

pg. 15 Soccer continues dominance

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news New board aims to improve on-campus housing experience Jack Haneghan Staff Reporter Everyone wants to love where they live. Luckily, Case Western Reserve University honors that notion through an organization of residents dedicated to improving the living conditions of the students: the Residence Hall Association (RHA). Now, the description also applies to the University Housing Resident Advisory Board (UHRAB).

According to its website, University Housing is “building the premier residential community in which to live, learn and lead.” To tackle this large responsibility, the department has enlisted the help of students through the UHRAB. Created by University Housing in September, the new organization assembled and started meeting in October.

The UHRAB is an organization made up of students who currently live in University Housing and have monthly meetings throughout the school year to discuss new initiatives and issues. According to the UHRAB application, the purpose of the group is for the students on the board to “provide advice and feedback on the residential living environment.”

This mission is reflective of Univer-

Courtesy of Student Affairs The new University Housing Resident Advisory Board will advise Housing. sity Housing’s goal to take students’ experiences into account when providing their housing plans. The advisory board will provide recommendations that Housing will consider when creating new goals and evaluating its effectiveness.

The application deadline to be on the UHRAB for this academic year was Sept. 30, and the applicants were notified of their acceptance on Oct. 5. The only requirements for applying were that applicants must be current residents

of University Housing and able to attend the monthly meetings. Applicants were also asked to write a 200-word response on why they want to be on the board along with a pros and cons list of the residential environment. Membership with the UHRAB is for one year, but there is no limit to how many years one can apply to serve on the board.

RHA, while seemingly similar in function, has significant differences in its responsibility. The RHA was formed in 1992 when the former North Campus

Association and the South Campus Association were combined into one group.

Since the merger, RHA has grown in size and scope and, according to their website, is now “one of the largest student organizations on campus.”

RHA is made up of eight community councils which represent the eight residential colleges. Each building within the colleges also elects a House Representative for themselves while the entire community elects a Council President. The General Body is overseen by a seven member executive board, which is elected by the RHA General Body in the spring semester to a term of a single academic year.

According to their website, RHA “provides a forum to discuss residential issues, vote on measures, and enact positive and collaborative change across campus.”

The UHRAB and the RHA may seem redundant, but the biggest difference is that one serves University Housing itself, while the latter serves the residents of University Housing. UHRAB members are chosen by University Housing to provide advice to them, while RHA members are chosen by residents and work to positively impact residents through direct action.

Dental school receives million dollar endowment Maryam Iqbal Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine recently welcomed a gift of $1 million from the Delta Dental Foundation, a long time partner of the school. The gift will be used toward new equipment to better serve patients, helping to secure the future of academic dentistry at CWRU. The gift was announced publicly at the CWRU Dental Donor Appreciation Brunch on Oct. 14, where officials from the Delta Dental Foundation, the philan-

from HISTORY | 1 history. Rather than replacing a permanent faculty member who moved to a different university with one of the same ranks, it suggested the Department of History instead appoint a visiting professor, a position history professor Ted Steinberg calls a “second-class citizen of the university.”

The University defended the decision, however, stating, “With regard to the position in African American history, the [College of Arts & Sciences] did not have funds available to support a permanent hire. Because of the importance of this area of teaching and scholarship, central administration proposed that the department recommend a visiting professor with expertise in the subject for a two-year term.”

In the spring of 2017, Rhonda Williams, a specialist in African-American history accepted an offer to move to Vanderbilt University and the Department of History immediately began a search for a new permanent faculty member to take the position. While no one was hired during the 2017-18 cycle, the department requested authorization once again

thropic arm of Delta Dental operations in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and North Carolina, presented the dental school with a check.

Teri Battaglieri, executive director of the Delta Dental Foundation said, “The School of Dental Medicine has a reputation for excellence and a strong commitment to patient care and community service, and we’re very proud to provide $1 million to support the equipment and instrumentation needs of the School of Dental Medicine, which will offer high-quality care to patients and outstanding clinical educational opportunities for students.”

Since the beginning of the partnership

in 2001—when the Delta Dental Foundation provided a gift to support students on scholarships—the foundation has continued to support student scholarships annually, giving out student leadership awards as well as providing financial assistance for education and community initiatives centered around dentistry. This recent gift is their largest awarded to the dental school yet and signals an ever-strengthening relationship.

Speaking about the future of the partnership, the school’s dean, Kenneth Chance said, “Delta Dental is committed not just to providing excellent dental benefits but building healthier communities.”

He continued, “This recent gift from their foundation will allow us to increase our investment in state-of-the-art equipment, which will not only benefit the patients we see but will provide opportunities for interprofessional clinical education with the university’s other health-science schools.

This will ultimately make a big difference in the community we serve.”

The dental school’s approach has long been applauded for its interdisciplinary style of promoting care of patients by allowing students and faculty to interact with colleagues from the university’s other health-science schools, hence providing better care.

to continue the search this academic year. The request was denied.

USG President Maya Rao said, “The General Assembly felt that it was crucial that we as an institution support the field of African American History and African American students on campus. Additionally, since an African and African American Studies minor was recently approved, we wanted to ensure that there is continued support for study in that field.”

Rao added that ensuring the funding of a tenure-track professor is “a top priority” as USG moves forward and that transparency is maintained between CWRU students and College of Arts & Sciences.

Steinberg said that in the meantime, the decision not to provide the department sufficient funding contradicts CWRU’s apparent emphasis on diversity, especially in the context of current events.

“You do have to ask yourself at a university that is touting a program called ‘Diversity 360’ whether this decision conflicts with its goal [to promote faculty diversity],” noted Steinberg.

On Oct. 28, following the terrorist attack

in a Pittsburgh synagogue which killed 11, an email entitled “Our Core Values” was sent out to the community from President Snyder, stating, “History is replete with examples of people who perished because of one aspect of their humanity. No matter how complex their personality, they became defined by a single characteristic.”

“You do have to wonder how on one hand, [CWRU] can profess strong values,” said Steinberg, “and on the other hand, cut funding in African American history. There seems to be radical disconnect between these values.”

Taylor explained that various factors led the central administration to its decision, including “existing enrollment, enrollment trends, accreditation requirements, departmental justifications, projected retirements or other departures, and others.” He added, “It also includes assessment of resources available for faculty positions, such as funds available through grants or endowments.”

The decision not to grant the Department of History funding to hire a permanent faculty member also sparked great concern among both students and faculty members in areas like community engagement and the curricu-

lum itself.

In his open letter, Thompson pointed out that the population of Cleveland is 53 percent African American, but the undergraduate student body is only four percent with faculty at just three percent.

“The presence of a tenure-track faculty member and a postdoctoral scholar will not solve these issues, and they shouldn’t bear that weight,” he wrote. “That said, for [Case Western Reserve University’s] administration to decide that now is an appropriate time to deprioritize the study of African American History is reprehensible.”

As for the curriculum, Steinberg, a U.S. historian, pointed out the complications in teaching subjects like American history without a specialist in African-American history on site. “To my knowledge, there’s no reputable history department in the United States that doesn’t have an African American historian,” he said.

Additionally, he said not replacing the faculty position will be “devastating” to CWRU’s community outreach efforts. “It’s an essential need for our department and for the university.”

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“You Don’t Care” student podcast to debut next week Jordan Reif Contributing Reporter If one is looking for a way to better connect with Case Western Reserve University and the greater community, “You Don’t Care (YDC),” dubbed the podcast of the people, may be the place to start. The new podcast, hosted by fourth-year student Sai Supriya Vuda, will make its debut on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 6.

The show “won’t just be interviews,” says Vuda, “[it will include] episodes of people, music and the time they lived in.” YDC will feature a different student, faculty, staff or community member every two weeks in an effort to communicate and appreciate the complexity of the individual.

Vuda was personally inspired to start YDC from her own experiences as an immigrant. “I hear these stories and rhetoric about immigrants being lazy, dirty and all these different things, [which] to me [says] you don’t care about my story, you never even cared to ask.”

Also pleading guilty to such actions, Vuda said, “I’ve never asked someone, so you don’t care and I don’t care, so where can we find this area where we can all care?” The answer to that question is in the YDC podcast. “[YDC] is my way to communicate that everyone is incredibly complex and their stories can help us realize that people cannot be reduced to one stance.”

Her first guest will be Diana Driscoll, Ph.D., a physics instructor and Undergraduate Lab Director.

Driscoll was born in Communist Romania and fled to Germany, living there for over two years as a refugee before coming to the United States. Her life as an immigrant, as well as her perspective on the current climate surrounding immigration, will be addressed further in the first episode of YDC. She said, “Students don’t think faculty members went through what students are going through; they think faculty members were born faculty members, but everyone has a background. Everyone has a past and a life that they struggled through.”

Driscoll, who, like Vuda, strongly identifies as an introvert, thinks this podcast could be a great way for people, especially introverts, to learn more about other people around them.

“It is possible that you hear something in a podcast that is something that is happening in your life or resonates with you and then you feel more comfortable talking to that one person.”

Driscoll went on to suggest, “If you see [that] someone is down, you can start a conversation. Everyone struggles with something at some point, [just as] everyone is happy at some point.”

Starting a conversation is precisely what Vuda hopes YDC inspires in listeners. Referencing the regular scene of a Starbucks coffee line in which 10 people uniformly stare down at their phone while waiting for an order, Vuda noted, “Sometimes it’s okay to just strike up a conversation instead of being on Instagram. Sometimes it’s okay to make a comment in an attempt to connect with people around you.”

Everyone has a story, but not everyone listens. Vuda and Driscoll both propose, while it will inevitably be difficult, to brave having real conversations.

“In an elevator, instead of just being on [our] phones, find something to connect with,” said Vuda. “Don’t talk about the weather, don’t talk about how long the elevator ride is, [talk about] something substantial.”

In a world of seemingly strong hate and division, our actions can have a lasting effect. Social media, a very common communication platform for many of us, can quickly turn toxic due to its impersonal structure.

According to Vuda, “[The] strategy is to keep things local and forget about the likes and dislikes. [Instead], offer care to another person that you don’t really know. Be genuinely interested and empathetic, not reducing people to one thing.”

Listeners can tune into the podcast on its website, ydcpodcast.com, or through any podcast streaming service, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher Radio or Google Podcasts. Tune in next Tuesday, Nov. 6 for the first episode, or listen to its introduction and overview trailer by Vuda now.

Legal writing workshop highlights “text-speak”

Anna Giubileo Staff Reporter

In recent years, the move to a more casual, conversational tone in writing has been gaining traction. One reason for this change is the increase in “text-speak” in everyday life, a trend which has begun to spill over into legal writing as well.

