Volume XLVII, Issue 14, 12/04/2015

Case Western Reserve University volume xlvii, issue 14 friday, 12/4/2015

the

Observer Faculty Senate approves campus-wide tobacco ban without student input Celia Wan Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University’s Faculty Senate voted to smoke out tobacco last week, and students are upset that the committee did not consider undergraduate or graduate student opinions while formulating and voting on this policy change.

A proposal to completely ban tobacco on campus was passed by a large margin at the Faculty Senate meeting on Monday, Nov. 23.

The decision, still waiting on approval from the Board of Trustees, is expected to be implemented within the next 19 months.

At its General Body Meeting on Dec. 1, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) approved a resolution in opposition to this vote, calling for a student voice in the decision.

The tobacco ban proposal was initially introduced by President Barbara R. Snyder in 2014. A campus-wide poll was conducted by USG at that time, indicating that 52 percent of students were in favor of a tobacco ban.

The proposal was presented at the Senate’s most recent meeting by Elizabeth Click from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.

Stanton Gerson, the director of the Seidman Cancer Center, also attended the meeting to provide scientific insights on the influence of tobacco usage.

Several concerns, brought up by some faculty senators, were addressed during the meeting, but votes cast were largely in favor of the new policy. The proposed policy will be implemented by an advisory committee led by Click. At the meeting, the policy was described as focusing on compliance, not enforcement, meaning that the policy aims to support those who choose to quit smoking, rather than punishing those who do not comply.

Under the new policy, any types of tobacco-related products, including cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, nicotine pads, nicotine lozenges and gum and cigars, will be prohibited on CWRU properties. All of the 13 smoking spots designated under the current smoking policy will be eliminated.

Initially Chippy Kennedy, president of USG, was told that he would not be allowed to attend this Faculty Senate meeting. That

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer While a smoking ban has been considered for some time, the Faculty Senate recently moved towards implementing the policy. decision was reversed, and he was one of three students there.

The other two, the Graduate Student Council President Jessica Slentz and USG Vice President of academic affairs Nishant Uppal, both asked several questions throughout the meeting, before finally voting against the tobacco ban.

According to Kennedy, Click’s answers to those questions were generally along the lines of “we’ll take care of it during implementation.” Kennedy described the tone as “a lot of ‘trust me’ attitude.”

Kennedy and USG Representative Barry Goldberg authored a two-page resolution in objection to this policy’s lack of student inclusion, citing the USG constitution, which states that the organization should act “as a

CWRU Grades

primary liaison between the undergraduate students and the faculty, administration, and other appropriate groups.”

A second proposed resolution, authored

by Goldberg representing the Student Life Committee, called for at least four undergraduate students to be included in meetings about the policy, for greater education and outreach to students about tobacco policy and that the CWRU Police Department not have a part in enforcing the policy. After some debate, though it generally had popular support, USG tabled that resolution to reconsider an edited version at a later date.

The Graduate Student Council is creating a resolution to support Kennedy and Goldberg’s approved resolution. That will be voted on at the Graduate Student Coun-

cil’s next meeting, in February.

The idea of a campus-wide tobacco ban was first brought to the Faculty Senate by Click in September 2014. It was then largely endorsed with one dissenting vote. An update of the tobacco free campus policy was presented earlier this year, with the policy focusing more on education than prohibition.

During the recent Faculty Senate meeting, there were a few voices in dissent including the student voices, largely focusing on the ban of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products. Some faculty senators suggested an amendment to exclude any reference to e-cigarettes from the proposal.

to TOBACCO | 4

For the rationale behind these ratings and more grades

A

D

B

Undergraduate Student Government

New Residence Hall Problems

University Program Board

see page 6

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 3

pg. 14

pg. 8

pg. 18 Basketball splits weekend

Need aware talk continues

Local band Samfox shares story

Refugees aren’t greatest risk

news Spring USG mass funding results

$195,317.87 The total amount of money USG allocated after going through the appeals process.

This semester, USG budgeted $168,200 for mass funding, plus $10,000 for appeals.

USG narrowed down the $290,440 to this number by performing universal cuts across the board, including reducing travel reimbursements from $0.50 per mile to $0.30 per mile, cutting the apparel subsidy and only funding a maximum of 50 percent of capital purchases. The additional money above that initially budgeted $168,200 comes from spring and fall of 2015 rollover.

$1,190.96 43%

The percent of the initial request that was allocated.

67%

The average amount of money allocated per group, up from $1,104.24 in the spring of 2015.

The percent of the requests allocated once cut down to USG guidelines.

$453,843.05

The total amount of money groups requested.

cut

$290,440.00

The amount of money requested once USG eliminated all items that didn’t fall under their funding guidelines.

167 184

The number of groups who applied for funding.

out of The total number of groups listed on OrgSync.

Information compiled by Julia Bianco, Web and Multimedia Director | Graphic by Christina Cheng, Layout Designer

Fun with physicists:

TEDx Cleveland celebrates Einstein

Adithi Iyengar Staff writer Nov. 20, 2015 was the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. To celebrate, this region had its first TEDxCleSalon program, held at the Tinkham Veale University Center at Case Western Reserve University.

“It was 100 years ago, November 1915, that Einstein made a series of presentations to the Prussian Academy of Science,” said Dan Moulthrop, host and CEO of The City Club of Cleveland.

“What he presented then formed the basis of what we’ve come to know as general relativity.”

The day included a series of talks and salon-style breakout sessions where the audience members had a chance to discuss the topics with the speakers themselves.

The program began with a discussion and Q&A session on the theory of relativity with Evalyn Gates, astrophysicist and CEO of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and Cyrus Taylor, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at CWRU. They began with general relativity.

General relativity is an observed effect of gravity between masses that results from a warping of space and time.

Along with that, special relativity is the theory that the laws of physics are identical in all systems and that the speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of the motion of the light source.

“Einstein was a deep thinker,” said Gates.

“He wasn’t out there conducting experiments. Physicists tend to be lazy. We take the easy things first, so special relativity was the easy part; he could understand light. But once you throw gravity into the mix that

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer

The TEDxCLE speakers addressed topics like general relativity and black holes, aiming to make them accessible to all audience members. was something that, quite frankly, we’re still struggling to understand at a really deep level today, how gravity really works.”

Einstein developed general relativity when he saw inconsistencies with the way that Newton’s laws of nature worked with certain phenomena in the universe. With Newtonian physics, the universe’s expan-

sion would have to slow down. This would be similar to someone throwing a ball up in the air, it decelerating at its peak height and then it coming back down to the ground.

However, in reality, the universe is ever-expanding and even increasing its rate of expansion. This is where general relativity comes in. The evolution of this rate of expan-

sion is based off of an equation of state. This is the relationship between temperature, pressure, combined matter, energy and vacuum energy density of any region of space.

Physicists have hypothesized that an unknown form of energy, called dark energy, is causing the acceleration of the expansion of the universe.

Another phenomenon that many people are interested in is the phenomenon of black holes.

One of those people, recipient of the Institute of Physics’ Maxwell Medal, Ruth Gregory, explained black holes in a simple manner. “[Black holes] have certainly seemed to have captured our imagination,” said Gregory. “From the Muse song, to ‘Interstellar,’ ‘Star Trek,’ they’re practically a staple of science fiction.”

Along with that, scientists have also found them to be extremely fascinating.

There are two sides to the black hole. On one hand, it is a tangible, real object that is out there, and on the other hand it is a toy for theorists to play with. A black hole is an object that is big enough and dense enough, with such high gravity, that nothing, not even light, can escape it.

“As a non-physics major, I enjoyed how accessible and understandable it made the tenets of astrophysics,” said fourth-year CWRU student and content associate of The City Club of Cleveland Teddy Eisenberg. “I think any event that promotes the pursuit of knowledge in an open way that encourages civil, civic dialogue is well worth continuing.”

Eisenberg was also involved in organizing the opening panel discussion of the event.

Along with the enriching discussions and talks, the audience also had the opportunity to try a flavor of Mitchell’s ice cream specific to the occasion, the MC2, mint chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips.

news

observer.case.edu

3

Bischoff addresses need-aware concerns at open forum Student support for change in admissions policy still lacking Anastazia Vanisko Copy Editor

O

n Nov. 23, 2015 Vice President of Enrollment Management Rick Bischoff addressed student and alumni concerns about the potential and controversial switch to a need-aware admissions policy.

According to Vice President of academic affairs Nishant Uppal, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), in conjunction with the University Diversity Collaborative (UDC), decided to host the forum in order to give students a chance to voice their concerns. The opportunity for students to ask questions was limited during the initial presentation on the subject at a USG general assembly meeting earlier that month.

Currently Case Western Reserve University practices need-blind admissions (with the exception of international students and some cases on the wait list, according to Bischoff). Using need-blind admissions, CWRU makes decisions about university applicants without considering how much financial aid they might need. The goal is

in my five years combined.”

Over the past five years CWRU has seen a drop in the enrollment of firstyear Pell grant recipients. Bischoff worries that if the university maintains its current policy, the annual three percent rise in tuition will result in even more Pell grant recipients finding themselves unable to afford CWRU. With need-aware admissions in place, there would also be a reduction in the merit scholarships that CWRU offers. Bischoff wants to keep this decrease minimal, as he believes that merit scholarships act as financial aid for middle class students.

Fourth-year student Andrew Torres, who stated his “unequivocal opposition” to need-aware admissions at the forum, does actually support reducing merit aid. However, unlike Bischoff, he believes that the main use of merit scholarships is to offer a discount on the price of higher education.

“There’s an understanding [among enrollment management professionals] that merit aid doesn’t exactly mean aid for meritorious sort of achievement,” Torres said, citing a Forbes article on the subject. “It means how can we give a discount to stu-

“If the student body can formulate a strong response in any way on this issue, I think it’s going to be taken heavily into consideration.”

-Nishant Uppal, USG Vice President of academic affairs to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need this way. This means that when CWRU subtracts the family’s financial ability from the cost of the university, the financial aid award, including state and federal grants, institutional grants, scholarships, work study and federal loans, will make up the difference.

Despite that goal, CWRU is not meeting 100 percent of need. What is occurring for 25 percent of students, according to Bischoff, is gapping—the failure of the financial aid package offered to meet the difference between what the family can afford to pay and the cost of attendance.

In order to stay need-blind, CWRU would need $15-20 million annually or an additional $500 million in its endowment.

Changes on the table The proposed policy, as it currently stands, would change the current admissions system so that 10 percent of students are admitted need-aware, while the admission process for the other 90 percent wouldn’t change at all. The 10 percent whose financial status is considered would be students on the cusp of either acceptance to the university or placement on the waitlist. Students who aren’t accepted because of need-aware policies would be offered a spot on the waitlist.

“Some gap students enroll, said Bischoff. “This is very hard on students.

The financial aid staff knows. Students, parents show up in their office in tears trying to figure out how they can make this work. I’ve heard more in the past year about student financial stress than

dents, or families, that can afford to pay, so that it’s not actually $60,000 a year.”

Torres recognizes, though, that any major reduction in merit scholarships could put CWRU at a disadvantage if similar schools, such as Carnegie Mellon University, were offering larger merit aid as a result.

Any future changes to merit scholarships would not affect current CWRU students.

Another option would be to increase alumni donations to scholarships, but unfortunately the university does not have as much control over this as students might hope. Alumni have the final say over where their money goes. While there is a $1.5 billion scholarship campaign, alumni might ultimately decide to donate to buildings like the Tinkham Veale University Center instead.

“What (Bischoff) didn’t really get into was how we can better persuade alumni to donate to scholarship funds, said Uppal. “When we ask alumni to contribute, we can do a better job of asking them to focus more on students than on buildings, is my personal opinion.”

Many students worry that, rather than helping low-income students, a change to need aware will focus admissions more on an applicant’s ability to pay rather than on the said applicant’s merit.

Second-year student Kaitlin Newcombe, after telling about her own financial hardships prior to attending CWRU, said, “I applied early action and was accepted, not based on my family’s income, but on my accomplishments and intelligence.”

Other students questioned how this will affect diversity, specifically the

amount of African-American students that enroll. They cited statistics from Tufts University and Wesleyan University. According to them, both schools’ African-American enrollment decreased by three percent after implementing need-aware admissions, from 27 percent to 24 percent and 11 percent to eight percent, respectively. Only four percent of the CWRU student population is African-American, according to the College Board, so the same drop in enrollment here would be considerable.

Bischoff said that, unlike CWRU, these universities were not simultaneously increasing their financial aid packages, and he believes that CWRU will avoid a similar trend.

Coalition Application CWRU’s main reason for considering need-aware admissions is the dropping enrollment of Pell grant recipients, but the Coalition Application is another factor in the decision process. The Coalition Application is a portfolio approach to admissions that requires its partner institutions to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need.

Although the Coalition Application would only be supplementary to the Common Application CWRU currently uses, Bischoff worries about the future consequences of not joining the Coalition Application: “If the coalition app is successful … if that were to become the preferred platform for a significant number of students, then they may only apply to Coalition institutions and not apply to Case Western Reserve.”

He also made it clear that he was considering the change to need-aware prior to considering joining the Coalition Application, citing an article in The Observer from last spring. An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education reveals that, even if he does not think need-aware admissions is ideal, he has actually been considering this since 2010, only a year after he took his position as VP of Enrollment Management at CWRU. According to a statement from the university, “The question of whether to include consideration of financial circumstances with regard to other students has been discussed for some time, but did not coalesce into a formal proposal until the spring of 2015.”

Student involvement?

While Bischoff tried to clarify what the switch would mean for future admission decisions, many students remained concerned with the involvement—or lack thereof—that they would have in the final decision.

Clarissa Cuevas/Observer One audience member asked what it would take to be present at the table when this decision is made, while another questioned if student concerns would even be considered. They ultimately received the same answer: Student concerns will be taken into account, but it’s up to the president, the provost and the board of trustees to make the final decision.

Alisha Braves, the former president of CWRU’s African-American Alumni Association, described what she perceived to be the underlying tension driving student questions.

“A lot of what I hear in here, based on the comments, is because of the distrust of the administration,” said Braves.

“That is from alumni and students, and you all earned that appropriately.”

“One of my friends after the meeting asked ‘Why do you care?’” said firstyear student Caleb Diaz. “Why wouldn’t I care? I believe that everyone deserves equal opportunity, so there’s a huge problem with [need-aware admissions].”

According to Uppal, USG and UDC are currently planning next-step meetings to discuss how the forum went and where to go from here.

The university said in its statement, “The subject was a central topic of an hour-and-40-minute lunch conversation Tuesday among roughly 20 students and President Barbara R. Snyder and Vice President for Student Affairs Lou Stark.”

Uppal said, “If the student body can formulate a strong response in any way on this issue, I think it’s going to be taken heavily into consideration.”

According to the university, “Just as with all other work in enrollment management, the university will continue to pursue multiple paths at the same time; that is, outreach and awareness efforts will continue to grow, as will strategic engagement of prospective students.”

“One of my friends after the meeting asked ‘Why do you care?’. Why wouldn’t I care? I believe that everyone deserves equal opportunity, so there’s a huge problem with [need-aware admissions].”

- Caleb Diaz, first-year student

4

news

12/4/15

Cleveland catch-up

from TOBACCO | 1 They argued that second hand smoke was not an issue with e-cigarettes, and no concrete evidence had yet been found to prove that e-cigarettes could pose the same health threat as cigarettes. However the amendment was voted down in the meeting.

Gerson was in support of the e-cigarette ban.

“People find it easier to switch to an e-cigarette than just switching to nicotine gum, but switching is not ceasing,” said Gerson.

“So they are not stopping smoking. They just switched their source of addiction. So again, the health risk of the ongoing tobacco addiction remains quite real.”

As far as other tobacco products are concerned, Gerson argued that even though they are not documented as directly related to secondhand smoke, they still pose health danger on campus.

“Second hand smoke is the most prevalent source of inadvertent health effect, which cannot be controlled or regulated,” said Gerson. “As for other forms of tobacco, I don’t think they are in and of themselves free of [inadvertent health effects] because they all have a level of exposure.”

Another concern that remains is the different perspectives of tobacco use in different cultures. This issue was brought up in USG meetings, including one held three weeks ago, and has been expressed by the representatives working on a USG tobacco initiative previously. In the USG meeting, suggestions were made to offer special consideration for certain cultures or races.

The Faculty Senate acknowledged this controversy and answered that a “support mechanism” based on different cultures will be applied in the implementation process, though it is not included in the policy itself.

Another controversial topic is students’ individual civil rights. Some senators mentioned that a tobacco ban may confine or violate personal choices.

Roy Ritzmann, the chair of Faculty Sen-

Jazmine Kirkland Contributing Writer One year later, Tamir Rice’s family, supporters still seeking justice Andrew Hodowanec/Observer The ban will squash all tobaco use on campus including including cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, cigars and even nicotine pads and gum ate, responded directly: “[Smoking] is a legal said Wang. “It is already good to have a few action, so people have the right to do it. But places where people can actually smoke. we as an institution have the right to say that They don’t have to totally ban smoking. It is a we don’t condone certain things.” personal rights issue.”

Kennedy felt that this policy wrongly disDespite the many controversies around cluded student opinion. the tobacco ban, Faculty Senate does plan “Although students have been involved in on pushing forward with it next semesthis [decision-making] process over the last ter. Kennedy advocates that they should two or three years, I am not happy that the reconsider, including student opinion in final decision circumvented student voice,” their decision-making process as outlined said Kennedy. “It is not as if there were a poll in USG’s resolution. taken, or a vote in the student government.

“Regarding the resolution that did pass, The final policy was passed in the vote of the it’s to tell the administration that students Faculty Senate, which was slightly confusing are now happy with how student input was and not really transparent to the students.” regarded when making a decision about Pingshi Wang, a second-year student, has [becoming a tobacco-free campus],” said been smoking since he was in high school, Kennedy. “Furthermore, the resolution and he feels that the designated smoking spots serves as a blueprint for future administramake for a good system, as they allow peo- tive decision-making when student input ple to smoke while minimizing second-hand should be taken into account.” smoke for those who don’t smoke.

“I think they shouldn’t force students to -Additional reporting by Aquene quit smoking because it is a personal thing,” Kimmel, News Editor

Students raise objections to engineering equipment moving to think[box] Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering Department to hold open forum Dec. 4 Jasmine Gallup Staff Writer Dean Jeffrey Duerk, the dean of the Case School of Engineering, announced at his “State of the School” address two weeks ago that the School of Engineering, in collaboration with Sears think[box], is planning to move lab equipment from the existing Bingham Student Workshop into the Richey Mixon Building, to create a new and expanded version of the lab.

The school also plans to move some of the equipment from Reinberger Design Studio (RDS) to think[box] to create a new academic space, “[ensuring] tight coupling between design and manufacturing.”

Much of the RDS machining equipment will remain on the eighth floor of Glennan.

This announcement was met with backlash from students in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department, who have priority access to the equipment in RDS and Bingham, and who worry that their access will be limited if the equipment is moved.

An open forum about the potential move will occur this Friday, Dec. 4, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Glennan 421.

Dean Duerk will be available for questions, so students with questions or concerns are encouraged to attend.

The open forum comes as a result of two students: fourth-year Hillary Bunnelle and third-year Kayla Andersen, students

within the mechanical and aerospace engineering department who were especially concerned about this possible change.

They began a petition in response to the announcement that requested, “formal communication between the University, think[box], and the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering students regarding the move of Reinberger Design Studio,” and “the retention of the Reinberger Design Studio by the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department in the Glennan Building for the use of its students.”

Bunnelle and Anderson were concerned primarily with the possibility of a loss of after-hours access to RDS, which, according to students, is essential for the completion of coursework. They are also worried about the potential loss of the tight community the location of the studio generates, as it is in close proximity to fellow students and department faculty in its current location in Glennan.

The equipment in the Bingham Student Workshop and RDS is used in several classes that are required for mechanical and aerospace engineering majors: EMAE 160, Mechanical Manufacturing; EMAE 290, Computer-Aided Manufacturing; and EMAE 390, Advanced Manufacturing Technology. The labs are also used in several senior design courses and by students for extracurricular projects and competitions.

Michael Connerton, a second-year me-

chanical engineering major, felt that the biggest problem wasn’t necessarily the move, but the lack of information surrounding it.

“I think it’s become more a big deal because we had to find out through other students,” Connerton said. “And the main reaction to this is because none of the students were informed as much as they should have been in the first place. People are now reacting against it because they feel like they’ve just been blindsided to the fact that the classes they’ve been taking for years are now being moved over to this new location.”

Kevin Talbot, a third-year mechanical and aerospace engineering major and teaching assistant at the Bingham Student Workshop, agrees that the possibility of this should have been made more clear to the students who will be impacted.

“The biggest problem has been the lack of transparency with these plans, because this has a huge affect on our coursework and our ability to complete our coursework, and we have had no communication.”

This sentiment has been well-received the by the university, which has responded with the RDS open forum. The goal of the forum is to have a positive and constructive dialogue, with Duerk providing a brief overview of the current plans for RDS and more details on the planned move, then opening the room up to students, to allow them to ask questions and raise any concerns they may have.

On Sunday Nov. 22 at a prayer vigil marking one year since their son was fatally shot by a Cleveland police officer, Tamir Rice’s family told activists to continue demanding for justice.

Black Lives Matter activists and ongoing supporters came as far away as Columbus to remember Rice, according to an article on Cleveland.com.

Activists are currently seeking the removal of Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty from the case. Supporters claim that McGinty has dragged out the case and object to his office’s release of three reports that justify the shooting.

The case was recently presented to a grand jury.

Cleveland approves $1 million plan to keep Dealer Tire in the city The Cleveland-based company Dealer Tire has expanded significantly and was in talks with several other locations, so Cleveland City Council has created a plan to keep them in the city.

To accomplish this, Cleveland City Council will be approving a $1 million job creation incentive plan and tax increment financing deal in order for Dealer Tire to keep their headquarters in the city. As their office at 36th and Chester Avenue is now too small, they will be purchasing the historic Victory Midtown Building at 7012 Euclid Avenue and building a parking area for their employees.

The project will cost an estimated $25 million, and in exchange Dealer Tire is expected to create 100 jobs in three years, says an article on Cleveland.com.

Sisters of Charity Foundation grants $300,000 to combat infant mortality The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland awarded $300,000 in grants last week to help reduce infant mortality rates in Cleveland. They gave $100,000 each to ideastream, MetroHealth and a grassroots campaign dedicated to reducing infant mortality rates.

Two one-year grants will support ideastream’s Healthy People, Healthy Place, Healthy Future initiative and MetroHealth’s Nurse-Family Partnership for Central Neighborhood. The third grant is going to a grassroots campaign in Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood, where the mortality rate is twice the national average.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland will be working with a communications partner in 2016, says an article in Crain’s Cleveland Business.

They will aim to help educate women and families in neighborhoods, such as Central, on how to maintain health during pregnancy and how to care for their newborns.

news

observer.case.edu

Transportation Safety Board releases report on plane crash that killed four CWRU students Julia Bianco Director of Web & Multimedia A report from the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the Aug. 25, 2014 plane crash that killed four Case Western Reserve University students was overweight. However, the NTSB did not specify that the weight caused the crash.

The crash resulted in the deaths of second-year students Michael Felten and Lucas Marcelli and first-year students Abraham Pishevar II and John Hill.

Felten, the pilot, was flying a 1999 Cessna model 172R, which took off from the Cuyahoga County Airport. The plane crashed within just few minutes of flight in Willoughby Hills, a town roughly 15 miles northeast of CWRU. The report, released on Nov. 17, said that the maximum gross weight for the plane was 2,457 pounds. Based on their calculations, the weight at the time of the crash was either 2,550.6 pounds or 2,622.6 pounds. This was calculated by the medical examiner adding 10 percent to the victims’ body weights from after the crash to account for weight lost to “thermal injuries” as well as 15 pounds for baggage. According to witnesses, Felten asked each of the passengers how

much they weighed and then performed calculations in his head.

The report also found that there were “no anomalies” in the plane’s engine and technical equipment, and that the Felton tested negative for having drugs or alcohol in his system.

Pishevar’s father, Afshin, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on Oct. 21, 2015 against the local and national chapters of the Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) fraternity, of which both Felten and Marcelli were members, T&G Flying Club, who rented Felten the plane, Laurence Rohl, the owner of the plane, and Felten’s estate.

Afshin alleges that Abraham was invited on the f light as part of ZBT’s rush recruitment efforts, and that the fraternity failed to do the proper checks to ensure that Felten was qualified to pilot the plane. He also says that the fraternity encouraged members to “engage in dangerous, reckless and/or negligent activities in order to further ZBT’s recruitment goals.”

He also writes that the f lying club and Rohl should have checked Felten’s pilot qualifications, and that they did not do a proper inspection of the plane.

5

Spotlight on research

Doctoral student studies how play can help children Sruthi Meka Staff writer In a small, brightly decorated room filled with a bin of toys and cartoon monkeys stuck to the wall, doctoral student Claire Wallace meets with her young study participants and their parents to complete an integral part of her dissertation research.