In her workshop this past weekend entitled “Plain and Precise Legal Prose,” Terri Mester, who has worked full-time in the Case Western Reserve University Department of English since 2002, aimed to teach students of a variety of ways to adapt their writing in the face of changing stylistic demands.

Third-year student Ethan Moroh was excited to attend the workshop because he thought the material would be interesting and helpful for various parts of his life. “It’s really important to stay current with your writing, and I really like [Mester], so I knew the workshop would be a lot of fun,” he explained.

Mester has given this workshop and other versions of it to audiences of a variety of backgrounds and academic interests, from business to psychology to English. Not only does this speak to her skill at making the material relevant for the many different types of people, but it shows the cross-academic connections and importance of what she is teaching.

She began her talk boldly: “Lawyers tend to write in a convoluted, opaque way,” adding, “it is a very special, tradition-bound language.”

But despite centuries of these “tortuous” structuring of writing, recent decades have found a transition into a “plain language movement.” Rather than

crafting complex sentences which come across as elitist and exclusive, written in passive voice and packed with extraneous words, the new aim is to be accessible to the standard person.

Appeasing the room full of skeptics, Mester immediately said, “It is not dumbing your writing down, it is making your writing more readable.”

The presentation demonstrated that if a point is buried within antiquated writing styles, the modern person struggles to understand it, which is the opposite of the writer’s intention. After Mester set the stage as to why one should transition their writing style, she gave tips on how to do so and what to avoid.

First, she suggested that if there is a way to convey a written argument in fewer words, do so. Concise sentences, Mester explained, allow for clearer arguments and paths of logic to aid the reader in understanding the point. Additionally, she said to put the subject of the sentence before the action, also for the sake of readability. Barring a few exceptions, Mester believes that sentences should be in the active voice to add to the flow of the writing.

Another major point Mester touched upon was the “seven word rule.” If a writer has not reached a verb by the seventh word of a sentence, Mester holds that the writer should rewrite it to be more concise.

All in all, the workshop concluded that writing has taken a turn towards a clearer, more approachable structure which can be read through quickly and comprehended. Mester has worked to teach this change to as many students as possible.

CWRU Police Blotter Oct. 24: Attempted Robbery – 2 juvenile suspects demanded victim’s property. Suspects fled in unknown direction, City of Cleveland park near the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Murray Hill Road; Security Alert issued Oct. 25: Sexual Imposition – Female grabbed by suspect, Museum of Contemporary Art

CWRU ‘creeps’ it real for Halloween

Oct. 26: Underage Drinking – Raymond House

Maryam Iqbal Staff Reporter

Oct. 27: Underage Drinking – Clarke Tower

Though Halloween fell inconveniently on a Wednesday this year, students at Case Western Reserve University still managed to find alternate ways to celebrate the spooky holiday.

Events occurred all around campus and in University Circle, with many fraternities holding charity-based Halloween parties.

For example, the African Student Association hosted a party featuring African music on Oct. 26 at The Spot, and Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) ran a philanthropy event.

All the opportunities to relax and unwind over the weekend were accompanied by a number of costume contests, and anyone walking down Bellflower Road could see people dressed up as anything from Velma to Jim Halpert.

According to second-year student Maria Powers, “[I] would never expect [CWRU] to have a big Halloween culture, but people really do go all out. Halloween is often the biggest weekend for people to go out and dress up. It really makes this time special.”

The weekend also saw the premiere of the Players’ Theatre Group play “Deathtrap,” directed by fourth-year student Adam Steel. The play follows the life of a struggling playwright and his attempt to steal a student’s work despite comic setbacks. The show gained quite a bit of laughter from audiences.

The Film Society also hosted its annual “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” movie screening, with the musical group Voyeuristic Intentions acting out the play in front of the screen in real time on Oct. 27. The midnight event at Strosacker Auditorium drew huge crowds, and the interactive aspect of the show was a hit.

First-year student Ramona Johnson said, “The annual play seems to have an almost cult-like following at [CWRU], similar to the actual movie. But it is amazing to find a space to wear fishnets and sing along with everyone having the same admiration for the play as I do.”

For the more laidback Halloween observer, the Jolly Scholar and Delta Upsilon hosted a jazz night on Oct. 27, where undergraduate students performed to much applause from the audience.

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Oct. 28: Underage Drinking – Sherman House Underage Drinking – Tyler House Felony Theft – Equipment taken from room, Dental School Oct. 29: Burglary – Bag taken with items taken from unlocked room, Alumni Residence Hall

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Ohio Chief Justice takes hardline stance against Issue 1 Katharine Toledo Staff Reporter In the days before the 2018 midterm elections, Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Maureen O’Connor continues to advocate against the passage of Issue 1, a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution which is on the ballot for Ohioans this Nov. 6. The justice visited campus last weekend.

Issue 1, known as the Drug and Criminal Justice Policies Initiative, is a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution which would reclassify lower level drug offenses as misdemeanors rather than felonies. This constitutional amendment could cut prison time in half for those convicted of such offenses if they agree to go to treatment. In addition, inmates currently in prison would have the ability to appeal in order to get a reduction of their sentences, or even be released from prison.

While O’Connor, a Republican, and other judges across the state of Ohio support the idea of treatment as an alternative to incarceration in theory, O’Connor first takes issue with the fact that Issue 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment instead of a series of carefully tailored laws and policies that are more flexible and conducive to change with the times than an amendment.

“The problem is that the amendment to a constitution is a vehicle that becomes written in stone and becomes stagnant,” stated O’Connor. “This means such an amendment cannot be utilized in the face of the ever-changing landscape of the drug problem here in the state of Ohio. The issue of drug addiction is one that needs policy and statutory attention and not a solution anchored in the Constitution because [the Amendment] would be unable to change easily.”

According to O’Connor, the second problem with Issue 1 is the fact that almost all of the funding towards its advertisement and promotion on television and the radio in the days leading up to the election comes from donors outside of the state of Ohio. Big money donors who donated money to promote the passage of Issue 1 include Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and philanthropist Stacy Schusterman.

Issue 1 originated from a petition signed by enough Ohio voters that proponents of the amendment argue that it represents the closest thing to direct democracy to reach Ohio ballots this year.

The petition sprang from legislative inaction, the fact that the voters of Ohio believed not enough was being done to reform the criminal justice system in relation to low-level drug offenses.

Those in favor of the amendment further argue that it specifically addresses the racial inequity of the Ohio criminal justice system, which they argue unfairly penalizes minority defendants in a state that is known for incarcerating large numbers of African-Americans— who make up 45 percent of the people admitted to Ohio prisons, as opposed to the 12.9 percent of the Ohio population that they make up.

However, in O’Connor’s eyes, the most compelling reason to oppose Issue 1 is rooted in the goal of the amendment itself: downgrading lower level drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. “[Issue 1] will take away the incentive from people who are suffering from substance abuse disorders to carry out the terms of the probation, especially the term of treatment,” she said. “Issue 1 would take away a judge’s authority to place consequences on the defendant if they do not comply with the terms of their probation.”

Courtesy of Wikimedia Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, pictured above speaking at the City Club of Cleveland, is against Ohio Issue 1.

In other words, O’Connor fears that Issue 1 would remove a judge’s discretion as to when to place a defendant in jail for violating the terms of their parole. O’Connor views a judge’s ability to imprison a defendant when they refuse to comply with the terms of their parole as imperative. Such an ability, argues O’Connor, is necessary when attempting to push defendants in drug related crimes towards rehabilitation.

More broadly, O’Connor opposes Issue 1 on the basis that she believes it would frame Ohio as a haven for drug traffickers and offenders due to the relaxation of current rules.

“This is not just about a fourth and

fifth degree guy that’s sitting in jail, twiddling his thumbs, wishing he wasn’t there. This issue extends across all different kinds of people in many different situations, and that is the danger of Issue 1,” she said.

O’Connor has been criticized by proponents of Issue 1 for stating her opinion on Issue 1 because of her role on the Ohio Supreme Court.

However, O’Connor stands by her assertions that, under the Code of Judicial Conduct, judges are indeed permitted to “express their opinions on issues that affect the administration of justice” and they are, at least in O’Connor’s eyes, encouraged to do so.

Politics you should care about Jackson Rudoff Opinion Editor

Next Tuesday, people around the country will head to polling places to vote in their respective midterm elections. As opposed to presidential elections, midterm general elections often struggle to generate the same level of turnout. Correcting this pattern has been the goal of a number of organizations, with celebrities and social media organizations flooding people’s feeds and timelines with reminders to both register and vote.

tions cannot be understated. In Ohio, both the Governor and a Senate office are up for election, as well as numerous seats on the state Supreme Court. It’s quite easy for one to assume that nonpresidential positions are irrelevant, but state politics are much more important than people give them credit. Congressional lines are determined by each state’s Houses of Representatives, so it is essential to elect representatives who both represent personal interests and display a necessary level of competency. That latter criterion has been historically overlooked in Ohio, so hopefully, 2018 will present as a change in both turnout and quality of candidate selection.

While the social media spam may, understandably, annoy many of you, the importance of voting in midterm elec-

Trump floats overturning of birthright citizenship

Election Day is Nov. 6

This past Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced plans for an executive order that could overturn the long-held constitutional principle of birthright citizenship. It was just one in a series of extreme actions responding to a Honduran migrant caravan which planned to enter the U.S. through Mexico. He plans to additionally send 5,200 troops to guard the border in anticipation of their arrival.

The decision to suspend birthright citizenship will undoubtedly launch a long and arduous court battle, most likely with those on his side of the aisle.

Trump backed up his action with a number of tropes often used in the debate regarding illegal immigrants, including claims of preventing “anchor babies.”

However, he will need to overcome a principle of “jus soli,” or right of the

land, which has conferred automatic citizenship to anyone born on United States soil since the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment. The battle to defend this executive order will be uphill, as much of Trump’s justification is sourced from long-since disproven points made by America’s more antiimmigrant political leaders. Not to mention, a controversial precedent is set if the Commander-in-Chief were allowed to override a component of the Constitution through an executive order.

Regardless of what occurs in the next few months, be sure to check how the order affects you. It would be a very drastic and sudden shift in U.S. law, and will create citizenship uncertainty for a sizable group of Americans.

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2018 Midterm Elections

On Tuesday, Nov. 6 the 2018 midterm elections occur with voters heading to the polls across the country. While many Case Western Reserve University students voted by mail in their home district, quite a few will vote in Cleveland. Because it would be infeasible to preview every election in the county, The Observer compiled the following guide for the races in our home district for students who live on or close to campus. Note that not all races are listed.

For political affiliations, Democrat (D), Republican (R), Libertarian (L) and Green (G). Races appear in the order as they would on the ballot.