Wallace, who received the Joseph F. Fagan, III Award for Research Excellence this past year, will receive her doctorate in clinical psychology upon completing the program, in aims of becoming a pediatric psychologist.

The primary objective of her research is to study the role of pretend play in child development and investigate how pretend play can be used to improve parent-child relationships among young children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

“The idea is that a lot of parents of kids with ADHD describe that they spend so much time managing their children’s behavior … that their relationship really suffers,” said Wallace.

According to Wallace, some children with ADHD need consistent reminders to complete daily tasks. Children with ADHD may also have difficulty controlling impulsive behavior and require guidance. Management of ADHD in children, says Wallace, is typically approached through the behavior manage-

ment perspective, which may place strain on the parent-child relationship.

“There’s this whole other piece where parents really feel a lot of negative emotion toward their child and sometimes even feel like they don’t like their kid. And [parents] don’t like feeling that way,” said Wallace.

Wallace hopes to alleviate this negative tension through her research. When children and their mothers come in for the intervention, Wallace and her team play with them, coaching the parents to create a positive environment. This is accomplished by praising the child, engaging with the child and giving positive emotional expression.

Wallace is currently recruiting families through direct referral from the Cleveland Clinic ADHD Center for Evaluation and Treatment to create a total sample size of 30 participants. The participants will come in for a baseline evaluation, have five sessions over five weeks, and then complete an exit evaluation. A control group will be placed on a three-week wait list after their baseline evaluations, before their sessions begin.

“I hope what the take-away from this [study] is that if we are intervening in a relationship, that can also carry some positive effect and can be a good place to start,” said Wallace.

-For more on the story see observer.case.edu.

opinion Editorial

Semester grades: On the New Residence Hall (Apartments at 1576): D Office of University Housing, we at The Observer scratch our heads at you.

The kitchens of these new apartments don’t have necessary ventilation hoods.

They either need to be installed or an equivalent exhaust system has to be implemented. As of Nov. 5, by word of an email from Housing, 14 false fire alarms had gone off in the building.

That’s averaging over one false alarm a week and they have continued.

This affects more than the 290 students living in the New Residence Hall. Those first-years living in nearby residence halls and most of the Village at 115 aren’t the only ones tired of the fire truck wailing by— we imagine the fire department itself is really sick of it too. The fact that the windows open less than a quarter of the way means there is no way to ventilate the suites To the administration, it’s vital to re-

alize Housing is understaffed; Housing may have been able to act this semester if it had the resources. The office has split from Residence Life and Services and had to face the challenges of moving locations mid-semester, not exactly leaving much time for its actual function.

By not ensuring enough staff, Case Western Reserve University’s upper administration also holds responsibility.

But, most importantly, the administration and Housing need to solve these problems through open discussions with those living at the residence hall. The aforementioned email from Housing blamed the false alarms purely on student cooking, not willing to concede there was a problem.

Housing, specifically, made it into last semester’s grading with the same grade.

It’s time to shape up on addressing student concerns.

Undergraduate Student Government (USG): A The Observer is proud to report that USG has exceeded expectations this semester. USG was already busy before the semester even started. A storage storm for student organizations built up the week before classes began: the groups were told to move their stuff to a different part of Thwing that did not have the required shelves. USG leaders were literally on the ground building shelves in the days leading up to the semester’s start and providing extra hands to help students move their items.

USG is also the sole entity to address near universal student hatred of the Greenie system. They put up signs at Greenie stops on campus, indicating where the shuttles stop and which ones come to each stop. Before this, both pieces of information were generally a

mystery to students trying to catch a shuttle.

The fact that USG hosted Richard Bischoff in a general assembly meeting and then held a follow-up forum in conjunction with Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative (UDC) on potential changes to the admissions processes further underscores the depth of their commitment to those they serve. Student leaders were unbiased and repeatedly stated they wanted students to debate amongst themselves.

USG is willing jump into issues, even when messy; they painted a checklist of goals achieved and in the works on the spirit wall.

Only a group that’s dedicated to the solve problems would be willing to check on their own progress so openly.

Each checkbox speaks to their devotion to help CWRU students.

Spartans and Sports: A Blue CWRU appears to have found its silver-gray lining. The organization has been pumping up students all semester and got everyone riled up during homecoming week. In fact, the organization teamed up with UPB and First-Year Experience to send three buses full of students to cheer on the Spartan football team in Pittsburgh.

Spartans this semester were louder than ever; excited crowds and cheering was more common at games this semester. We united as one.

And that wouldn’t have happened without our athletes. The Spartan volleyball

team won a bid for the DIII NCAA Championship Tournament, the second time in CWRU volleyball history. We swept Waynesburg University in our homecoming game. Our men’s soccer team beat out rival Carnegie Mellon University in overtime and our women’s soccer team bested Denison University, ranked eighth in the country at the time, also in overtime. Spartans were ready and willing to wipe the floor with other teams and work hard. That clearly paid off in recognition: a grand total of 32 athletes won post-season awards this semester. This is badass; this is CWRU.

The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer exists to report news affecting students and to provide an editorial forum for the university community. Unsigned editorials are typically written by the Opinion Editor but reflect the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. However, Opinion columns are the views of their writers and not necessarily of The Observer staff.

For advertising information, contact The Observer at (216) 302-4442 or e-mail observerads@case.edu.

The Observer is a proud member of CWRU’s University Media Board.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be e-mailed to observer@case.edu or submitted on our website at observer.case.edu. Letters otherwise can be mailed to 10900 Euclid Avenue, Suite A09, Cleveland, OH 44106. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter.

With finals coming up, the Editorial Board is tired of getting grades. Now it’s our turn to give them.

Linsalata Alumni Center’s Location: D

The property allocated for the center is in a perfect position to benefit students. To steal space from students to benefit those who have already graduated is reasoning that lacks a foundation. What did have a solid foundation was the now demolitioned Hubbard House, which served as the police station until this semester. It’s now sadly the site of a future glass box for alumni.

Apart from the nearby Alumni House, there is no credible reason to place the center at its planned location. The location of the Alumni House does not make sense, itself.

Student living quarters do not make a good view for visiting alumni.

Many opposed this plan from the start.

This includes City Councilman and CWRU alumnus Jeffery Johnson, who attempted to slow the demolition approval process. Alas his efforts failed, as the race to make the building a landmark finished last or in this case, was bulldozed.

It was inappropriate to overlook potential student use. It could have been given to one of the multitude of Greek chapters that lack a house, converted into an athletic area or a place for undergraduate organizations. It’s im-

portant to realize that current students on campus lack both of the aforementioned spaces.

Many believe that the Tinkham Veale University Center is not for students, but rather glitter for current wealthy graduates. (Think of it as the first round of glass for alumni.)

For anyone who believes that TVUC is for undergraduates only, we would like to remind them that it is a “university” center, not a “student” center. It is to be shared by alumni, student and community.

If another building is to be produced for alumni, the Observer demands that it be in an area of campus not direly needed by student.

This can still happen. The property can now easily be converted into an athletic field to add to the nearby basketball courts.

We understand the need to cater to the wishes of alumni; they support the university through countless, generous donations. We appreciate their commitments.

However, destroying an historical house amid controversy over its status as a historical landmark was harsh. The new Alumni Center should be built in a different location. There’s still a chance; don’t fail to listen to students this time around.

Student Action on Issues: C It was powerful to see the UDC bring students of all backgrounds together to stand with University of Missouri and Yale University. But, as we discussed in the last editorial, we haven’t seen students come together to make a difference on other issues present on our campus.

That includes the issues mentioned above. Students have lost a potentially useful space to the new alumni center. Yet the student body and campus organizations didn’t take action. What’s even more surprising is that the students living in the New Residence Hall didn’t take action after all the challenges the delayed move-in put on

them. They face a continuous problem of false fire alarms and poor ventilation, yet there are no voices speaking out.

As mentioned, USG has been doing the grunt work of helping students in incredible ways, but if the student body does not back them, they become another hurdle for USG. Similarly, Diversity 360 appears to be a lasting, potent program, but the Office of Multicultural Affairs can only do so much without student support. There’s a worrying trend on campus that it is dangerous to speak out on campus issues. Instead, the opposite is true: A campus where students don’t speak up is just powerless.

Undergraduate Program Board (UPB): B This semester saw not one, but two problems in UPB: We saw drastic, disliked changes to Spot Night and poor crowd control plans that created an uncontrolled, volatile ticket line for the Fall Break Montreal Trip. The Editorial Board was harsh on UPB, but it now appears the leaders and committees of UPB can adapt to give CWRU students the programming they want.

UPB not only brought back weekly Spot Nights, but is asking students whether they want the concert to be

on the traditional Thursday, or on Fridays. We hope that in the future they are rewarded with an excited crowd.

And, let’s not forget the new “Tinkerball”, CWRU’s first homecoming dance in years. We also saw some creative Thwing Tuesdays, an event that lets everyone get their noon fix. Indeed, looking back toward the much-enjoyed Fall Concert early in the semester, time does truly fly when you’re having fun. The Editorial Board is glad UPB is willing to adopt changes based on feedback.

the observer

established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher MIKE MCKENNA director of print ANNE NICKOLOFF director of web & multimedia JULIA BIANCO director of business operations TAYLOR MORAN advertising & marketing manager JACK WEBB account manager MARCUS GUTIERREZ news designer CHRISTINA CHENG news editor AQUENE KIMMEL a&e designer MATTHEW ZYLE a&e editor ELLIE RAMBO opinion designer ALEXANDRA GOLDBERG opinion editor KUSHAGRA GUPTA sports designer AMANDA LI sports editor JP. O’HAGAN graphic designer CLARISSA CUEVAS web editor JOE SATTERFIELD pr manager ASHLEY CHAN copy editors video editor SAI SUPRIYA VUDA ADITHI IYENGAR social media editor JENIECE MONTELLANO ANASTAZIA VANISKO advisor BERNIE JIM

opinion 7

observer.case.edu

Education is a right, not a privilege Current Adventure: Case Heather O’Keeffe Following World War II, the United Nations compiled The Universal Declaration of Human Rights to create universal protection of fundamental human rights.

Article 26 of this declaration regards education. The very presence of education within the declaration speaks volumes: education is a fundamental right. Many, or rather most, of us agree that education is a right. It is the most surefire and accepted way of determining the destiny of your life. Want your kids to have a better life than you? Enroll them in the best elementary school. Want to move beyond the borders of your disadvantaged neighborhood? Attend a tertiary university. Want a bigger house and higher salary? Go back to school and get an MBA. Rarely does the conversation extend beyond “education is a right.” The details, nuances and depth of this statement are far more complicated than education as a solution and means. This is where the language of Article 26 comes in handy.

It says,“Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally

accessible to all based on merit.”

According to The Washington Post there are over 5,000 colleges, universities, and institutions of tertiary education in the United States; this easily ticks the “generally available” box. The “equally accessible … based on merit” is where we fall short and where the controversy lies.

This phrase is central to the need-blind versus need-aware debate on our campus.

Currently, our need-blind policy only meets 75 percent of financial need. This may seem like an argument to switch, but need-aware policies, while they meet 100 percent of financial need, decrease the admissions of minority and economically disadvantaged students. Neither of these policies are “equally accessible to all based on merit.”

Leaving students with financial burden, taking their focus away from their studies to pursue a full time job and allowing graduates to face an eternity of debt makes education inaccessible for many families. However if the alternative is admitting students based on their financial situations, a much more biased and inaccessible policy, then I choose the former. Denying students entrance to our school because of their economic background is wrong; it makes education a

Know your mental health, options for treatment Student Mind Brian Eckert Mental health has been a social topic that is much too frequently put on the back burner. Millions of people suffer from mental illness not only in America, but across the world. Mental illness affects people of all ages, races and cultural backgrounds. It can be passed down genetically, developed from traumatic experiences or develop as a result of other environmental factors. If gone untreated, not only the sufferer, but also friends, family and loved ones will be affected.

There are many different types of mental illness, from mild learning disorders, to anxiety and depression, to much more serious and difficult illnesses like multi-personality disorder or bipolar disorder. Regardless of the severity, all mental illnesses need to be treated and cared for. No one should be forced, or allowed, to deal with mental illness alone.

On campus we have many different outlets for help. Some of these include University Health Services (UCS), University Counselling Services and Educational Services for Students. If you are or know someone that is struggling with mental illness, do not hesitate. Offer to help in anyway you can, from talking to them, offering to help sign them up for counselling or even just letting them know that you care. When it comes to mental illness, a little bit goes a long way.

Some common misconceptions about mental illness include a long list of generalizations and exaggerated symptoms.

Yes, some people have serious mental illness, but they aren’t “crazy.” It’s not their fault that they suffer from this horrible epidemic. Not all people are affected the same way, and they shouldn’t be treated the same way either. Each individual person has their own unique problems when it comes to mental illness and all sufferers must be approached with a “blank palate” when it comes to treatment. There are thousands, if not millions, of perfectly “normal” functioning people that suffer from some form of mental illness.

Mental illness doesn’t just strike you down one day like lightning and then you

go to an asylum. Mental illness can develop over time or from one single instance. People that suffer from mental illness may not even realize it, but have extremely strong coping methods. Others may be much more severely affected by a “lesser” illness. Everyone is different, so don’t generalize and cause people to feel unimportant.

Treatment methods range from a variety of counselling and therapy methods to strong prescription drugs and even more unconventional methods like shock treatment. Regardless of your mental health situation, counselling and therapy can be very relaxing and refreshing. I highly recommend taking advantage of the services offered on campus at UCS. Other treatments include antidepressants and as-needed anxiety medicine, which are used to help regulate the chemical imbalances in the brain that are causing the feelings of sadness or anxiety. Some sufferers need more medication for more serious illnesses or much more severe cases. In general, schizophrenia is more serious than anxiety, but in other cases that could be flipped.

Schizophrenia also requires different drugs than anxiety would because there are different imbalances, and therefore different treatment is required. As I mentioned previously, everyone is different and many illnesses have wide spectrums of severity.

Mental illness is not a joke and shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you or someone you know is suffering from or even thinks they might be suffering from a mental health problem do not hesitate to seek help. Talk to a friend, family or faculty member. I’ve never met more caring and understanding people than the faculty at Case Western Reserve University. Don’t wait for it to get better, because even if it does, there is still an underlying problem. Anxiety and depression are very common this time of year and in college-aged people. If it persists, which is a telling sign that it’s more than the changing seasons, please seek help.

Mental health is serious, so treat it as such.

Brian Eckert is a first-year finance and economics double major.

privilege not a right.

Article 26 also states, “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups.”

This section of Article 26 relates to the events of University of Missouri (Mizzou) and Yale University, where students took a stand against institutionalized racism, systems that support privilege and the silence, and thus culpability, of administrators in regards to such structural inequalities.

Faculty, professors and administrators should work to not only ensure they are providing the best possible education for their students but also that their students feel safe, accepted and included on their campus. Death threats, derogatory behavior and swastikas do nothing to “promote understanding, tolerance and friendship” on a campus. After silence and inaction from university administration, the students were justified in standing up for their rights and right to education.

I am so grateful for my education and the opportunities it has founded. I worked hard throughout my time at CWRU to

create opportunities for myself and set myself upon a path of success. However I have done this with a foundation of privilege: I am white, have a stable family and come from an upper-middle class community. My parents are helping foot my tuition and never have I felt unsafe or unwelcomed on our campus.

My demographic should not be the only one privileged enough to realize the fruits of education. If you are capable and academically qualified, no matter your race, religion, gender, finances, etc. you should be admitted to CWRU, or any college, and feasibly afford it. Students should not feel threatened or blatantly disrespected because of their race or religion.

Currently we are not fulfilling the rights outlined in Article 26. If our measly 75 percent financial aid coverage, Mizzou or Yale have showed us anything, it is that we must own up to, contemplate and tackle the systems of tertiary institutions that favor the privileged.

Education should not be a privilege because it is our fundamental human right.

Heather O’Keeffe is a senior studying biomedical engineering and minoring in sports medicine. She hitch hiked when she was two.

Obama era: A reflection on race Case Western Reserve United Josh Lehrer Let it be clear: racism and its tragic consequences remain pervasive throughout the United States. However, there are legitimate grounds for rejoice as President Barack Obama begins his last year in the Oval Office.

Obama is the first black and biracial president in American history. In my last article, I stuck to the policy aspects of Obama’s legacy. I am glad I refrained from mentioning anything concerning Obama’s race, because that would have been truly unnecessary and borderline offensive for many. After its publication, however, I realized that Obama’s race is not something to gloss over. Because of this, I am taking the risk of discussing this in hope to continue to dialogue on campus on issues pertaining to race throughout campus and our communities, so as to facilitate mutual respect and understanding. I have decided that the issues surrounding race are far too important to push aside, as many of my fellow activists on campus do as well. As a white male who grew up in a wealthy county with little diversity in New Jersey—who indeed experienced the principles of white privilege—I do not wish this piece to be controversial or confrontational. Rather, I hope to take an optimistic tone of how far our nation has come since we were founded.

Since Obama has had the spotlight directed on him, he has faced scrutiny on his racial identity. Some members of the African-American community have accused Obama of being “not black enough” or of “acting white.” Many pundits since he ascended to the presidency in 2008 regarded Obama as someone who was hesitant to talk about race in a direct manner. However, since the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the horrid stream of police brutality cases that have afflicted the AfricanAmerican community have emerged into our national landscape, commentators (as well as myself) believe that Obama is finally poised and ready to have a meaningful—and vitally important—discussion with Americans on the issues surrounding racial injustice. And, I am sure our actions, as well as Obama’s, will speak louder than words.

Regrettably, our country has undoubtedly a very far way to go. Scholars and

analysts alike have linked the deep partisan polarization that has resulted since the start of Obama’s tenure in 2009 to entrenched, covert racism. The Tea Party frenzy in 2010 and the surge of radical right-wing extremist crime is not something to turn a blind eye to. Indeed, some dispute Obama’s United States citizenship status to this very day; many claim he is un-American.

If anything, though, Obama’s campaign promise in 2008 to be an agent of hope and change has, holistically, boded to be true. Yes, the process is and will continue to be slow, long, strenuous and incremental. But any movement is, whether it be for women’s rights, civil rights or the fight toward LGBT equal treatment and non-discrimination. I’d like to note that all three of the aforementioned are social issues where progress has occurred, but still needs to be made.

Obama has been the face of the United States for nearly a decade at this point. We certainly do live in a time much different than the 19th and 20th centuries. No longer are African-Americans deprived any level of legal recognition and subjected to despicable treatment as slaves. No longer are African-Americans required to sit at the back of the bus, or use segregated public facilities. No longer can AfricanAmericans be denied their inalienable right to vote in elections.

Yes, there is still plenty of de facto racial segregation and systematic racism today that endures. We need to keep up the “good fight.” But we are a nation that has experienced something profound and noteworthy as well. I believe that while we definitely have much work to do, Obama deserves praise at the least.

Thank you, Mr. President, for leading us further in a direction toward unity, love and respect.

And with that, let us continue to work together to ensure we and the future American generations experience the full notion of the American Dream. Let us be a Case Western Reserve that is united.

Happy holidays.

Josh Lehrer is a fourth year student who will be graduating this Spring. He is thankful that his undergraduate years at CWRU have led him to find his voice— far from the high school student who actually feared engaging in meaningful discussion on topics that deserve due diligence.

8

opinion

12/4/15

Every Syrian refugee welcomed is a terrorism recruit rejected Exploring the Spartan Pit Austin Stroud Exactly three weeks ago, coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) shocked the globe. These dramatic events grabbed the world’s attention, and in doing so have brought a critical situation to the forefront of international discussion.

As I watched the events unfold on various news and social media sites, I could not help but wonder if a similar catastrophe were to strike Cleveland, would I be safe? Would I still attend Case Western Reserve University? It wasn’t an unreasonable fear, but after giving it some thought, I figured it was pointless to dwell on the unknown.

I could, however, dwell on the various issues that ongoing terrorist activities have created, such as the growing number of refugees fleeing Syria. The Syrian refugee crisis has become a considerable point of controversy among politicians and United States citizens alike. From a regional perspective, accepting refugees has been blatantly opposed by Ohio’s governor, state legislature and even Cleveland city council.

However if the proposal to accept Syrian refugees into the U.S. proceeds as initially planned, the reality is many of them could utilize refugee services offered in the Cleveland area. This means refugees could resettle as close as Cleveland Heights and University Circle, and perhaps even attend CWRU in the not too distant future.

With the current political climate in Ohio as well as many other states indicating a staunch opposition to accepting Syrian refugees, the prospect of relocating to the United States is beginning to

look quite bleak for those fleeing the turmoil in their homeland. Much of this resistance to refugee assistance is centered on a strong pre-existing paranoia conflating the whole of Islam and acts of terrorism. As such, the attacks on Paris by ISIL seem to have reinvigorated this ever present fear, which has been translated into an approach of shunning by the Ohio government and is continuing to gain traction among the populace.

While recent events would certainly justify a reevaluation of security concerns, the rush to the extreme of obstructing any sort of asylum is a brazen move that is bound to backfire. By displaying strong anti-refugee sentiments through media rhetoric and political action, overt animosity toward refugees can be exploited by ISIL recruiters as reasoning for turning to a life of terrorism. With nowhere else to turn to, the abstract promises made by recruiters provide more hope for a favorable future than the decreasing chance of being granted asylum in the United States.

In this regard, Ohio officials along with others who wish to stymie the acceptance of Syrian refugees fan the flames of terrorism instead of putting them out.

Instead of acting under the assumption that every refugee granted asylum is a terrorist, there should be consideration for how each refugee accepted is an ISIL recruitment attempt thwarted.

By working within the prevalent paranoia of terrorism from a positive perspective, there is a stronger capacity for mediating xenophobic tensions. If the time does come that Syrian refugees make Cleveland their new home and CWRU their choice for post-secondary education, it is my hope that they can be met with acceptance.

Austin Stroud is a first-year student.

Letter to the Editor

Hate, fear are pitfalls in war of ideology Editor’s Note: Daesh is another name for the terrorist group also known as ISIS or ISIL. The terrorist group prefers to not be called by this name.

To the editor, Over break, I came to some realizations about Daesh [the terrorist organization responsible for the Paris attacks].

One of Daesh’s primary goals is a hatred of Muslims by “the West” that will convince moderate Muslims to join their cause. To do this they’ve started a war of ideology. However, ideas have never been able to go from one side of the planet to another instantly. You can’t put a soldier with a gun between a tweet and its reader.

You can’t physically “protect” someone from an idea.

Historically, casualties among soldiers were the proxy that decided the outcomes of wars, affecting what ideologies a group of people might live under. But this time, anybody who may be reached by Daesh’s ideas becomes a combatant. All of us are active participants in this war, whether we know it or not.

How? It’s the ideologies. It’s our words, our questions, our discussions and our ways of thinking. It’s both our responses and our reactions to them. It’s whether we call them what they want and legitimize them, or the offensive acronym

of Daesh that they hate. It’s whether we ask, “But why do all Muslims” instead of “Why does a group (that happens to be Muslim).” It’s whether our governors pretend to call upon powers they don’t have to keep refugees from our states. It’s whether Congress does the same based on that pressure with the powers they do actually have. If we let our fears dictate our actions as we did after 9/11, the terrorists win.

How do we stop them? As several religions say, love thy neighbor. When Daesh wants us to hate and fear Muslims, we show love. If we get attacked for opening our country to refugees, then we forgive them and continue anyway. We don’t stoop to Daesh’s level and respond with violence. We let the soldiers exercise their judgment on that. We as civilians of the world open our arms, be civil and love.

I live in the best country in the world.

I was welcomed here and I’ll sing its praises to anyone. But if we say we’re the best country in the world but not for everyone, we aren’t the best. So prove we’re the home of the brave and welcome these refugees, all Muslims, all people into your lives with open arms. Not only will this save souls and send them to heaven as per holy books, but it’ll save the world too.

Karthik Mohanarangan Third-year student

Don’t repeat history by denying refugees The Salt Pile Danny Miles There is a relatively famous quip about the Internet, which is generally referred to as Godwin’s Law. It states, “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.”

Mike Godwin wasn’t being overly serious when he first said that, but to anyone who frequents the Internet, it is an unfortunate truth. These comparisons are flung around with reckless abandon when the conversation turns to politics; indeed, even people in the limelight won’t hesitate to invoke Hitler.

This is, of course, generally unwarranted. We accept that it’s inaccurate to say any of our presidents, for instance, resemble Hitler in the slightest.

With that said, thanks to the debate storming over the reception of Syrian refugees, I’m afraid that a comparison to Nazi Germany actually can be drawn with today’s political climate.

The situation facing the Syrian refugees seeking aid in foreign nations is an eerie reflection of the situation facing the Jewish refugees of the Holocaust.

I’m hesitant to use this comparison, due to the connotations of seriously invoking Hitler and the Nazis, but the parallels are strikingly obvious.