State-wide Elections

Governor/Lt. Governor

Auditor of State

Richard Cordray/Betty Sutton (D) Current Position: lawyer/lawyer Previous Experience: Director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Ohio Attorney General, Ohio State Treasurer/U.S. Representative

Keith Faber (R) Current Position: Ohio State Representative Previous Experience: Ohio Senator

Frank LaRose (R) Current Position: Ohio State Senator Previous Experience: soldier

Zack Space (D) Current Position: politician Previous Experience: Ohio State Representative

Dustin R. Nanna (L) Current Position: Vice Chairman, Ohio Libertarian Party Previous Experience: campaign staffer

Robert C. Coogan (L) Current Position: accountant Previous Experience: auditor, accountant

Kathleen Clyde (D) Current Position: Ohio State Representative Previous Experience: lawyer

Mike DeWine/Jon Husted (R) Current Position: Ohio Attorney General/Ohio Secretary of State Previous Experience: U.S. Senator, Ohio Lt. Gov./Speaker of Ohio House of Representatives

Secretary of State

Attorney General

Travis M. Irvine/J. Todd Grayson (L) Current Position: journalist/small business owner Previous Experience: none/Perrysburg, Ohio city councilor

Treasurer of State

Dave Yost (R) Current Position: Auditor of Ohio Previous Experience: Delaware County Auditor, Prosecutor

Robert Sprague (R) Current Position: Ohio State Representative Previous Experience: Auditor, treasurer Findlay, Ohio

Constance Gadell-Newton/Brett R. Joseph (G) Current Position: attorney/attorney Previous Experience: none/none

Steve Dettelbach (D) Current Position: lawyer Previous Experience: U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio

Rob Richardson (D) Current Position: University of Cincinnati (UC) Board Chair Previous Experience: Member of UC board

State Representative 10th District (North Side)

County Executive

U.S. Congress 11th District Marcia L. Fudge (D) Current Position: U.S. Representative Previous Experience: Mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio Beverly A. Goldstein (R) Current Position: audiologist Previous Experience: audiologist

State Senator 21st District Thomas Pekarek (R) Current Position: small business owner, substitute teacher Previous Experience: naval reservist Sandra Williams (D) Current Position: Ohio State Senator Previous Experience: Ohio State Representative

Local Elections

Terrence Upchurch (D) Current Position: Special assistant to Cleveland City Council Previous Experience: none

State Representative 9th District (South Side) Janine Boyd (D) Current Position: Ohio State Representative Previous Experience: Council for Cleveland Heights Joe Miller (R) Current Position: none Previous Experience: 2016 Republican candidate for the same position

State-wide Issues 1: To Reduce Penalties for Crimes of Obtaining, Possessing, and Using Illegal Drugs To add a new Section 12 to Article XV of the Constitution of the State of Ohio A majority yes vote is necessary for the amendment to pass.

If adopted, the amendment would: Require sentence reductions of incarcerated individuals, except individuals incarcerated for murder, rape, or child molestation, by up to 25% if the individual participates in rehabilitative, work, or educational programming.

Mandate that criminal offenses of obtaining, possessing, or using any drug such as fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD, and other controlled substances cannot be classified as a felony, but only a misdemeanor.

Peter J. Corrigan (R) Current Position: Senior executive Previous Experience: Former chief operating officer of Prestolite Electric Armond D. Budish (D) Current Position: County Executive Previous Experience: Speaker of the Ohio House

County Council Member 7th District (North Side) Yvonne M. Conwell (D) Current Position: County Council Representative Previous Experience: none

Issues

Prohibit jail time as a sentence for obtaining, possessing, or using such drugs until an individual’s third offense within 24 months.

Allow an individual convicted of obtaining, possessing, or using any such drug prior to the effective date of the amendment to ask a court to reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor, regardless of whether the individual has completed the sentence.

Require any available funding, based on projected savings, to be applied to state-administered rehabilitation programs and crime victim funds.

Require a graduated series of responses, such as community service, drug treatment, or jail time, for minor, noncriminal probation violations

U.S. Senator Jim Renacci (R) Current Position: U.S. Representative Previous Experience: Mayor of Wadsworth, Ohio Sherrod Brown (D) Current Position: U.S. Senator Previous Experience: U.S. Representative, Ohio Secretary of State

Ohio polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

County Council Member 10th District (South Side) Cheryl L. Stephens (D) Current Position: Cleveland Heights, Ohio City Councilor Previous Experience: Mayor of Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court

Michael P. Donnelly (D) Current Position: Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Previous Experience: Assistant prosecutor for Cuyahoga County Craig Baldwin (R) Current Position: Court of Appeals of Ohio Judge Previous Experience: Attorney and Director of Licking County Child Support Enforcement Agency

Local Issues

10: Proposed Charter Amendment County of Cuyahoga A majority affirmative vote is required for passage.

Shall Article IX of the Charter of the County of Cuyahoga be amended to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Personnel Review Commission and the Department of Human Resources, to prohibit discrimination in county employment on the basis of gender identity/expression, and to provide that unclassified service shall include those employees who are unclassified pursuant to general law and council ordinance?

11: Proposed Charter Amendment County of Cuyahoga A majority affirmative vote is required for passage.

Shall Article XI, Section 11.04 of the Charter of the County of Cuyahoga be amended to provide the Department of Internal Auditing discretion to bill departments for the cost of conducting audits, and in adopting auditing standards?

12: Proposed Charter Amendment County of Cuyahoga A majority affirmative vote is required for passage.

Shall Article XV of the Charter of the County of Cuyahoga be enacted to establish the Agency of Inspector General and to provide for the appointment, removal, qualifications, jurisdiction, and the powers and duties of the Inspector General, including access to county information and subpoena power as the chief ethics officer of Cuyahoga County?

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arts & entertainment Artist Spotlight

CWRU student, poet Christopher Cannon on telling the stories of the dead

Matt Hooke Arts & Entertainment Editor

Christopher Cannon’s first exposure to gang culture came at the age of 11 when he witnessed his brother’s gang initiation.

“I grew up in violence,” said Cannon.

“Just constant, constant violence.”

Now, the 27-year-old fourth-year history and English major is working on a collection of poetry called “Death Dance.” His work aims to tell the stories of those who were unable to escape the gang violence that surrounded him growing up in East Cleveland and to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

“This project has transfigured into me telling the stories of people who I knew growing up, most of whom died in really senseless acts of violence, and giving them the chance to speak after death,” said Cannon.

Cannon plans to use “Death Dance” for his English capstone. The poems in the collection often shift between Cannon’s voice and the voice of people who Cannon grew up with. The work moves from precise descriptions of events in a singular person’s life and then changes to talk about a broader socio-cultural experience.

Cannon said he had an interest in literature from a young age and always did well in school.

He credits his dad for his love of reading. He exposed Cannon to books related to marginalized people, especially black people, that helped him

gain an understanding of himself separate from the Eurocentric public school curriculum. Cannon said the ability to have pride in his black identity saved his life.

“I think it’s something I always came back to,” said Cannon. “My sense of self and sense of culture and pride in my ancestral heritage pushed me to go back to school.”

Cannon’s writing focused on social events that affected his family—things like riots, race relations, the prison-industrial complex and institutional racism— but rarely took a self reflective tone.

Once Cannon came to Case Western Reserve University, after transferring from Cuyahoga Community College, he gained enough distance from his past to reflect on his upbringing. He first began writing about his own experiences in professor Sarah Gridley’s poetry workshop last year.

Cannon’s ability to discuss immediate issues, while still using mythology, history and his imagination to create a great sense of depth structure, stuck out to Gridley. Gridley said Cannon responded well to comments from his fellow poets and learned how omission can be a great tool in a writer’s arsenal.

“His poems bring readers into a rich field of attention, soliciting participation, reflection and transformation,” said Gridley. “It is a joy to teach Chris because he is both deeply intellectual and resourcefully soulful. He ignites the ‘work’ in workshop.”

Two of his poems, “Earl” and “Pa’ Unos Estudiantes en México / For some students in Mexico,” got published in the

Courtesy of Christopher Cannon Fourth-year poet Chris Cannon is currently working on a collection of poetry called “Death Dance.” spring edition of the Case Reserve Review.

“Earl” is an ode to a childhood friend who taught Cannon to value poetry and writing despite the poverty around him.

Earl became homeless when his father abandoned him to move away from Cleveland with his stepmother. The desperation of Earl’s situation caused him to get more involved in gang subculture according to Cannon. Earl was killed after breaking into someone’s house.

“It’s me reconnecting with his spirit,” said Cannon. “One of the lines in it is ‘will you remember me when my body isn’t a body.’ Hopefully he’ll act as a

guide for me when I transfer into the otherworld.”

Cannon himself was involved in gang activity and spent time in prison during 2012.

“When you grow up in the city the only thing you really have is your name and your identity,” said Cannon on why he joined a gang. “You don’t have any money to your name or social status. It’s all about your identity and how people respect you. I knew from the jump that I had to make people respect me. ” Once Cannon moved away from his past, he made it his mission to ensure that the young people he grew up with did not make the same mistakes that he did.

“I knew they respected me and that they respected me for the wrong reasons,” said Cannon. “I wanted to make sure they had something in their lives.

Half of them went on to go to college and half of them at least found a trade, but I made sure that they didn’t fall into the same pit I fell in to.”

Cannon hopes to be involved with humanitarian work after he graduates but said he would continue to create artistic work no matter what he does.

“I always see myself creating. Producing art, producing poetry, producing visuals, doing performance art.

And I think it will always be used as a platform to tell these stories of marginalized people, marginalized black people especially, on a more public stage and breaking into stages where these stories aren’t seen and aren’t heard,” he said.

Jolly Comedy Hour brings stand-up comedy to campus Aura Rossy Accounts Manager Jolly Comedy Hour, held on Saturday, Oct. 27, marked the first stand-up comedy event at the Jolly Scholar. The event featured headliner Vishnu Akella, Brett Thomas and Marcello Hernandez.

Thomas, the recipient of 2018 Cleveland Comedy Awards for “Best Joke Short-form” and “Rookie of the Year,” performs regularly in the Northeast Ohio area. Hernandez is a fourth-year student at John Carroll University who has established a comedy show at his institution. Akella, a fourth-year Case Western Reserve University student, seeks to do the same here at CWRU by establishing regular shows where he will perform alongside special guests.

Stand-up comedy is new for the entertainment scene at CWRU and offers a unique opportunity for students to explore their talents. Akella said stand-up comedy differs from other forms of creative expression due to its immediacy.

The audience offers immediate feedback, with laughter or jeers, right when the comedian tells a joke.

“You say something and then you’re

Henry Bendon/Observer Henry Bendon/Observer Comedians Vishnu Akella, Brett Thomas and Marcello Hernandez performed at the first Jolly Comedy Night on Saturday, Oct. 27. going to find out if it’s good or bad right then and there,” said Akella. “Writing for screenwriting and sketches and stuff you don’t find out until after [the performance], but here it’s right away.”

After Akella’s introduction, Hernandez took the stage and brought up the racial issues felt by many American citizens. Hernandez, whose parents hail from Cuba and the Dominican Repub-

lic, has felt the effects of stereotyping and racism, particularly with Latino cultures.

His lines poked fun at the tendency for people to lump Latino cultures into one general group and make assumptions about traditions and culinary preferences.

Similarly, Akella’s parents immigrated to the United States from India. Akella discussed being raised by immigrant parents who grew up in a much different

environment than he did, bringing up his dad’s claim of having built his life from the ground up with only $10 in his pocket. Akella comedically pointed out how the situation his dad grew up in is starkly different from his situation growing up in the US. “I went to India with $10 in my pocket, and I almost bought India,” said Akella.

Akella’s venture into comedy began years ago when he chose to combine his enjoyment of comedy with his writing skills. He started by performing at open-mic nights before performing at progressively bigger venues. Although Cleveland serves Akella well for performance opportunities, particularly in Lakewood and Coventry, lately he has been flying out to New York to perform at more shows and expand his network.

“Out of all the major cities, Cleveland’s pretty good. The top [cities] are New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and then there’s other mid-size cities, and Cleveland’s got a really good comedy scene,” said Akella.

Look out for more student-hosted comedy nights at the Jolly Scholar in the future.

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a&e

11/2/18

“First Man” gives audiences a harrowing and compelling journey to the moon

Lars Torres Staff Reporter

After four years, Damien Chazelle has cemented himself as one of this generation’s great directors with the masterpieces “Whiplash” in 2014 and “La La Land” in 2016. His newest film, “First Man,” is a complete change in subject matter and tone from his previous films, as Chazelle seeks to prove himself as more than just a music filmmaker. Chazelle more than proves himself with this film.

“First Man” tells the story of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, and his personal struggles between 1961 and 1969 during the Space Race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Both superpowers were trying to become the first to put a man on the moon. The film takes a rather unconventional approach to the Space Race and focuses on Armstrong and his family as they grapple with the death of a loved one. This death affects both his actions and emotions as he obsesses over becoming the first to walk on the moon.

From a technical standpoint, “First Man” reigns supreme over most of the films that have come out this year, with impeccable sound design and claustrophobic yet beautiful cinematography.

Many of the space flight sequences bring a sense of realism and isolated brilliance to the film through the approaches to sound by talented sound designers and mixers and cinematography work by cinematographer Linus Sandgren.

Chazelle’s steady direction with a deft and emotionally balanced hand makes Armstrong a very sympathetic character in spite of his cold, detached demeanor.

Ryan Gosling’s performance as Armstrong and Claire Foy’s performance as Janet Shearon, Armstrong’s wife, help make the astronaut the emotional core of the story.

The score, composed by regular Chazelle collaborator Justin Hurwitz, is astonishing in some sequences with the unique sound of a theremin during the film’s most emotional and raw scenes aiding the heart-wrenching moments. Much like Chazelle’s other films, the climax is one to be remembered, as the final half hour of the film leads into the Apollo 11 launch.

The launch itself is a provocative and amazing moment, but the moon landing produces some of the most satisfying sounds and feelings that one will experience this year in film. The fantastic soundtrack, combined with impressive visuals and direction create a stunning moment. The sequences on the moon itself, especially in IMAX, are so beautiful and gripping that you will actually believe that you are on the moon with Armstrong and Aldrin.

The supporting cast is fantastic. Although the supporting cast may seem underutilized, the apparent neglect helps keep the focus of the film on Armstrong.

The film, another knockout from Chazelle, has some of most resonant sequences and performances you will experience all year and will stand the test of time.

Courtesy of Wikipedia “First Man” directed by Damien Chazelle stars Ryan Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Poetry for people who hate poetry Dave Lucas

This the third monthly column by full-time Case Western Reserve University lecturer and Ohio Poet Laureate Dave Lucas. The column will appear in other publications.

“I never got poetry,” someone says to me again. And I sigh.

Because I never got it either—at least, not until I learned to stop worrying about “getting it.”

In fact, “get”—with its connotation of acquisition and possession—is the wrong word for what we do with poetry.

As if a poem were something to be taken and kept. A half-gallon of milk to be picked up on the way home.

Walt Whitman jokes about this approach to poetry in section 2 of “Song of Myself”: “Have you practis’d so long to learn to read?” he asks. “Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?” Instead, Whitman urges us to “listen to all sides and filter them from your self.”

Whitman mentions another word that often complicates our experience of poetry: “meaning.” Meaning is the elephant in the poem’s cramped room, especially if that meaning is perceived to be “deeper” or “hidden.” If we are supposed to get a poem, its meaning is what we are supposed to get.

You might be all too familiar with this approach to poetry, especially if your experiences have taken place primarily in classrooms. Too many of us have been taught that poems resemble riddles to be solved rather than music to be heard or meals to be relished.

Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems? We may answer “No,” because we remember being told that our ideas about poems were wrong, that the author meant something else entirely.

By the time I got to high school, I was so conditioned to seek the meaning of a poem that when I read “A poem should not mean / But be,” I wanted to demand: But what does that mean?

I think we need to change our approach.

I ask my students to consider the word meaning as a verb instead of a noun. That is: meaning is not something we achieve, arrive at, or get; instead, imagine that meaning is something we do, an active process through which we make sense of language and the world.

So, just as get is the wrong word for poetry, “What does a poem mean?” is the wrong question.

Robert B. Pierce, professor emeritus of Oberlin College, asks a better question in an essay called “How Does a Poem Mean?”. That how is especially important because it changes the way we think about meaning itself.

Meaning is not a fixed entity, the answer to some trivia question we’ll never be asked. Meaning changes. Just think about what the seemingly innocent word love meant to you at age eight, and age 16, and what it means to you now.

If we must think of the poem as possessing a meaning, that meaning is neither the exclusive property of the poet or of the audience. Meaning is a process in which we participate; we collaborate with the poet themselves to bring the poem to life between us.

In this model, “meaning” is not the answer to a trivia question: What is the capital of England? Instead, Pierce writes, to understand a poem “is like knowing a city, such as London. To know London is to be at home there; there is no set of pieces of information that constitutes my knowing the city, though information is part of the whole.” To know London or a poem, we must first understand “that there is no one thing to know.”

To get to know a city, as Pierce suggests, you would need to walk its streets, sample its cafes and eavesdrop on the locals’ conversations. You would need to know where the museums are, of course, but you would also need to know how those museums smell.

To get to know a poem, you need to read it, ideally again and again. Better yet: hear it, say it aloud. Feel its sounds in your throat; try writing it out in your own hand.

Try it with Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays,” a poem you might indeed have encountered in a classroom.

You might have learned that the poem portrays an adult’s conflicted memories about childhood and a distant, if dutiful, father. None of that is wrong, but none of it is enough. Instead, say the poem aloud until you can hear in your own voice the crackling of the fire Hayden recreates with “b” and “l” and

“k” sounds: “Sundays too my father got up early / and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold.”

Notice that sneaky “too” in the opening line. That one word allows us insight into years of the family dynamic in the poem. “Sundays too”—this day, like all days, “I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.”

If you can hear it too, then you have become the poet’s collaborator. You and Hayden are “meaning” the poem yourself. And I suspect you will wince all the more at the heart-wrenching repetition at the end of the poem: “What did I know, what did I know / of love’s austere and lonely offices?”

Forget “deep meanings.” The best stuff is right there on the surface if we can stop taking it for granted.

What’s deep is the pleasure we can find if we stop worrying that something is hidden. What there is to get is the sense that the poem belongs to us just as much as to the poet, that we make its meanings together. The poem can be the place where we meet.

Dave Lucas is the author of “Weather” which received the 2012 Ohioana Book Award for Poetry. Named by Rita Dove as one of thirteen “young poets to watch,” he has also received a “Discovery/The Nation Prize and a Cleveland Arts Prize. In 2018 he was named the second Poet Laureate of the State of Ohio. A co-founder of Brews + Prose at Market Garden Brewery and Cleveland Book Week, he lives in Cleveland, where he was born and raised.

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observer.case.edu

Playlist of the Week

Kyle Smith Staff Reporter

With every day looking more or less like the last gray and rainy day, it is easy to fall into a monotonous routine: wake up, go to class, do homework, sleep and repeat. To break that routine, this week’s playlist features rap songs that break the mold.

“Pray For Me” - Brother Ali

“While the funky, 1990s-inspired beats of “Pray For Me” certainly sound different compared to today’s production-heavy mumble rap, what truly sets Brother Ali’s music apart is that Brother Ali is a white, albino, Muslim man. Ali’s music tends to be unapologetically personal and political. In “Pray For Me,” Ali raps about the identity issues he had growing up with albinism. In the line “Lot of money spent just to get me presentable, message that it sent, the real you ain’t acceptable,” Ali expresses that dying his hair to fit in felt like lying about who he was.

“Trauerfeier Lied” - Alligatoah

In “Trauerfeier Lied,” German rapper Alligatoah imagines the world he will leave behind when he dies. The lyrics are witty, if you know German, as Alligatoah claims to be writing his own funeral song because Queen and Elton John’s songs weren’t sad enough. It can be interesting to hear rap techniques applied to a different set of syllables than we are used to, and the song contains an impressive several-line flow at the end of the first verse. Even if you can’t understand the lyrics, “Trauerfeier Lied” is a solid, melodic rap song.

“call + form (picture)” - milo

milo is one of the foremost producers of “nerd rap.” A pioneer in a genre that refuses to compromise messages for accessibility, milo’s songs are full of references to literature, philosophy and his nerdy hobbies such as Magic: The Gathering. “call + form (picture)” features references to a Guyanese novel, a Margaret Atwood poem, the Bible and Vladimir Nabokov in the first four lines alone. The complex lyrics are accompanied by a unique beat that blends jazz and electronic elements.

“Tick, Tick... (feat. MF Grimm)” - MF DOOM

MF DOOM is the mask-wearing, rapping, super villain stage persona of English rapper Daniel Dumile. MF DOOM is especially popular with fans of independent music and has collaborated with a variety of unlikely artists, including Danger Mouse, who produced albums for Gnarls Barkley and The Black Keys, among others. “Tick, Tick…” is interesting in its use of time signature with the song speeding up and slowing down dramatically throughout the song. Guest rapper MF Grimm handles the time changes with ease throughout, and the constantly changing flow creates a disorienting feeling.

“Work Work” - clipping.

clipping. is an experimental hip-hop outfit consisting of rapper Daveed Diggs, the original Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette in “Hamilton: An American Musical,” and producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes. clipping. uses beats that not everyone would consider musical. For example, Diggs’ dynamic lyrics in “Work Work” are rapped over the remixed sound of smashing cinder blocks, crumpling beer cans and a ball-bearing being rolled in a metal thermos. The song also features an aggressive guest verse from rapper Cocc Pistol Cree.