Speeches and excerpts from the late 1930s are very reminiscent of anti-refugee rhetoric now, right down to the thinly veiled racism at play. One argument was that the United States could not afford to harbor numerous refugees, thanks to the lingering effects of the Great Depression.

Another common fear was that enemy agents could infiltrate the country alongside “more legitimate” refugees.

Of course, it’s hard to ignore some of the more blatant anti-semitism that was at work during this time also.

When stated in plain speech like this, the parallels with the modern day are nearly impossible to ignore. We express economic concerns. (“We don’t want refugees taking our jobs” or “Our economy can’t sustain thousands of refugees.”) We devise fears of endangered people. (“Terrorists could sneak in alongside these refugees. Look what happened in Paris.”) There is even our good old-fashioned American-brand racism (“We have enough Muslims in this country. This is a Christian nation”).

It seems like the anti-humanitarian mindset hasn’t been able to come up with anything new since 1939.

Now that isn’t to say that the people warning against accepting refugees have no valid points. National security is a priority, and we definitely don’t want to overload already over-stressed relief networks with an influx of people in need.

However these are things that we need to be discussing and fixing, instead of just having 37 governors pledge to reject any and all refugees seeking asylum in their states. We need to be solving these problems, not finding ways to avoid them.

People always parrot the idea that history repeats itself. We should make an effort to change that this time around.

Danny Miles is a second-year student who somehow sleeps better at school than at home.

Letter to the Editor

CWRU’s need for a token diversity activist To the editor, I am writing to call attention to the tokenism that has surrounded Case Western Reserve University’s recent campus diversity efforts. As we saw last year, during the #webelonghere movement, one minority student stood in the forefront of issues regarding a security officer’s offensive remarks, in addition to Yik-Yak posts that referred to students of color in a derogatory manner as they protested through the North Residential Village.

The same student who became the face of the “movement,” however, was not the one to bring the issues to the community’s attention. Rather this student, under faculty encouragement, advice, and assistance, was given one of the sole voices in communicating an injustice that was experienced by many others of the campus community. The student was given countless opportunities to take pictures with university administrators and given awards for diversity efforts, even though the catalyst for those efforts was pushed aside and rarely mentioned in any coverage of the movement or subsequent events.

This year, in light of the university mulling over a switch to need-aware admissions, which may affect the diversity we currently have on campus, we find ourselves in that same position of enabling token activism again. The Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative (UDC), which claims to “…serve as an

advocating body for diversity groups, a platform for voicing student diversity concerns, and a resource for organizations in regards to diversity programming,” has one minority student in the forefront, empowered to make decisions by certain faculty and staff, arranging forums and receiving awards for diversity efforts, despite not extensively consulting with other minority organizations on issues and next steps that will be or need to be taken.

Suggestions or ideas that may arise from these other minority organizations or their leaders are mentioned in meetings with organizations like UDC or even USG, yet the students who recommend them are once again pushed aside so the student with political favor within the university can serve as the face of the issue.

We cannot tolerate this any longer.

There is room for more than one or two minority student voices. We must make aware and hold our faculty and administration accountable for encouraging and even assisting with this type of narrow minded behavior. It does nothing but make the diversity climate on our campus tenser, by silencing the voices of those who do not have a prominent faculty/administration member or office promoting them. All of our voices are relevant and they should all be given a notable platform to be expressed.

Jordan Fatoki Fourth-year Student, Vice President of EXCEL

advertisment

observer.case.edu

9

2016 Spartan Challenge entrepreneurship competition offers more than $20,000 in prizes Case Western Reserve University undergraduate students are invited to join students from the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Cleveland Institute of Music to participate in the 2016 Spartan Challenge, a mentored entrepreneurship competition.

Letter of Intent:

Teams interested in applying to the 2016 Spartan Challenge are asked to register and submit a “Letter of Intent” to: Professor Colin Durrmon at colin.drummond@case.edu Due: Midnight Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 The top three teams from the Business Planning and Mentorship stage will be awarded funding ($10,000, $5,000, $2,500) to enable them to begin implementation of the business concept.

Contest Information Session:

Presented by Joyce Erony, WRC ’81 Managing Director, Signet Healthcare Partners

Those students interested in participating should plan on attending.

1:00pm on Monday, Jan. 18 Room 410, Nord Hall Complimentary lunch will be served!

More information is available at http://case.edu/SpartanChallenge

Don’t be left out! Past participants include:

10 | advertisement

12/4/15

arts & entertainment Weekly Spot Nights are back Tiffany Cheung Staff Reporter In the good old days, Spot Night was weekly. Every week, music would blast from the musicians practicing their songs.

Walking down the steps to The Spot was an experience. Each step vibrated with the music. Every step got you closer to the beat.

The steps led you to all the excitement.

Students relied on this event to let out their energy and have fun. However, for Fall 2015, the University Program Board (UPB) decided to cut their premiere event from weekly shows to monthly shows.

UPB explained how this cut was an effort to reduce over-programming on campus.

Spot Night regulars were outraged. How dare UPB suddenly change Spot Night? No longer were students able to read the weekly UPB newsletter and scroll to the announcement of the Spot Night artist in anticipation.

No longer was The Spot blasting with music every week. No longer were students having fun and silly dancing in the dark concert atmosphere of The Spot.

It was a sad and long semester to get through. But now Spot Nights are back to their weekly format due to high demand.

“We have feedback from campus. They miss the weekly Spot Nights” said Kapil Patki, UPB’s director of concerts.

Observer Archives Neon Indian performed at one of the monthly Spot Nights, which UPB will be changing to a weekly event next semester.

For Spring 2016, there will be three big Spot Nights and 10 weekly Spot Nights. UPB aims for the big Spot Nights to draw in about 300 students with bigger artists, such as past performers Danny Brown, Neon Indian and American Authors. And UPB aims for the weekly Spot Nights to draw in about 100-200 students with fresh and new artists. UPB hopes

“Victor Frankenstein” movie focuses on humans instead of monster Sierra Cotton Staff Reporter When I heard that two of my favorite actors, James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe, were coming together for a “Frankenstein” movie adaptation, I was filled with excitement. Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is one of my favorite classic tales, not only because of the cool science nature of it but because Mary Shelley basically started a whole new genre with the novel. After watching this movie though, I think Shelley might be turning over in her grave.

In “Victor Frankenstein,” Igor (Daniel Radcliffe) meets a young Viktor Von Frankenstein (James McAvoy) at the circus, where Frankenstein helps break Igor out of the circus and takes Igor on as his assistant after being impressed by Igor’s medical knowledge. Following this, the two work together in order to create life from death.

If you are looking for a faithful movie adaptation, you will not find it in this film. Told from Igor’s point of view, the story places more emphasis on the aspirations of Frankenstein and the relationship between Igor and his love interest, Lorelei (Jessica Findlay) than the experiment. As a matter of fact, little time is spent on the actual creation of Franken-

stein’s infamous monster. The monster is only in the movie towards the end, and its appearance is short-lived. Interestingly enough, more time is spent on Inspector Turpin (Andrew Scott), a devotedly religious detective who makes it his mission to stop Victor Frankenstein from undoing the balance of nature at any cost.

Despite straying quite far from the book, this adaptation was still interesting and entertaining in its own way. The dynamic between Igor and Frankenstein is a complex one. They have the makings of a great friendship, but Frankenstein’s ego is constantly getting in the way, putting up a barrier between the two. When this barrier isn’t present, the two really complete each other, which makes for some funny and heart-tugging moments.

Overall the movie was entertaining to watch, though as an adaptation it failed miserably. If it were not for the monster near the end, the story would have been unrecognizable as an adaptation of the original book.

Movie: “Victor Frankenstein” Director: Paul McGuigan Release Date: Nov. 25, 2015 Rating:

that with its new format, students could get what they want and the best experience possible. “It really is a win-win situation. We will now have the flexibility to move forward,” said Patki.

Now, every week as students walk down the stairs to The Spot, they will hear loud music playing again. They will feel the excitement in the air as they approach the

doors of The Spot, and will see the warm and friendly smile of a UPB member telling them to enjoy the show as they swipe IDs. Just for an hour or two, students will forget about that big test next week or that big paper they need to finish by 11:59 p.m. on Monday. Just for a while, everything will be okay as they hang out with their friends and listen to the music.

12

a&e

12/4/15

Sigma Psi hosts Mr. CWRU

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer Case Western Reserve University men competed for the crown in sorority Sigma Psi’s annual event Mr. CWRU. Grant Whitmer (top right) won first place, representing Gamma Sigma Alpha. All proceeds from the event benefited Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.

summer.case.edu

Carpe Summer T I N K U N I V E R S I T Y C E N T E R

A D E L B E R T

K E L V I N

S M I T H

L I B R A R Y

Summer Session 2016

Course load got you feeling like you’re swimming upstream?

Don’t just tread water this summer—turn the tide with Summer Session!

Taking summer classes can help you work ahead or reduce your course load, graduate on time (or early) or improve your performance in a previously completed class.

And the cost? Well, that’s another kettle of fish altogether. Tuition for courses numbered 1-399 is just 50 percent of the regular rate, so you’ll save money, too.

Summer Session offers the same high-quality CWRU education with smaller classes and significant savings.

No need to feel like a fish out of water— carpe summer by making your plans now. The Summer Preview schedule is now available at summer.case.edu.

May term: May 9 – May 27 8 Week Session: June 6 – August 1 | 5 week Session: June 6 – July 8 | 4 week Session (1): June 6 – July 1 | 6 Week Session: June 20 – August 1 | 4 Week Session (2): July 11 – August 5

U

CWR

CASEY

a&e 13

observer.case.edu

Top 10 films of 2015 Lars Torres Staff Reporter 1. Room

This film may look and seem simple, but don’t let that fool you. This is outstanding filmmaking on all scales, not just small.

Based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue (who also adapted this film version) and directed by Lenny Abrahamson, “Room” follows the mesmerizing, heartbreaking story of Joy “Ma” Newsome (Brie Larson) and Jack Newsome (Jacob Tremblay) as they spend five years imprisoned in a single room. The performances from Larson and Tremblay are the best of the year so far, and contribute to how stunningly well-done this film is. The suspense and horror of the first half tied with the drama of the second half make for a spellbinding concoction of brilliant filmmaking. Not only a fine drama, but a moving film on all levels, “Room” is the best film of the year, and this is just from the performances alone. This is the movie to see and to watch come awards season.

2. “Mad Max: Fury Road”

From mastermind George Miller comes a breathtaking and beautifully gritty look at a post-apocalyptic landscape. Following the story of “Mad” Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) as he becomes the reluctant co-guardian of a group of beautiful women being used as slaves, he aids the efforts of their current guardian, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). This film is the action genre turned to 11, a rip-roaring exercise in action mania done spectacularly well. A simple story perhaps, but the film is aided in this by being told visually and sometimes almost wordlessly.

3. “Sicario”

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, “Sicario” follows a clandestine operation headed by two government agents (Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro) and overseen by a tense FBI agent out of her element (Emily Blunt) as they hunt for a cartel lord in Mexico.

From the start, tension and stress will be the primary feelings for any filmgoer, and the ominous, well-made score is one key element of this. Other keys include absorbing performances from the main three actors and strong direction and cinematography from Villeneuve and Roger Deakins, respectively. A dark, brooding tale with a lot to say, “Sicario” is visceral, methodical and effective.

4. “Inside Out”

One of this year’s Pixar releases, “Inside Out” is a journey to behold indeed.

This film is gorgeously animated, and the concept itself is marvelous. The film is not only humorous, but has significant dramatic and emotional heft. An emotional tear-jerker, this film is spellbinding in more ways than one. Definitely must see for all ages.

5. “The Visit”

The rousing comeback for director M. Night Shyamalan, who was in a career slump after a few major missteps, follows a pair of siblings as they visit their grandparents. Things take a turn for the strange and bewildering as the week goes on. Periodically funny, this film also has quite an emotional edge running behind the scenes on top of good performances from its two young leads, as well as fine over-the-top performances from the odd grandparents.

A well-written and directed film (especially for the found footage genre) that gets fantastic mileage out of its deceptively simple premise.

Top 10 albums of 2015

6. “Spotlight”

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation by the Boston Globe on the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, the film follows the titular Spotlight Team of reporters (Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Brian d’Arcy James). The reporters are investigating a web of corruption and cover-ups by the Catholic Church regarding their priests sexually abusing children in the Boston area and beyond. The film relies on its realistic performances and its assured direction from Thomas McCarthy to showcase a haunting, real look at what occurred in Boston in 2002. Entertaining and the finest look at journalism in film in decades.