Find all these tracks online with our weekly Spotify playlist at observer.case.edu All photos courtesy pluspremiers.us, genius.com, directlyrics.com, and wikipedia.com

Arts After Dark unites campus performers and arts supporters Julia Knight Staff Reporter Arts enthusiasts were scattered around Harkness Chapel on Saturday evening, relaxed and ready to watch performances by a variety of their musical peers. Arts After Dark is a semesterly event organized by the Music Undergraduate Student Involvement Committee to showcase the outstanding talent on campus.

The event features musicians, dancers, singers and performing groups.

Students from all majors and years participate, regardless of their previous performing experience.

Joana Kyle, a first-year pre-medicine student with a background in music, was eager to attend the event. She was unsure of what to expect but was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of talent that the student performers brought to the stage.

“I loved the event. To my surprise, there were vocal, instrumental and dance performances,” said Kyle. “Each performance was very different from one another.”

A particularly memorable moment for Kyle occurred when a ballerina performed en pointe in the first half of the concert. She gracefully glided across the stage on her toes and captivativated the audience with her emotional facial expressions.

“I’ve not had much exposure to [bal-

let en pointe],” said Kyle. “Dancing on your toes is very difficult, yet the dancer made it look effortless and flawless.”

Aside from the phenomenal dancing, there were many student performing groups who came to share their passion for music with the crowd. Voices of Glory, a gospel choral group, sang songs of praise and encouraged the audience to join in.

All six gospel singers had remarkable intonation. The lead male singer’s vocal range was extraordinary, he sang runs from his high falsetto all the way down to his low baritone register. The blend of his voice with the choir allowed for stunning harmonies, and everyone in the chapel passionately cheered as the group humbly exited the stage.

A singer herself, Kyle appreciated the musicality of Voices of Glory and the other Arts After Dark performers.

“Music has been a huge part of my life,” said Kyle. “So I always love watching others perform, too.”

Arts After Dark is a great venue for artists and performing arts-devotees from all academic disciplines to come together in support of each others’ musical goals. The determination and passion of the performers were infectious.

The success of Arts After Dark resonated with Kyle and other attendees. After experiencing the event, Kyle will not only attend them in the future, but may perform herself.

“I will definitely attend future Arts After Dark events,” she said. “I’m even considering performing next time.”

What to do this weekend

Matt Hooke Arts and Entertainment Editor

Friday, Nov. 1 If/Then Where: Carlton Commons When: Friday and Saturday 8 p.m., Saturday 11:59 p.m.

The CWRU Footlighters present their performance of “If/Then,” a musical by Brian Yorkey, Tom Kitt and Michael Grief. The show follows Elizabeth, who must choose between going to a protest with her old friend Lucas or going to a concert with her new friend Kate, and demonstrates how the small decisions we make impact our lives. Tickets are available online on CampusGroups and Tapingo and at the door. Tickets cost $5 for students and $10 for the general public.

University Chorale and Case Men’s Glee Club When: 8 to 9:30 p.m.

Where: Church of the Covenant This concert features University Chorale, a treble voice chorale ensemble, and Case Men’s Glee Club, a lower voice chorale ensemble. The show is part of Case Western Reserve University’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the joint music program with the Cleveland Institute of Music. The event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, Nov. 2 MOCA Free First Saturday When: 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) MOCA’s monthly Free First Saturday event allows visitors to experience the museum, including tours and workshops, for free. At 11:30 a.m. there is an in-depth

hour-long discussion about a single artwork. At noon, showcase your creative side at the Open Art Studio with a guided art class.

Dia de los Muertos 2018 Celebration When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Where: Cleveland Public Theatre Dia de los Muertos is an important Mexican holiday that serves as a time to remember and honor deceased family and friends. This free all-ages event features face painting, arts and crafts workshops, Latin food and live music. The Procession of Skeletons & Skulls parade begins at 3:30 p.m.

Phi Delta Epsilon’s Anatomy Fashion Show When: 7 to 10 p.m.

Where: Tinkham Veale University Center Join Phi Delta Epsilon as they raise money for Rainbow Babies, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Performances by Kismat, Case in Point and CobRaas will accompany the fashion show. The event features CWRU students walking down the runway while painted as different anatomical systems. Tickets are $10 for students and $20 for the general public.

Sunday, Nov. 3 Tactile Carnival When: 1 to 4 p.m.

Where: Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) Enjoy art in an entirely new way at CMA’s Tactile Carnival, an event designed for people with hearing and/or vision loss that focuses on the sense of touch. Sighted and hearing people will have the opportunity to experience the world of deaf, hard-ofhearing, deaf-blind, blind and low-vision communities. Enjoy carnival games, art activities, gallery tours and more for free.

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10 opinion

11/2/18

opinion Editorial

A false notion of diversity One of the first programs any Case Western Reserve University student is exposed to is “Diversity 360,” a brief training during Orientation Week that attempts to educate first-year students on the cultural nuances of their new community. It makes sense to cover this topic during the early period of campus living, especially with our large international population and the fact that we’re adjacent to one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country.

Yet, to call diversity, or right-relations for that matter, a core part of this campus would be inaccurate, to say the least.

The topic of diversity came back into discussion this past week when the University announced it would be cutting two tenure-track positions in AfricanAmerican history. These positions were core components of the Department of History, as is typical with any major university. The two previous professors to hold these positions were both women of color, representing a critical perspective in a field of study that is primarily introand retrospective. But according to the University, these considerations do not matter if there is not enough budget space.

Apparently, the topic of study is simply not relevant enough to warrant a nonvisiting position.

It’s pretty incredible how tone-deaf of an action this was on the part of the administration. We live in one of the most vital and turbulent periods of black history in America, where movements such

as “Black Lives Matter” have taken root across the country. In the past few years, this campus has seen a number of incidents reflective of the deep racial prejudices which have persisted into the 21st century.

A shooting in front of the Corner Alley and the stoppage of a city councilman by police on campus are just two that we saw in the 2017-18 academic year.

Even with a direct response from Undergraduate Student Government and a letter co-signed by numerous other organizations along with the Department of History, the University still failed to offer proper justification for its actions.

Their response to the letter, once again, hid behind supposed monetary concerns while avoiding the social and precedential concerns brought up by the letter’s author.

This week’s issue of The Observer features an article that can provide a better glimpse into their explanational shortcomings.

This entire situation emblematizes the University’s failure to adequately promote a diverse campus community. Isolated efforts are used as proof of success in this mission, when many of these initiatives, programs and trainings are in fact indications of their shortcomings.

Take the aforementioned Diversity 360 program for example. CWRU flaunts it as being rigorously created and fueled by research from other institutions. In practice, it feels out-of-touch and poorly constructed to prepare students for coexistence on a socially complex campus. Much of what the Orientation Week training covers

pertains to micro-aggressions and identity, but the approach is highly reductive and oversimplified. It equates numerous actions which are blatantly racist with mere slipups and acts as though a catch-all method for dealing with discrimination is possible.

Some students consider the Diversity 360 experience in its entirety to be waste of time, demonstrating how poorly the mission of the program is coming across.

If the goal of Diversity 360 was actually to take root in the minds of students, we would probably be able to tell. The trope of not “going beyond the bridge” wouldn’t be as widespread as it is, nor would it be a key takeaway from Orientation Week conflicting with the anti-micro-aggression model our university has developed. We wouldn’t have a problem with students calling security on black people walking through campus or at least it would manifest to a lesser degree.

The study of African-American history would not be considered niche enough to warrant defunding.

There’s simply too much separation of diversity from the campus culture. It remains an abstract goal of the University rather than a fundamental component of the community.

Look at the way tours are constructed; the way our tours portray campus demonstrates this problem. Beyond casual mention of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and some various student organizations, it is difficult for prospective students to see this campus as genuinely reflecting a diverse environment. The superficial components are there, but little can be said for the actual

level of cultural cohesion.

And if you wish to bring in metrics, CWRU struggles immensely in fostering a campus that mirrors the demographics of its surroundings. As of 2017, only four percent of our undergraduate student body is African-American, compared to 53.3 percent for the entire city. We don’t need to be a perfect reflection of our environment, but this disparity can be interpreted as a failing of the University to support and draw from its surroundings.

While this is a systemic, nationwide issue, there are definitely shortcomings which can be attributed to the University’s academic policy and structure. A little more than a month ago, we covered the disparity in graduation rate between Pell Grant recipients and nonrecipients. These are some of the most underprivileged students on campus, and their graduation rate is indicative of a perpetuation of the obstacles they overcame, rather than an end to the cycle that disadvantages them.

The University needs to make a decision. Does it really want to hide behind a thinly-veiled budget problem in justification of the downgrading of a position that is both socially and academically critical? Or does it wish to frugally continue with misguided attempts at celebrating its diverse community?

Given the homelessness sculpture they just put outside of the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, I think their direction is apparent.

Uptown’s food funk Peter for You

Peter Wilson There are many exceptionally wonderful things about this university.

The academics are renowned and challenging, the campus is beautiful and located in a cultural hub and the professors are esteemed and well respected.

However, there are flaws. Most prominent of which is the choices of food on campus and in University Circle.

I am not referring to the meal plan, the cost associated with it or the options it presents. I am talking about the other options for food on and close to campus.

There are a variety of choices. On Euclid alone, we have several restaurants, such as Qdoba, Bibibop, Chapati Indian Grill, Panera Bread, Otani Noodle, Chopstick and Chipotle, among others.

Of course, there is also nearby Little

Italy and all the options there, and there are coffee shops dotting the side streets.

These options may seem diverse.

Included in that list is Mexican (or TexMex) food, Chinese food and bagels, along with Indian and Korean options as well. But when you really consider the actual options, there is much less variety than originally thought.

For instance, there is both a Chipotle and a Qdoba. These two restaurants serve exceptionally similar food, even in the same style of restaurant, fast casual.

Why do two copies of a Mexican/TexMex do-it-yourself option need to be so close? They are less than a block from each other. Another example of this is the existence of a Panera Bread directly across the street from a Dunkin’ Donuts, with a Starbucks only a few minutes down the street.

In addition to these similar options, there is a clear lack of some food options.

There are no examples of the classic American fast-food burger restaurant—

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such as McDonald’s, Burger King or Wendy’s.

There is a clear preference for some types of restaurants over others. There is also little variety when the options are actually examined. While there are multiple submarine sandwich joints, Subway and Jimmy John’s, there are few chicken restaurants, such as Popeyes, Raising Cane’s or Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Uptown could serve to house a wider variety of options. Yes, diversity already exists, but there are clear flaws in the current options. There is a prevalence of restaurants which make the meal directly in front of you such as Chipotle, Bibibop, Chapati and Qdoba, but there are other options we could have, some of which I stated above.