7. “The Martian”

Poor Matt Damon, the universe is not in his favor. From his more sinister role last year in “Interstellar” to his leading role in“The Martian,” Damon’s characters seem to have a habit of getting lost in space. Damon portrays botanist and astronaut Mark Watney as he becomes stranded on Mars.

He does his best to survive using his many skills and abilities as NASA does its best to get him home as safely and effectively as possible. Ultimately, this film is brimming with humor, fun and engaging performances from all actors, amazing scientific accuracy on all counts, a great screenplay from Drew Goddard and assured and light direction from Ridley Scott. A must see for all science fiction fanatics.

Courtesy Sleater-Kinney’s Facebook Punk rock band Sleater-Kinney’s new album “No Cities to Love” is one of the best releases of 2015.

Teddy Eisenberg The seventh installment in the long- Staff Reporter

8. “Creed”

running and well-received “Rocky” franchise, one may be skeptical of this film and the idea that there’s any fuel left in the 40-year franchise. Set nearly a decade after the last “Rocky” outing, this installment follows the illegitimate son of boxing champion Apollo Creed, Adonis Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan), as he decides to escape his father’s shadow by going for the top title with the help of legendary boxing champion, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), former rival and best friend of Apollo Creed. This film truly astonishes, from its homey yet gritty depiction of Philadelphia to the striking performances of both Jordan and Stallone. The movie is a joy to behold, and a worthy successor to the “Rocky” franchise.

9. “Steve Jobs”

Very loosely based on Walter Isaacson’s’ biography of the same name, “Steve Jobs” is a different breed of biographical film.

In terms of historical accuracy, this might be as far from the truth as you can get, but the movie is all the better for any creative liberties taken. Led by a powerhouse performance from Michael Fassbender in the title role, his co-stars Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet also deliver standout performances. With breezy direction from Danny Boyle and outstanding writing to drive the film forward, this is one you won’t want to miss.

10. “Straight Outta Compton”

Music biopics, like comedies and horror films, are hard to pull off. But when done well, as in the case of “Straight Outta Compton,” they shine. This hyperkinetic music biopic focuses on the rise and fall of the gangsta rap group N.W.A. during the late 80s to the mid-1990s. Led by astonishing performances from all the actors portraying members of the group and the energetic direction of F. Gary Gray, “Straight Outta Compton” is a music biopic done right, being both emotionally and thematically exhilarating.

1. “To Pimp A Butterfly” —Kendrick Lamar

This Compton rapper’s artistic metamorphosis is a genre-defining masterwork of smooth hip hop, funky jazz grooves and dark poetry that proves Lamar is one of the most important musicians making music today.

Recommended Tracks: “King Kunta,” “Alright” and “i”

Guard,” “Miss Understanding” and “The Message”

6. “Twelve Reasons To Die II”— Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge

Serving as a sequel to the pair’s acclaimed 2013 release, “Twelve Reasons To Die II” showcases the Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface at the top of his game, spitting cinematic rhymes over brooding samples.

Recommended Tracks: “Return Of The Savage,” “Let The Record Spin” and “Resurrection Morning”

7. “I Love You, Honeybear” Straddling sounds from psychedelia to —Father John Misty

2. “Currents”—Tame Impala

electronica, Kevin Parker’s third LP as Tame Impala is a dizzying sonic array of musical interludes that bathes the listener in auditory bliss.

Recommended Tracks: “Let It Happen,” “Yes, I’m Changing” and “Eventually”

3. “Dark Bird Is Home” —The Tallest Man On Earth

The quiet charisma of Kristian Matsson’s voice carries the expansive tunes of his third full-length album to lofty new heights, while his nimble guitar playing keeps them grounded in an organic honesty that makes this album one of the year’s most compelling releases.

Recommended Tracks: “Singers,” “Sagres” and “Dark Bird Is Home”

4. “Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats”—Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Filled with stomping and the infectious sounds of Motown soul, Colorado’s Nathaniel Rateliff and his band, The Night Sweats, have succeeded in making a record with a throwback sound so good, it’s timeless.

Recommended Tracks: “I Need Never Get Old,” “S.O.B.” and “Thank You”

Reserved and beautiful, Josh Tillman’s second album, as his alter ego Father John Misty, is a lyrically rich and gorgeously orchestrated look at love and all its ironic qualities.

Recommended Tracks: “I Love You, Honeybear,” “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins” and “Bored In The USA”

8. “High Country”—The Sword

Austin’s best stoner metalheads are back with their fifth and most compelling release to date. Here they shed some of the doom from their riffs for a fast and furious record with all the best hallmarks of classic rock.

Recommended Tracks: “Empty Temples,” “High Country” and “Ghost Eye”

9. “No Cities To Love” —Sleater-Kinney

The ferocity of Riot grrrl punk is alive and well in 2015, with its harbingers Sleater-Kinney bringing the sound forward on the jawdroppingly melodic and complex “No Cities To Love.”

Recommended Tracks: “No Cities To Love,” “A New Wave” and “Bury Our Friends”

10. “American Beauty/American 5. “The Epic”—Kamasi Wash- Psycho”—Fall Out Boy Emo’s favorite band continues their postington Washington’s aptly titled “The Epic” is a debut that challenges perceptions about jazz in the 21st century without compromising or pandering, making for one of the most satisfying listens of 2015.

Recommended Tracks: “Change of the

hiatus resurgence with a blend of pop and rock that delivers track after track of glittering, radio-ready anthems.

Recommended Tracks: “Irresistible,” “American Beauty/American Psycho” and “Centuries”

14

a&e

12/4/15

“The idea of cool”

Local band Samfox moves forward with new EP Anne Nickoloff Director of Print Standing in the driveway of a Lakewood house, it wasn’t clear where all the noise was coming from.

A car pulled into the driveway and parked. A woman opened the door and frowned. “They’re in the garage,” she said, looking further down the driveway.

Inside the garage were the members of local band, Samfox, but it took a few loud knocks before they were able to hear and open the door.

Singer and guitarist Braxton Taylor did much of the talking between songs while the other band members grooved along, laughing at jokes and past situations. Like many of the band’s stories, Taylor led into one of their songs with an anecdote of an attractive woman. This one was about a woman he met at a bar named Charmayne, whom he only spoke to for about 20 minutes.

“I thought she was super hot, and I was like, I’m gonna write a song about her,” he said, before launching into the song “Charmayne.”

The small garage was then filled with a soulful rock sound, with a break in the middle for guitarist and trumpeter Randall Hoyle to take a solo. Hoyle, a masters student at Case Western Reserve University, performed a series of improvised solos in the group’s short set.

“He’s like our dad,” said Taylor. “He keeps us in line.”

Samfox hasn’t been around for long, but they’ve played some concerts around the city at venues like Beachland Tavern, Happy Dog and The Foundry. Their sound moves between blues and punk rock.

Sometimes the band members bobbed their heads slowly to a groove, and other times they leapt around the garage floor. On top of “Charmayne,” the band’s favorites in-

Supriya Vuda/Observer Samfox takes a break during practice. Trumpeter/guitarist Randall Hoyle (second from left) is a masters student at CWRU. clude “The Feels” and “Hey Mama.”

Prior to the creation of the band, Taylor played solo shows often. When he decided to start putting together a larger group, he first went to Craigslist.

Drummer Josh Montgomery and singer Charity Cunningham were already Taylor’s friends, but they needed more musicians. “I was the one who made the creeper Craigslist ad,” said Montgomery proudly.

That’s how they found John McDonald, the band’s bassist. Hoyle was added through a chance meeting at the Hessler Street Fair, where Hoyle recognized members of the band and struck up a conversation. When he asked Taylor if the band would need a trumpet or a guitar player, the answer was yes.

Simple—that’s how Samfox started.

Since then, they’ve played a handful of

shows and are working on an EP of six songs which should, according to Hoyle, be out in about four or five weeks.

The members of Samfox claim to not have a lot of great stories, but their conversations are filled with them. The band’s name is a story in itself. The title “Samfox,” of course, follows Taylor’s other stories, some of them about attractive women. The story was a little creepy, he warned, before explaining.

“That’s how all your stories start,” said Cunningham, laughing.

Taylor, who goes to Hiram College, saw a girl who wore black every day and didn’t speak much in one of his classes. She was cool, she was bold. She didn’t ask for attention, but she still got it.

Her name? Sam Fox. It was a quick decision for Taylor, who

said he decided he would name a band after her. “That’s the coolest name in the world, [she’s] the coolest girl in the world,” said Taylor. “Sam Fox represents this idea of cool; she made this bold statement to me, that’s what I want this band to be.”

While the person Sam Fox hasn’t attended any of the band Samfox’s shows, Hoyle noted that she liked one of their Instagram photos—one of a new drum head the band purchased with their name on it. “She’ll come when she’s ready,” said Hoyle.

Despite a few funny stories about Taylor’s small crushes and what the band called “creeper Craigslist ads,” Samfox isn’t weird in an uneasy way. Instead, Samfox is a quirky group of musician friends with plenty of talent, an upbeat sense of humor and new stories to find in future adventures.

Top 10 TV shows of 2015 Julia Bianco Director of Web & Multimedia The year of 2015 has been accused by many as being a year of almost too much peak TV, and for good reason.

With just about each and every network pushing out their own award-worthy TV show, it can be difficult to figure out what to watch. To celebrate the end of the year of almost-too much (but never really too much) good TV, here are the top 10 TV shows of 2015.

1. “Parks and Recreation,” NBC

In 2015, we said goodbye to a television legend. With its final string of episodes airing earlier this year, “Parks and Recreation” created a brilliant send-off for its fans, bringing tears to the eyes of viewers everywhere.

2. “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” Netflix

Just narrowly edging out partner show “Daredevil” for a spot on this list, “Jessica Jones” was running full speed from the second it came out the gate.

With a strong female main character and a terrifying villain, “Jessica Jones” managed to take the superhero show to the next level.

3. “The 100,” The CW

How do you follow up an excellent first season? Amp up your female heroine by adding even more nuance to an already complicated character, introduce a bisexual relationship and show that you have absolutely no fear by having one of the bravest season finales on television.

4. “Jane the Virgin,” The CW

Gina Rodriguez is delightful in The CW hit, which has broken down boundaries in the television landscape while being constantly engaging.

5. “UnREAL,” Lifetime

This fictional inside-look at the workings of a “Bachelor”-esque franchise somehow managed to be a rumination on modern feminism, providing some of the most complex female characters on television ever.

6. “Master of None,” Netflix

Aziz Ansari proved that he really is an up and comer in the comedy world with his first Netflix series, which balanced comedy and insight in the way only the best of writers can.

Courtesy IMDb Alexa Davalos in “The Man in the High Castle,” a speculative television series and one of the best shows of the year.

7. “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” Netflix

Inspiring, adorable and always comedically on point, Tina Fey’s first TV outing since “30 Rock” was a welcome pick-me-up that we all needed.

8. “The Man in the High Castle,” Amazon

Amazon’s sci-fi historical drama, imagining what the world would be like if the Nazis won World War II, is poised to join “Transparent” as the streaming service’s answer to Netflix.

9. “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” Comedy Central How do you follow Jon Stewart?

Luckily for most of us, that’s a question that we’ll never have to answer. Trevor Noah, however, did, and he did so in brilliant fashion when he took over the reigns of the long-running political satire show in September.

10. “Scandal,” ABC

Shonda Rhimes’ political drama has been firing on all cylinders in its fifth season, proving that you can teach an old show new tricks.

a&e 15

observer.case.edu

Top 10 Cleveland concerts of 2015

Playlist of the Week Ellie Rambo Arts & Entertainment Editor

Erykah Badu - “Phone Down”

Erykah Badu wants you to pay attention, and she knows she can make you. Her voice, along with the dreamy background and hip hop beats underneath, will pull you into this song. It’s phone themed, like the others on her new mixtape (and everything else these days, apparently). The references to “Hotline Bling” aren’t supposed to be hidden, and when you hear this track, you’ll remember why you liked Drake’s song, at least before you heard it so many times.

Ty Segall - “The Slider”

Observer Archives Bands at Brite Winter performed for huge crowds in Ohio City despite freezing February temperatures.

Anne Nickoloff Director of Print

In terms of concerts, Cleveland has become more and more on the map over the years. Bands that once avoided the city are now visiting for sold-out crowds, at venues small and large. Some of those venues have been Case Western Reserve University itself.

Just this past year, the concert scene has grown. Here are the top 10 concerts in Cleveland over the past year:

1. Glass Animals (June 15 at House of Blues Cleveland)

Glass Animals has this funny sort of jungle groove; it’s not wild and crazy like one would expect, but euphoric and relaxing. Singer Dave Bayley’s vibe was contagious and put the jam-packed crowd at House of Blues in a trance throughout the whole show.

didn’t like this show. But, if you were a long-time follower of the Ohio-based band Walk the Moon, you were probably geeking out the entire time. And taking selfies. Lots of selfies.