The Corner Alley recently closed down, and it is unclear what has taken up residence in that spot, other than possibly a taco shop, as stated by the previous owner of Corner Alley. This adds another

Mexican restaurant, for a total of three, within a block of each other even while many types of foods aren’t represented at all.

I’d suggest some different types of restaurants, such as a Piada Italian Street Food, a pizza place, or even a McDonald’s. I would also suggest something to add to the landscape that already exists like a CoreLife Eatery.

There is a diversity of food choices at the surface level when it comes to food options in Uptown. A few types are represented, but many are left out.

Uptown could use a few new additions to its existing options to actually broaden its supposed variety of student-targeted fare.

Peter Wilson is a second-year biomedical engineering student on the computing and bioinformatics track. He works in the Gustafson Lab and can be found on Twitter at @wpieltseorn.

the observer

established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher EDDIE KEREKES director of web & multimedia ALEXANDRA FACCENDA director of business operations SARAH PARR director of design RYAN YOO news editor SOPHIA YAKUMITHIS a&e editor MATT HOOKE opinion editor JACKSON RUDOFF sports editor ANDREW FORD web editor PRESTON WILLIS designer KATHY YAO social media editor CHRIS HEERMAN adviertising manager DARIA RYABOGIN photo editor JAY KASSEL LEWIS accounts manager AURA ROSSY copy editors marketing manager BRADLEY SCHNEIDER MARY MCPHEETERS EMILY YOUNG advisor JIM SHEELER WON HEE KIM

opinion 11

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Complicity in mass shootings is a national burden Opinion Editor Jackson Rudoff It’s doubtful that anyone missed the news of the mass shooting that took place at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh this past Saturday. It was an attack that left 11 dead, six injured and, as with all American mass shootings, countless others traumatized.

The mere fact that I can say: “as with all American mass shootings” demonstrates just how low of a point in history we’ve reached.

Our history is supposedly marked by moments of exceptionalism, and the present definitely meets that standard.

Just not in a positive, progressive or even developed manner. The reality of America is one where sexual harassment is an on-the-job skill for powerful men, van-dwellers in Florida send pipe bombs to politicians that talking heads told him to dislike and white supremacists consider it perfectly acceptable to spew their rhetoric in public.

Perhaps most glaringly, gun violence is seemingly around every corner. The places we typically measure as safe feel less so with every incident, especially for minorities. As the body count continues to rise alongside the number of attacks for the year, the question arises: at what point will we finally decide that we’ve had enough? Who has to die for any change to occur?

We’ve shown that students don’t matter. This past February, a school shooting in Parkland, Florida that left 17 dead sparked a movement culminating in the “March for Our Lives.” Millions of students around the country displayed their solidarity against our gun culture.

They did not mince words or let their work be done for them by adults. It was genuine and powerful, and what came of it?

Nothing.

The students that led the protests found themselves the targets of online attacks, with people who had never in

their life experienced a mass shooting criticizing their motives. Right-wing commentators clung to any students on their side, doing their best to discredit the leaders of the movement. For a brief while, the country pretended to care about addressing mental health in America—of course, that distractionary effort didn’t go anywhere either. What mattered most was the option of owning an AR-15, a big gun with no utility other than a level of precision that no civilian ever needs for personal protection.

Self-defense is almost never planned and tactical. It’s reactionary, much like the majority off the extremist “outliers” who take matters into their own hands. These are the very people who commit the atrocities that we categorically dismiss as less important than gun rights, and we’re propping up an outdated notion of liberty that practically hands them the ammunition.

Second Amendment purism benefits nobody but the people who, much like the guns, cannot be well-regulated. If mass murders at schools can’t wither our blatant traditionalism, will anything?

The shooting at Tree of Life certainly

won’t. Our favorite ideal to safeguard other than gun ownership is freedom of speech, particularly for nationalists and white supremacists.

Less than a week after President Trump welcomed the moniker of “nationalist,” a man entered a synagogue and opened fire after yelling that “all Jews must die.” It’s anti-Semitism, plain and simple. But the question is: how have we managed to embolden these extremists to the point where they feel free to act out?

It begins with the enabling of their ideology. Blogs, Facebook groups and weird white dudes with frogs in their Twitter names. People like Richard Spencer, who advocated for a white ethnostate, being welcomed onto college campuses to spread contempt for ethnic minorities. Ideologues like Alex Jones who slowly allow globalism—a signal for a Jewish conspiracy theory—to become normalized within political discussion. They incite violence, insurrection and a number of other terms calling for people to take matters into their own hands.

And somehow, they aren’t the

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons A vigil in response to a mass shooting. With the sheer amount of gun violence in America, these have become far too common.

craziest ones involved in this mess. That title belongs to us; we’re the ones who sat idly by and allowed it. On numerous occasions, we even defended them as “devil’s advocates.” Twitter’s staff has become famous for ignoring blatant threats, including some from a man who eventually sent out pipe bombs. When Spencer was punched, people called for an end to political violence.

The day of the shooting at Tree of Life, a commentator on Fox News claimed that a migrant caravan was a plot funded by George Soros. Just days before, Soros was targeted by a pipe bomb because of his association with an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. It’s subtle, but indicative of just how much freedom we’ve given the aforementioned “outliers” to operate.

If mass murders in schools couldn’t enact policy change, then looking for it in the Tree of Life incident is just a waste of time. We enabled the rhetoric that allowed it to occur, so why would we have any constructive takeaways?

President Trump’s takeaway certainly didn’t indicate any beneficial introspection. He called for “armed guards,” a solution many brought up in the wake of other incidents, such as Sandy Hook and Parkland, as if more guns would solve our problem of gun violence. It’s been a struggle for him to publicly condemn this as an act of anti-Semitism, probably because he understands the political risks of doing so.

All of it is evocative of how far we’ve fallen, transforming into a grim embodiment of the classic metaphor of “shooting yourself in the foot.” But in our case, we dismiss the responsibility of the gun and yell at the foot for not being better protected.

Blind to our own self-destructiveness, we’re left to hobble through history.

Jackson Rudoff is a second-year political science and cognitive science major. He serves as Opinion Editor and is making a rare return to column writing.

How it feels to get help Unsolicited Opinion Won Hee Kim I fell into a major depressive episode last Saturday.

Over that week, I had been interacting with so many people and doing so much work that the stress became overwhelming. But I continued to force myself to do more work: volunteering, attending class and helping with events.

By Tuesday, I could not stomach it anymore. I felt so incomplete and empty that even saying “hello” to the bus driver was draining. I wasn’t sad, I was unemotive and unresponsive. So I skipped class on Tuesday.

I sent an email to my English professor shortly before class started.

I tried my best to get dressed and clean, and then I went to the University Health & Counseling Services office.

Located in the basement of Sears, it was inconspicuous and close enough to other classes that I didn’t feel awkward going. I had been to Counseling Services once before, but maybe I did not click with the therapist then because I never wanted to return until now when I felt I

had no other option.

It was too early to call my friends or my siblings, who would be in class, sleeping or at work. After filling out a few forms for privacy, my mental health history and my current state, I was able to meet with a counselor.

She led me down the hallway into a cozy room and invited me to sit on the couch. There were at least two tissue

boxes in the room within easy reach.

She started asking questions based on my survey results, and though I started out stoic, I began to cry. It was the cathartic sort of tears, and for the first time since Saturday, I felt actual emotions. Afterward, she assigned me some “homework”—to eat food and fill out a few pages of a self care index. The entire process took about an hour, and I left feeling a bit more human.

“ I felt so incomplete and empty that even saying hello to the bus driver was draining. I wasn’t sad, I was unemotive and unresponsive. ”

Following that, I sent a text to two of my close friends, looking for validation and also wanting to tell them I was struggling without actually saying that I was struggling. I texted, “I went to health counseling services today.

Praise me,” and they responded with “Congrats” and “You are a good bean.”

Their positive responses helped, a lot.

I went to get comfort food at UPB: Thwing Tuesday, which served several variations of pasta. I went to the Flora Stone Mather Women’s Center and began to be productive again in a quiet and friendly environment. Later, my professor emailed me back with condolences and offers of help.

The bottom line is that most people aren’t terrible. When you reach out for help, they understand and respond.

Nobody thought I was pathetic or judged me. Stigma and fear can stop people from getting help, but it really shouldn’t. I have an appointment next week with the same counselor, and I think I’ll be alright.

Won Hee Kim is a struggling thirdyear English major.

12 opinion

11/2/18

Say hello to Spartie the Squirrel Columnist Steve Kerby To be frank, an ancient Greek soldier renowned as the model of a disciplined and driven fighter is not the image of the Case Western Reserve University student body. A Spartan warrior is not the mascot for us.

Consider the original Spartan warriors, who were served by a group of Messenian slaves. Called helots, they labored under Spartan masters to eke out a pitiful existence and were thrust into battle as cannon fodder for highly armored and armed Spartan shock troops. Is this the mantle we want to carry as a school?

Beyond literal historic context, the word spartan has been generalized into an adjective meaning bare, functional and lacking luxury. These likewise do not represent us. CWRU is full of exciting features. Our buildings are not designed for convenience or utility but

to impress visitors from off-campus.

The only thing “spartan” about living at CWRU is the grubby food and the tiny dorm rooms, but these features are not aspirational; we don’t choose to have poor food or claustrophobic rooms.

Consider the squirrel. Specifically, the Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis.

Squirrels are the second most visible inhabitant of our campus, behind students. The students are jittery, easily startled and, for the most part, they avoid human contact. They run across streets in wanton disregard for public safety and their own well-being. Our sciurine, which means “squirrel-like”, friends grab any food they can find on the Quad, stashing it away for later.

Like a CWRU student, squirrels often barricade themselves in hiding spots, emerging only to see if midterm season is over.

The squirrel is the mascot for us.

As Ben Franklin anecdotally championed the turkey, consider the

benefits of switching to the squirrel.

We could capture a squirrel on campus and use him or her as an actual mascot.

The squirrel could live a life of luxury, pamper and ease, safe from the hawks that scour the Quad for prey. We can name him or her Spartie the Squirrel, so we won’t need to change promotional material. If alumni are particularly attached to Spartan imagery, Spartie the Squirrel can wear a little helmet and cape. This an adorable prospect.

Our use of the Spartan warrior as mascot is not representative of our ethos as a student body. In popular culture, the Spartans are associated with the mythological last stand of King Leonidas at the Fiery Gates in the battle of Thermopylae. Three hundred Spartans died in defiance of endless hordes of Persians. As highly fictionalized as this account is, the CWRU community does not strike me in this way.