6. Brite Winter (Feb. 21 at Ohio City)

3. The Dodos (Oct. 14 at Grog Shop)

Sure, they barely played anything off of their heartfelt album “Visiter,” but The Dodos’ show at Grog Shop gave the crowd a taste of their newest tunes just before the band ended its tour. The duo that makes up the Dodos gave a simple, but undeniably powerful concert.

4. Studio-a-Rama (Sept. 12 at CWRU)

WRUW FM 91.1’s annual music festival Studio-a-Rama always deserves a spot on this list. Where else can you get the best of Cleveland’s music scene all together on one small stage? Where else will Clevelanders still flock, despite the intermittent rain, every single year?

5.Walk the Moon/Griswolds (April 3 at House of Blues Cleveland) If you don’t like crowds, then you

Fleur East - “Sax”

If you need an energetic song to get you through finals (and who doesn’t?) this is the one for you. With bouncy vocals and a lively brass section, this track is catchy in the best way. Feel free to sing along in your study room, as long as no one else can hear.

Little did we know that this would be the last time Brite Winter was held in Ohio City. It’s good that it’s moving to the Flats in the upcoming year, since overwhelming crowds were a little tricky to manage on icy streets. Seeing the growth of this fest is a beautiful thing, especially when it culminates in memories like the Modern Electric singing “David Bowie (Save Us All)” to hundreds of packed-in audience members.

7. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness (Nov. 14 at House of Blues Cleveland)

2. Less than Jake/Reel Big Fish This recent show at the House of (Jan. 23 at House of Blues Blues featured wildly different headlinCleveland) ers: New Politics and Andrew McMaIt was like a large family gathering at the Less than Jake and Reel Big Fish show early this year. A semi-violent, full-of-fun family gathering, that is.

These two ska bands had a ton of fun onstage, but nothing compared to the antics in the crowd.

It takes a lot of guts to cover T Rex, that’s for sure. And Ty Segall has the talent—as well as the drawling voice and band behind him—to back it up. This track, from a newly released collection of T Rex tributes, is just different enough to distinguish itself from the original. But fans of T Rex won’t be offended either, since this version still features the grinding bass-line and atmosphere so important to the beloved glam rock song.

hon in the Wilderness. One was punky and energetic, and the other was passionate and flowing. It captured the best of both worlds.

8. Zella Day, Seafair (Aug. 28 at Grog Shop)

Singer Zella Day’s flower-child feels clashed with Seafair’s more punk-rock set. But the female-led concert was crowd-pleasing and interesting.

9. RJD2 (Feb. 11 at Tinkham Veale University Center)

The RJD2 concert, co-hosted between University Program Board and WRUW FM 91.1, was a lot of fun, but not wholly what CWRU students expected. While it was meant to be a rave complete with glow stick freebies, the show in actuality ended up being more of a groovy evening.

10. Kodaline (Sept. 30 at House of Blues Cleveland)

Depressing but powerful, the Kodaline show at House of Blues impressed crowd members with singer Steve Garrigan’s ability to play multiple instruments at once. Eventually, despite the sadness, the crowd was dancing and singing along.

Benny Sings - “Shoebox Money”

With a drum set and synthesized vocals, this song sounds like it came straight from the 70s pop charts. Benny Sings is a Dutch pop musician who isn’t afraid to be weird, which definitely comes through on this track, with its shimmery percussion and distorted lyrics. But his music is enjoyable even if you can’t understand what he’s talking about.

#TBT Track of the Week “Formidable” - Stromae

This might be the ultimate breakup song. The Belgian pop singer Stromae has been popular outside the U.S. for years, and we’ve been missing out. At least now we get to catch up on his music, including this unapologetically pathetic track about heartbreak. The music video, in which Stromae wanders around Brussels looking drunk until he is stopped by the police, is also worth watching.

Find all these tracks online with our weekly Spotify playlist at observer.case.edu.

All photos courtesy of consequenceofsound.net, pitchfork.com, abitofpopmusic.com, okayplayer.com & amazon.com.

16

a&e

12/4/15

Concert calendar: A look at this month’s upcoming performances Tickets sold out for MGK’s show, as they always do. The rapper, who lived in Cleveland while growing up, has plenty of ties to the city, most notably through his ode titled “Cleveland.” The series of two shoes will be nuts. Sure, it’s pricey, but it might be worth it to see MGK performing in the city he knows best.

Anne Nickoloff Director of Print

There is plenty of good Cleveland music to keep you busy for the next couple of weeks, if you decide to tough out the Midwest winter.

Netflix and cocoa might sound good right about now, I get it. But if you want to come back to school in the spring and say that you actually did something, consider one of the following shows:

Date: Dec. 23, 9 p.m.

Band: Wesley Bright & The HiLites Venue: Beachland Ballroom Price: $13-15

Date: Dec. 9, 8 p.m Band: Sleater-Kinney / Waxahatchee Venue: Cleveland Masonic Auditorium Price: $30 The dream of seeing Sleater-Kinney live became possible last year during the fall, when the group pulled a “Blues Brothers” and got back together. Don’t mess this up: the three musicians that make up the band are busy, and this might be one of your only chances to catch the trio live. And be sure to revel in TV star and band guitarist Carrie Brownstein’s “Portlandia” glory.

Date: Dec. 10, 8 p.m.

Band: DeJ Loaf / Tory Lanez / Colonel Loud / TK-N-Cash Venue: House of Blues Cleveland Price: $20

Courtesy Wesley Bright & The Hi-Lites’ Facebook Wesley Bright & The Hi-Lites will perform its energetic take on soul music at the Beachland Ballroom.

Hip hop and rap will run all night at House of Blues’ Whiteout Event, sponsored by radio station 107.9. DeJ Loaf has worked with everyone from Big Sean to Future, and her voice is becoming recognizable on its own. Be there to hear it at this mini music fest.

Date: Dec. 17, 9 p.m.

Band: Wolf Alice / Radkey Venue: Grog Shop Price: $15

Wolf Alice is the perfect mix of beachy soft vocals and a grungy backing band.

They’re chill but vicious; basically what you’d expect from a band called “Wolf Alice.” Listen to “Bros” and “Moaning Lisa Smile” to see both sides of the band.

Date: Dec. 21, 8 p.m.

Band: Machine Gun Kelly Venue: House of Blues Cleveland Price: $62.87+ (resale only)

Celebrate what Beachland is calling “A Soulful Christmas” with Wesley Bright & The Hi-Lites on the eve of Christmas Eve. And break out the dancing shoes for a few slick moves on the Ballroom’s floor.

Date: Dec. 28, 9 p.m.

Band: Cloud Nothings / Aaron Dilloway / Vanilla Poppers Venue: Grog Shop Price: $15 Case Western Reserve University dropout band Cloud Nothings is making another return to Cleveland, and it’s going to be glorious. If you’re stuck feeling like a grinch before New Year’s Eve, this would be a good remedy.

The only humor is in the title

“Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” flops Lars Torres Staff Reporter

The zombie subgenre of horror has been a staple for many decades, with many genre classics that have remained relevant for years.

A tricky area to place the zombie subgenre is within the comedy genre, which usually requires filmmaking finesse and a good grasp on humor to put out a quality product.

Some rare feats of this working include the British romantic horror comedy “Shaun of the Dead,” Norwegian zombie splatter comedy “Dead Snow” and its sequel, and the American zombie comedy “Zombieland.” In some cases the combination of zombies and comedy works.

However, “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” does not due to routine storytelling, one-dimensional characters, crass and only sporadically funny jokes and tired direction.

The film follows a trio of high school sophomores, Ben (Tye Sheridan), Carter (Logan Miller), and Augie (Joey Morgan), who are members of a failing boy scout group led by their Dolly-Parton-obsessed leader, Scout Leader Rogers (David Koechner). The three scouts have been with the scouts for as long as they can remember, but it is only Augie who still shows any passion for the scouts. Ben and Carter argue throughout the film—annoyingly—about whether to ditch the group or not, much to Augie’s chagrin.

Carter, the most foul and crass of the group,

is motivated to leave when he learns of a convolutedly organized secret high school senior rave. He sees it as a chance to “hook up” with a girl and eventually convinces Ben to tag along.

But the day before, following a freak accident at a local research facility, the town is overrun by zombie humans and animals. The scouts and their skills are the only hope the town has for surviving the night, and with the help of a cocktail waitress named Denise (Sarah Dumont) they head out to save the party.

This may sound fine or slightly creative, but the movie is a tired, insipid execution of a clever title. The title is the cleverest thing about the film besides a bloody climax that does create a few jitters of excitement.

The performances are okay, with Sheridan and newcomer Dumont being the film’s standouts, although they don’t have much competition. Morgan plays a cliché rendition of an embarrassed, obsessed teen, and Koechner phoned in a performance as the scout leader, although his later performance in the film as an “afflicted” individual does improve his overall performance. Miller’s Carter is just too unlikeable, and constantly spews bad one-liners and poop-related humor. Most of the jokes don’t land well, except for some about zombie cats and messing with a zombie’s appendages, but the laughs are few and far between.

Overall, the film is not unwatchable, but is not worth seeing on the big screen. This likely won’t be a problem, since it has been pulled from many theaters due to poor box office re-

Courtesy IMDb “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse,” a zombie movie featuring boy scouts and cats, has some funny moments but is disappointing overall. sults. It is coming soon to video-on-demand services, but even then, it is better to watch something else. Aside from the occasional laugh and a somewhat lively weapon montage and climax, it would be best to wait until it is available for rental as a last option. It’s a shame, since more should be expected from a movie with a title this clever.

Film: “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” Directed by: Christopher B. Landon Release Date: Oct. 30, 2015 Rating:

fun

observer.case.edu

fun page | 7

Horoscopes Aquarius You will happen upon a check for a million dollars while walking to a final, and suddenly find yourself without the motivation to take the test. You will bribe the professor and it all works out fine.

Pisces Icicles will fall off the Tink and trap you from making it to your test in time.

Aries You will forget everything you’ve ever learned on the steps outside Ford Auditorium.

Taurus Your alarm won’t go off. The day of your first exam will be a day it actually snows and you’ll slip on the ice, landing right on your tail bone. Congratulations.

Difficulty: very hard

Difficulty: hard Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.63)

7

Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.79)

6

8

1

6

9 8

2 4

1

2

5 4

5

1

7 1

8 2

5

3

3

8

7

2

9 5

1

5

8

1

2

6

8 4

9

6

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Thu Dec 3 01:24:38 2015 GMT. Enjoy!

7

3

7 1

7

4

9 5

1

8

2

6

5

7

3

7

9

Gemini You’ll have made it into your classroom before you realize everyone is looking at you.

Whoopsie, not again! You forgot to wear any clothes! Well, at least it explains why it seemed so cold on your way to class.

5

8

9 6

3

7

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Thu Dec 3 01:29:43 2015 GMT. Enjoy!

Word search F

F

P

N

E

Z

B

L

U

A

K

G

S

S

G

D

W

R

I

T

I

P

Y

J

C

L

U

E

Y

H

M

J

P

E

O

O

N

J

V

W

B

P

M

H

F

T

O

J

T

G

C

B

S

O

V

O

P

E

X

L

E

E

S

S

X

N

C

U

T

C

Z

M

S

B

M

A

Y

A

N

Z

N

A

A

S

E

O

P

T

L

D

N

J

J

E

S

Y

W

O

B

N

I

Y

E

S

A

C

H

A

K

U

W

R

Y

S

O

J

N

R

E

D

X

R

Z

N

H

O

U

T

P

Z

T

H

F

D

G

J

I

U

A

H

T

E

K

Z

S

H

X

B

A

X

B

D

E

R

G

R

A

O

G

H

J

E

P

R

A

A

W

T

F

Y

H

G

H

K

Y

N

A

D

G

O

N

A

T

R

A

P

S

Q

F

D

V

W

M

V

Q

J

N

D

C

H

A

L

L

E

N

G

E

S

I

G

I

F

Z

H

R

A

C

M

Q

Q

U

X

D

E

J

Cancer All of your pens will run out of ink at the same time.

Leo A lion will maul you as you attempt to cross Euclid.

Virgo You will get kidnapped by a horde of fat squirrels.

Libra The greenie will not stop for you and you will have to run to your finals.

Scorpio Neverending headache.

Can you find all these words related to articles in this issue?

Challenge Einstein Frankenstein Grades Horoscopes Monster Spartan Semester Tobacco

Crosswords should be returning after winter break. Happy holidays!