Our campus is not a bed of idealism and last stands. Student organizations don’t normally make do-or-die

statements. We don’t break, but we bend. In the past, it was students who led revolutions in the streets of Paris and faced fire and death in Tiananmen Square.

Our times are just as tumultuous, but students at CWRU keep our heads down. We get an engineering degree, go on co-op and get a good job. We make half-hearted gestures of reassurance as society frays apart. We duck and cover, running as the Republicans elected a fascist for president right in our city. Our food gets kicked out of Tinkham Veale University Center and Nord Hall, but shoulders-down, we accept and adapt, dodging the predators around us.

I think we deserve a more representative mascot, Spartie the Squirrel.

Steve Kerby is a fourth-year studying astronomy and physics. He would like to remind you, the discerning reader, to vote.

My celebrity cheat list She Doesn’t Even Go Here

Sophia Yakumithis A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece about my celebrity crushes. To answer a lot of your questions: no, I don’t regret exposing myself. That’s why I’m about to do it again. This time, it’s even more personal.

The whole “I make my boyfriends sign a disclaimer” bit about letting me cheat on them with my celebrity crushes if given the opportunity is true. It’s not a physical waiver, but an implicit agreement. I will now publically offer an explanation for each love interest, which I hope gives everyone at least somewhat of an understanding.

Matt Smith is topping the list right now. Esquire. Sartorial. Matt Smith is a man of elegance. I used to think he looks kinda kooky, but after seeing him as Prince Philip on The Crown, my mind completely changed. In the past two months, he went from not even close to being on my radar to being a potential father of my children.

Next up is Chris Hemsworth. A jacked Australian with a perfect face. I want to share a surfboard with him. If I keep going, I’ll start crying.

Leonardo DiCaprio: I like him for obscure reasons, including his environmental activism, “The Revenant”, his Palm Springs shenanigans and his “dad bod.” “Titanic” is just an afterthought. He is an essential member of my cheat list, as my interest in him has perpetuated since my hormones first developed. I did, however, hear a rumor that he wears a tee shirt during private times.

I feel obligated to include Ryan Reynolds. He’s Deadpool and looks incredible in a red, skin-tight suit. He’s also married to Blake Lively, who is very hot.

How about Christoph Waltz?

Everyone needs a sugar daddy on their cheat-list and the “Django Unchained”

star is a perfect choice. His Austrian realism and elderly appearance are authoritative and appealing.

Helen Mirren is my dream woman.

She’s in her 70s and is in better shape than me. While I’m not a lesbian, if I met the real Queen of England, I very well might make an exception.

Harry Styles is my teenage dream.

He’s like a refined, youthful version of Mick Jagger and has a total “I don’t care” attitude. It’s impossible to be sad when you’re thinking about this curly headed teddy bear.

Steve Gold, a real estate agent on a Bravo TV show called “Million Dollar Listing.” He walks around without a shirt on and sometimes has a “dad bod.”

Once, “on the side,” he modelled for

“ Next up is Chris Hemsworth. A jacked Australian with a perfect face. I want to share a surfboard with him. If I keep going, I’ll start crying. ”

Tom Ford, so you get the idea. My mom wants me to date him, and I support her in that cause.

Like Helen Mirren, Alicia Vikander is another exception. I saw “Tomb Raider,” and I immediately went to the gym. The only problem is that I would feel intimidated by her beauty. I would also settle for Lara Croft’s real life husband, the Irish studmuffin Michael Fassbender. He’s over 6’ tall and played a Spartan warrior in “300.”

Because of President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, I waited until after President Barack Obama left office to admit it, but I love him. Regardless of one’s political views, we can all agree that he is the coolest president the United States will ever have.

That’s all, folks. I read this back to myself and realized that whoever I marry in the future might change their mind if they dig this up. But then again, what would they be doing reading The Observer archives? That’s just weird.

Sophia Yakumithis doesn’t even go here. She is spending the semester as a recluse, boasting exceptionally high cheekbones and listening to a lot of Arctic Monkeys.

A mid-semester reflection Publicized Confab Josiah Smith Like it or not, the middle of the semester is when you’re compelled to reflect. There’s something about receiving midterm grades, whether scathing, decent or exceptional, that causes you to ponder what went well and what didn’t. Fortunately, there’s enough time to sustain or change things for the better. And although I hate messages that teeter on cliche, the best way I’ve learned to do this is by letting the unnecessary go.

Initially, identifying the extent of the fruitless things in your life will be challenging. In the same regard, there

will be some things that you’ll know, right off the bat, aren’t really worth your precious time.

Don’t be ashamed of the things that need to be essentially cut away from your life. For me, I had to realize that I was in a friend group that truly wasn’t healthy. I had unknowingly formed a detrimental attitude that I hadn’t been raised to believe in or even entertain.

It adversely affected several factors in my life and, though it was negatively affecting me, I had difficulty realizing that it was indeed the root of many disappointments.

Our friends are those that we trust with the most intimate parts of ourselves.

It was difficult for me to realize that I had welcomed friends that didn’t have my best interest in mind. In my case, I

believe that most of the painful moments happened unwittingly. But, even so, I had to realize that being constantly hurt by another person, even if unintentional, is never acceptable. Because if it were, I’d be depressed and deeply saddened at the expectation of events that would bring harm. I truly hope that everyone who is reading this article agrees that it sucks to be consistently hurt by another person. If we agree there, then we also agree that at some point it has to end.

Like personal relationships, our personal habits can also be detrimental.

The big umbrella term is, of course, time management. It can be the bane of your existence, but hopefully, it becomes the reason why you succeed.

Because once you’ve solidified a schedule that you like and can stick to,

the world begins to unfurl beautifully.

I’ve included naps and snack time into my schedule this year—an homage to simpler, more free times. Truthfully, it has changed my life. I wake up from that nap ready to go and ready to conquer the world. Albeit, after my naps on Tuesdays and Thursdays my most pressing activity for conquest is poetry, but it’s that refreshing feeling that matters most.

In all, don’t be afraid to prune the unnecessary miscellaneous branches from your life. This is the home stretch to winter break. Make it fantastic, fun and packed with superb memories of this semester.

Josiah Smith is a fourth-year English and business management double major.

sports

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Spartans win on the road

Riley Simko Staff Reporter

The Case Western Reserve University men’s football team hit the road on Saturday, Oct. 27, to defeat Bethany College, 34-3.

Spartan first-year kicker Robertson Albrecht kicked the game off to a strong start with a 24-yard field goal in the first quarter. The Bethany College Bison couldn’t manage to put any points on the board in the first quarter, so the Spartans maintained their 3-0 lead until the clock ran out.

Fourth-year wide receiver Luke DiFrancesco opened the second quarter with a 14-yard touchdown reception from first-year quarterback Drew Saxton. Down 10-0, the Bison pushed hard, scoring a 38-yard field goal kick with less than two minutes left in the half.

Fourth-year Spartan wide receiver Joey Spitalli caught a 17-yard pass from Saxton for a touchdown, bringing the score to 17-3 in favor of CWRU. Fourth-year defensive end Cameron Brown had a 15-yard interception return, scoring a quick touchdown for the Spartans and bringing the score to 27-3. Brown also recorded three sacks throughout the course of the Bethany game, bringing his season total to 14, the highest on the team.

To wrap up the Spartan win, firstyear defensive back Colin Schuster made a fast 51-yard interception return,

Women’s soccer suffers two close defeats

Sanjay Annigeri storming down the field to end the game Staff Reporter with a score of 34-3.

Unable to rally their offense against the strong Spartan defensive line, the Bison didn’t manage to score a single touchdown during the game.

When asked about the Bethany game, Spitalli stayed humble about his efforts.

“I’m very happy to have contributed to the win on Saturday,” he said. “The most important thing is that we won the game, so I’ll do anything I can do to help make that happen.”

The CWRU football team’s record is now 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC).

Second-year linebacker Travis Johnston was cautiously optimistic about the Spartans’ winning record.

“While being undefeated is always the goal,” Johnston said, “it is still a very great feeling to have a record the reflects the countless hours the team has put into practicing and preparing for the season.”

“Going forward, we’re going to take it one game at a time, so beating Waynesburg is our biggest goal right now,” Spitalli said. “Ideally, though, we’d like to win out and have the opportunity for a potential playoff berth.”

Next week the Spartans will be at home, playing their penultimate regular season game against Waynesburg University on DiSanto Field at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3. Waynesburg has a 4-4 record overall and a 4-3 record in the PAC.

Last week, the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team fought hard and persevered on the road against their University Athletic Association (UAA) rivals, University of Rochester and Emory University.

But, ultimately they suffered setbacks with consecutive 2-1 defeats on Friday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 28.

The Spartans set the tone against Rochester. In the 10th minute, thirdyear forward Kimberly Chen scored via a free kick from 19 yards out to put CWRU on top. This lead would remain intact until the end of the first half.

However, it would be erased in the middle of the second half. Yellowjackets’ third-year forward Jorie Freitag placed a header into the back of the net on a free kick pass from second-year defensive back Meghan Martin in the 73rd minute to tie the score.

Rochester would net the gamewinning goal in the 81st minute when fourth-year midfielder Margaret Lee hit a shot from 14 yards out off of an assist from first-year forward Carolyn Richards.

Against Emory, the Spartans played from behind.

In the 28th minute, Emory first-year midfielder Lindsey Breskow scored a long shot into the opposite corner of the net.

Four minutes later, third-year for-

ward Shivani Beall would extend the lead to two with a goal, assisted by first-year midfielder Arielle Williamson and second-year midfielder Samantha Hilsee.

Emory would hold the lead until CWRU tried to rally back. In the 87th minute, first-year forward Christina Hickson sent a pass to second-year midfielder Lizzy Barna, who got the shot off past the goalkeeper to bring the deficit to one.

CWRU tried to score in the final few minutes, but were unable to. The Spartans finished the week with two losses, bringing their overall record to 7-9 and UAA record to 0-6.

The team will close out the 2018 season with a road matchup against conference-rival Carnegie Mellon University.

“Carnegie Mellon is similar to us.

They’ve had a lot of injuries and had to change starting line-ups and style of play as the season has progressed, much like we have as well. It’s hard to get momentum in our league if you go through this type of adversity since the league is so strong,” Head Coach Tiffany Crooks said.

“I think they are a very similar team to us right now in style of play. So, this week we will focus mostly on us … our style of play, our confidence on the ball and in front of goal. I’m really excited for the game on Saturday. I think we have a wonderful opportunity to set a tone for ourselves heading into the offseason.”

Can the Blue Jackets live up to expectations?

TOGETHER IN LOVE

Janet Van De Graaff and Robert Martin INVITE YOU TO THEIR WEDDING

AT THE TOTTENDALE ESTATE IN THE ELDRED THEATER Daniel Brenner/Observer The Columbus Blue Jackets have high expectations for themselves. With a team loaded with talent, the team aims to capture their first playoff series win in team history.

Nicholas Kamlet Staff Reporter

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. What is going on with the Columbus Blue Jackets?

At first glance, they have an amazing team. They are off to a fairly good start, currently tied for fourth in their division after 10 games. Superstar Artemi Panarin is off to a hot start with 15 points in 10 games, and they have one of the best goalies in the league with two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, even if he is off to a shaky start.

So what is the problem? Look at the contracts.

Next summer, the Blue Jackets’ arguably two best players, Panarin and Bobrovsky, will be free agents, with neither seeming too interested in staying with the club.

So what does the team do?

This is by far the best team the Blue Jackets have ever put out, but they do not want to get burned like the Islanders did with John Tavares signing with the Maple Leafs as a free agent. It’s a tricky situation that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is going to have to navigate. Nobody in the organization wants a rebuild with the excess of talent they have, but no other organizations will trade premium assets for a rental player.

Time will tell what will happen to the Blue Jackets, but one thing is for sure: it will be one heck of a ride.

13

NOVEMBER 9th to 18th TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHTEEN

Wedding Bells Will Ding-A-Ling and we will ding-a-long

theater.case.edu

by Bob Martin, Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert, and Greg Morrison

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

14

sports

11/2/18

The Cavaliers are in NBA purgatory Sanjay Annigeri Staff Reporter For the second time in the last eight years, the Cleveland Cavaliers are left picking up the pieces after the departure of superstar LeBron James. The team made the NBA Finals every year for the last four years and won their first championship with James. Now, management has the impossible task of deciding what direction the team needs to go. To answer this question, the Cavaliers have to decide if they have the roster to compete or if they should begin another rebuild.

Their roster is one of the more unique ones in the NBA. Kevin Love assumes the role of alpha male after playing second fiddle to James since Love was traded to the Cavaliers from the Minnesota Timberwolves. When Love was the best player in Minnesota, his teams finished near the bottom of the standings frequently. Have things really changed in regards to his ability to lead a team? Unfortunately, probably not.

Love is a great player, but in today’s NBA he is not able to carry a team. He’s also 30 years old, so he’s in the latter half of his career. Tristan Thompson, another carry over from the Finals teams, is one of the most overrated players in the league.

He’s not great on offense and he’s not good on defense, but is still being paid $17 million a year.

George Hill is another solid player, but he’s 32 and is a role player at best. Kyle Korver and JR Smith are both over 30 and

can only shoot. Neither is a consistent offensive threat. Essentially, the Cavaliers roster is filled with overpaid role players who can’t function as primary scorers.

They also boast an interesting assortment of younger players. The 23-year old Cedi Osman earned more of a role last year for his relentless effort, but at times he looked scared on the court. This season, he has shown a greater offensive repertoire and is looking like a permanent starter.

This year’s first round pick, Collin Sexton, is raw but very athletic. He has shown early flashes of being a capable floor general but is a year or two away from being a top point guard in the league.

Rodney Hood is an enigma. Early in his career for the Utah Jazz, he was a tremendous two-way player. After being traded to the Cavaliers last year, he barely saw playing time. Now he’s in a contract year and wants to prove his worth. If he plays to his potential, he will be very beneficial to their lineup now and in the future. Yet, the Cavaliers’ youth does not seem to have the future star power needed to compete.

Regarding cap space, there is not much to speak of currently. The team will not be able to sign marquee free agents given their current roster structure. As for first round picks, this year’s is owned by the Atlanta Hawks if the pick is No. 11 or later. So they are thin asset-wise as well.

With a roster that has good, but not great, players and few future assets, the

Courtesy of Erik Drost/Flickr The Cleveland Cavaliers are left in confusion after another departure by LeBron James. General Manager Koby Altman will be responsible for rebuilding this roster.

Cavaliers are in the worst place to be for an NBA franchise: purgatory. They will not win a championship. Nor will they be bad enough to get a top draft pick. The Memphis Grizzlies are the team best associated with this purgatory. They have been decent for a long time, but have never been close to a championship. The Cavaliers should avoid this place at all costs.

The Cavaliers must undergo a rebuild.

They need to begin with trading their veteran players on terrible contracts, specifically Smith, Korver, Hill, Love and Thompson. It does not matter what they

get in return, but they need to free up cap room and hopefully acquire some sort of draft picks in exchange. Love has decent value, and Hill and Korver will be valuable to some teams. Regardless, the team just does not have the potential for the foreseeable future. Plus, they need their first round pick this year, and they have to finish in the bottom ten of the standings.

To try and win this year would be futile. General Manager Koby Altman must embrace a full rebuild if this team wants to compete for championships in the years to come.

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sports Editor’s Choice

Besl leads Spartans to two wins David Chang Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team notched another 2-0 weekend record. They beat No. 9 University of Rochester in a tight 3-2 overtime thriller and had a 3-0 blowout against Emory University.

The Spartans started off hot against Rochester as third-year forward Zachary Senft found third-year midfielder Garrett Winter for a header off a corner kick in the third minute of the game.

Winter leads the team in goals scored this season with eight.

The Spartan offense continued their barrage with fourth-year forward Alex Besl missing a wide shot and Senft nearly scoring a goal of his own. Senft’s shot hit the crossbar and was swiftly scooped by the keeper. Rochester then counterattacked, coming close on a corner kick situation and missing two shots that went wide. Rochester ultimately scored their first goal off a deflected shot from the ten-yard line. The Spartans then came down the other end for a corner, and second-year midfielder Connor Weber found second-year defenseman Nathan Eckberg for a header, which was sent to the back of the net to take back the lead.

Wanting to ice the game with a third goal, the Spartans pushed the tempo and took every possible opportunity to take a shot. Rochester took advantage of the Spartans offensive mindedness and surprised the team by pushing the

ball the other way, which led to a goal from the right wing via a low cross. Using the momentum, the Yellow Jackets took open, far shots in their eagerness to take the lead but all were blocked by the solid Spartan defense. In overtime, Weber found Besl off a long free kick pass, who headed the ball into the lower left corner of the goal to secure the win.

Besl recounted how he basked in the feeling of scoring the game winning goal saying, “I knew that I was going to [make the goal] because no one was around me … my teammates dog piled me after, and it felt awesome.”

Against Emory, the Spartans figured out the Emory defensive scheme early in the game and were able to break it down. The game started slightly chippy with the Spartans refusing to allow any penetration from the Eagles offense, which resulted in two fouls. Once the pace slowed, the Spartans counterattacked with Winter missing a wide shot and Besl’s shot saved by the keeper.

The Spartans continued to play tough, picking up another two fouls and an offside, with Winter missing another wide shot, which led to a foul in the goalbox. Senft converted the penalty kick to extend the lead to 2-0, making him the team leader with 21 points (seven goals and seven assists). With the lead, the Spartan reserve players came on to give the starters some rest. Emory took this as an opportunity to score, but Fink managed to save both shots attempted to end the half.

The Spartans continued to dominate on the offensive end to start the second half, leading the Eagles in shots taken

Daniel Brenner/Observer Second-year defenseman Nathan Ekberg (24) heads a ball against a defender.

The Spartans’ defense has held teams to 0.8 goals per game.

10-3. Although the Spartans created clean looks, the opposing goalie stepped up as the defensive anchor, recording three saves in the second half. However, the Spartans found themselves again fouled in the goalbox after the opposing goalie received a red card. With the reserve goalie called upon first thing to defend a penalty, Weber easily made the shot to complete the 3-0 shutout.

“So based on the scouting report, this goalie was not the regular goalie for [Emory,] he thought [a Spartan player]

threw the ball at him and [tried retaliating], that’s why he got the red card,” commented Besl.

The Spartans will look to finish their season strong against Carnegie Mellon University at Pittsburgh. They will play their final game of the season on Nov 3.

Depending on the outcome of University of Chicago’s final game, the Spartans have a chance to win the University Athletic Association. Having these wins will also help to get home field advantage in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Injuries plague volleyball team Andrew Ford Sports Editor Injuries have plagued the Case Western Reserve University volleyball team’s season.

Earlier in the year, one of their top attackers, third-year outside hitter Brianna Lemon, went down with a foot injury and is out for the year. Last season, second-year outside hitter Fabiola Torres tore her ACL and will not play this year either. Now, add to that list fourth-year defensive specialist Noel Jeansonne with a torn ACL and third-year middle hitter Haley Sims with a broken leg, both crucial pieces to the structure of this team. Jeansonne is a captain while Sims anchors the middle of the net.

Still, the Spartans had to trudge their way through two final regular season games. In two very competitive matches, CWRU fell to Hiram College at home on Senior Night and to the College of Wooster on their Senior Night.

Although CWRU lost in three sets to Hiram, their largest loss in a set was only five points and the other two sets were two point losses. Second-year middle blocker Katie Kaminski, seeing an increased role with the loss of Sims, had one of the best matches of her young career. She collected 15 kills and no errors on only 28 attempts. Despite her efficien-

Spartans lose twice with key players out cy, the team as a whole struggled, managing only a .187 kill percentage.

In an even more competitive match, the Spartans barely came up short against Wooster. It was a five-set loss, with the fifth set favoring Wooster 18-20. Third-year outside hitter Karley King was relied on heavily in this match, evidenced by her 63 kill attempts. She ended with 23 kills. Third-year middle hitter Samantha Rodriguez, filling in for Sims, had eight total blocks and seven kills.

Farrell admitted that Wooster’s emotion on their Senior Night definitely added an extra gear to the Spartans’ opponent. Despite that, she was disappointed her team couldn’t close out the fifth set. She also met with several players to discuss what they felt the team needed to do to close out games. She’s preaching to her team to “seize the moment” in these last few matches.

King is having a stellar season as a whole.

She leads the team in kills with 335, and is second in the University Athletic Association (UAA). Second on the team is Kaminski, who boasts the third-best kill percentage in the conference at .364. Second-year libero Anna Jaskoviak’s 486 digs rank second in the UAA. And the injured Sims still leads the conference in blocks per set.

On Nov. 2 and 3 CWRU travels to the University of Rochester for the UAA Cham-

Daniel Brenner/Observer Second-year setter Jiayi Shen (12) places a ball for the Spartans’ attack.

However, a plethora of injuries to major players has decimated the team’s early season potent offense. pionships. Ranked fifth of eight teams, the Spartans have to face off against formidable opponent Carnegie Mellon University in the first round. With multiple key injuries, it will be a challenge to succeed in such a tough conference.

“I hope we have enough left in our tank to play as hard and as well as we can,” Farrell said. “We need every player to put forth as much investment and energy into their role as they’re capable of, and if they do, we’ll be competitive.”

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