Ophiuchus You’ll realize that life is a lie.

Then you’ll enjoy an Arby’s sandwich and sulk in your nihilist ways.

Capricorn When you’re taking your test, your transition lens glasses will malfunction and you will be blinded, thus leading to an F on your final.

Sagittarius The Starbucks guy will write your name wrong on your next order of coffee. You’ll accidentally follow his example and put the wrong name on the test. Oops.

18

sports

12/4/15

Editor’s Choice

Men’s basketball splits the weekend Spartans crush Allegheny but fall to Denison Jacob Rayyan Staff Reporter The men’s basketball team split last weekend against Allegheny College and Denison University. The team sits at 4-2 on the season and is 3-1 in its last four games.

The Spartans kicked off play against State University of New York at Fredonia in the Greg Richards Memorial TipOff Classic hosted by Allegheny College. The Spartans handily won by a score of 85-74. The Spartans then took on the hosts, Allegheny College, and the Spartans were en route to an overpowering 96-79 win to sweep the tournament.

The Spartans’ fourth-year guard Matt Clark exploded for a career-high 27 points to go along with a team high of three steals in the contest. Clark shot five for six from long range to help the Spartans shoot 57.1 percent overall, a season best. The Spartans led 25-8 at one point in the contest before Allegheny cut to lead to seven at the half with the Spartans leading 50-43.

After the Spartans increased their lead to 10 in the opening minutes of the second half, the lead would never again dip below nine as the team cruised to the victory. Fourth-year guard Jimmy Holman scored 19 points in the win and was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

In their second game of the week the Spartans lost a heartbreaker to Denison University 80-79. The game was back

and forth, with the Spartans occasionally building leads only to see the Big Red fight back to within a few points.

Clark led the scoring with 20 points but it was not enough to propel the Spartans to victory. After a back and forth first half the Spartans found themselves ahead 4136. The Spartans were able to extend their lead to 47-36 early in the second half.

The Big Red battled back, tying the game at 62 with 10 minutes left to play.

Neither team was able to build a lead as the score was tied 79-79 with two minutes left in the game. A late free throw put the Big Red up 79-80 in the final seconds and the Spartans weren’t able to hit the go ahead shot as time expired. Clark has been crucial for the Spartans thus far.

When asked about his expectations for the season, Head Coach Sean McDonnell said, “We have very high expectations for Matt. He is a senior, a captain and he has plenty of big-game experience. We need Matt to play great defense, score efficiently and get others involved.”

When asked about his team’s overall play this season so far, McDonnell said, “It was great to get two wins at Allegheny, but we needed to follow up those results with a win over Denison and we failed to do so.”

The Spartans will need to continue to make improvements in order to have a chance at winning the conference this year. The team will play Adrian College at home on Dec. 5 at 5 p.m.

20

sports

Courtesy Observer Archives The men’s basketball team swept the tournament before losing to Denison.

Men’s Basketball Conference

All

Wins Losses Percentage Wins Losses Percentage Emory

0

0

0.000

3

0

1.000

Brandeis

0

0

0.000

2

0

1.000

Carnegie Mellon

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

New York U.

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

Washington

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

Case Western Reserve

0

0

0.000

2

1

0.667

Chicago

0

0

0.000

1

1

0.500

Rochester

0

0

0.000

0

1

0.000

Cas

Women’s basketball struggles in back to back tournaments Billy Heyen Staff Reporter

4/24/15 Observer Archives The Spartans look to rebound after dropping four straight games these past two weeks.

Women’s Basketball Conference

ntage

All

Wins Losses Percentage Wins Losses Percentage

00

Brandeis

0

0

0.000

3

0

1.000

00

Carngie Mellon

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

00

Chicago

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

00

Emory

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

00

New York U.

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

67

Rochester

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

00

Washington

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

00

Case Western Reserve

0

0

0.000

0

2

0.000

in points off turnovers, accounting for almost the whole margin.

This past holiday weekend, the SparSince you last heard from them, the tans played Rose-Hulman Institute of Case Western Reserve University women’s Technology in the Jim Meagle Turkey basketball team has played four games. Shoot Tournament hosted by Marietta ColThe Spartans struggled in their two tourna- lege. The Spartans fell, 68-60, to move to ments, dropping three of the four match- 1-4 on the season. McCoy was once again ups. However, the team remained competi- a bright spot for the Spartans, putting up tive in all games with a points margin in 18 points, and fourth-year student Laura their favor as they outscored opponents Mummey was able to get a double-double 285-283 over the course of the four games. with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Although Despite this, they were only able to come the Spartans put together a 16-0 run early away with a single victory. in the first quarter, they could not carry the The first of the four games was the la- momentum needed to beat Rose-Hulman. dies’ third matchup of the season, playing in The final game was the consolation match the M Club Classic at University of Mount up in the Turkey Shoot Tournament, where Union. They lost the game 73-69, with the Spartans lost a nailbiter to Hiram College. the second quarter being the big killer as The final score was 77-75, the end of a game Waynesburg University outscored CWRU which saw a high scoring fourth quarter, 24-10. Third-year student Jessica McCoy 29-27 in favor of Hiram. A familiar trio led led the way for CWRU in this one, putting the Spartans as McCoy put up 19 points to up a career-high 20 points. First-year stu- go along with her career high seven assists, dent Hillary Hellmann put up a career high while Hellman and Hageman both scored as well, totalling 18 in the losing effort. and rebounded well. Hellman had 18, HageThe loss to Waynesburg in the first man had 16, and they both grabbed nine regame led to CWRU playing in the consola- bounds. Following the two games, McCoy tion game of the M Club Classic, a game made the All Tournament Team at the Turkey in which they found their first win. They Shoot. CWRU dropped to 1-5 with this loss, defeated Elmira College to move to 1-3 on butWrestling having played in a bunch of close games, the season, winning the game 81-65. Two success is right around the horizon.

6 CWRUof the season was players wereCWRU able to double up for the SparThe first home game tans in this one, with second-year student played Wednesday, Dec. 2, after The ObAdrian 38 server had gone toOlivet Kara Hageman putting in 17 points and print, against the Colgrabbing 10 boards, while Hellmann had lege of Wooster, and will be followed by Wt. Class Winner School Over School By Wt. Class Winner School Over another stellar outing, posting 12 points a few more home games in quick succesand 12 rebounds. McCoy and Alex Roth, a sion. Be sure to head down and support the 125 B. Harris AD M. Moy CWRU Maj. 12-3 125 M. Schmidt OC M. Moy fellow third-year student, were able to each team as they look to turn their early seapour133in 16J. points for theADSpartans as well. into some victories. next Dombrowksi C. Medlang CWRU son Decstruggles 11-8 133 C. Medlang CWRUThe E. Hoshaw CWRU was able to outscore Elmira 19-6 game is Saturday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m.

141

T. Roesly

AD

149

D. Shear

AD

Forfiet

C. Howlin CWRU

141

C. Blackwell

OC

149

M. Lopez

OC

C. Howlin

6 47

School OC

CWRU OC OC

19

sports

observer.case.edu

Newly created Cricket Club hopes to promote sport across campus

20

sports

Men’s Basketball Conference

All

Courtesy CWRU Wins Losses Percentage Wins Losses Percentage

Shounak Bose Staff Reporter Now an officially recognized student organization by the Undergraduate Student Government, the CWRU Cricket Club has begun to educate students about the popular worldwide sport by holding lessons and scrimmages for Cardio Games PHED classes. The club’s president, second year student Siddhraj Rathod , who helped to teach cricket to students, was happy with the results. “We have received a very positive response,” said Rathod.

Cricket is a ball and bat sport similar to baseball that involves bowlers (synonymous to a pitcher) bowling to a batter in the middle of a large circular field. Different from pitching, bowlers get a running start, and the ball generally bounces once as it approaches the batter.

The batter can hit the ball in any direction as long as it is not caught in the air by one of the 11 fielders, including the bowler. If the batter misses, the ball may hit one of three upright sticks called wickets, which will cause the batter to be out. After hitting the ball, the batter can chose to run down a 20-meter track to score a run. If a fielder handles a ground ball and throws it at a wicket before the batter reaches the other side, the batter is out. There are wickets on both sides of the track, so there will always be one batter on each side.

Both batters must safely reach the other wicket for the run to score, and either can get out on the play.

Games vary in length from T-20 cricket, which takes a few hours to play, to test cricket where games take about 5 days, played for about 9 hours a day.

Rathod, who came to CWRU from In-

Cricket Club

Emory 0 popular) 0 0.000 at Veale 3 Center 0 Brandeis or 1.000 Adelbert Gymnasium to dia (where cricket is hugely was practice during the winter.

While getting interested in creating a cricket club as Brandeis 0 0 0.000 2 0 1.000 Carngie Mellon early as his freshman year. This year, he into practices and forming a team, the club Carnegie Mellon 0 0 players 0.000 is also 1 focused 0 Chicago on1.000 bringing in new memwas able to find enough interested bers. to make an official club, complete with an New York U. 0 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 Emory “We are still in the process of decidOrgsync page, a Facebook page and an ofWashington 0 0 0.000 ing what 1 0 events 1.000 New York U. fun we can do to get more ficial website.

Rathod, along with club secretary, sec- people interested,” said Rathod, hinting Case Western Reserve 0 0 0.000 2 1 0.667 Rochester ond year student Lovish Mehndiratta, that there would be more to come.

0.000 1 1 to campus 0.500 right now Washington While new Rathod describedChicago the main goal 0of the0 CWRU Cricket Club as introducing cricket to has high hopes for the new club. “Our long 0 0 0.000 1 Case Western Reserve term 0goal would be0.000 to participate competiCWRU Rochester students and allowing them to play together. To help new players learn and tively and get registered with American practice the sport, the club plans on hitting College Cricket,” Rathod said.

American College Cricket, is a nationthe ground running next semester. “We plan to have regular practices and form a wide conference that includes teams from team soon,” said Rathod, “We also plan on Cleveland State University, Ohio State holding small tournaments throughout the University, and Carnegie Mellon Universemester.” sity. In the meantime the club is working Although cricket is normally played on on building as they continue to introduce grass outdoors, the club will meet indoors new students to the sport they love.

Young wrestling team struggles to find footing JP. O’Hagan Sports Editor The Case Western Reserve University wrestling team remains winless as they enter their third week of competition. The Spartans took part in the Comet Duals hosted by Olivet College back on Saturday the 21st of November, dropping all head to head matches.

Despite the disappointing start to the season the Spartans have been able to rely

on the leadership of third year student Nick Lees. Lees posted three pins, sweeping his matchups in the 174 pound weight class.

The Spartans opened the day against host Olivet College. The Spartans posted nine points in the match, falling by a score of 42-9. In this first match Lee’s pin was one of two CWRU victories and came at the 4:49 mark. In addition to Lees’ pin, third year student Connor Medland won an 8-2 decision at the 133 class.

The Spartans advanced to take on Trine

College and saw the Spartans walk away with three victories, however one came on a forfeit. Second year student Connor Gordon pinned his opponent after 6:38 of wrestling in the 157-pound bout. Lees picked up the pin in a mere 50 seconds.

Finally second year Nick Tommas picked up the forfeit in the 184 pound class. Trine beat the Spartans 32-18.

To close out the day the Spartans took on Adrian College and fell by a score of 409. Lees picked up his final victory of the

day with a pin at the 4:57 mark. In addition Gordon had his second win of the day in the 157-pound match, winning a 10-6 decision.

The Spartans will return to the mat this weekend for their first tournament of the season. The Spartans will be matched up against 11 other teams; Alfred State, John Carroll, Oswego State, Wesleyan, Oneonta State, Norwich, Scranton, Washington and Jefferson, WPI, Thiel and hosts Rochester Institute of Technology.

Wrestling

Observer Archives The Spartans struggled to open the season dropping all four matches.

CWRU

6

CWRU

6

Adrian

38

Olivet

47

Wt. Class

Winner

School

Over

125

B. Harris

AD

M. Moy

133

J. Dombrowksi

AD

141

T. Roesly

AD

149

D. Shear

AD

157

C. Gordon

CWRU

165

D. Mandell

AD

174

N. Lees J. Davis

AD

197

A. Arthur

AD

285

Z. Rieger

AD

By

CWRU Maj. 12-3

C. Medlang CWRU Dec 11-8 Forfiet C. Howlin CWRU C. Reed

AD Forfiet

CWRU Z. Reynolds

184

School

AD

Z. Reynolds CWRU R. Berg

CWRU Forfiet

Wt. Class

Winner

School

Over

School

By

125

M. Schmidt

OC

M. Moy

OC

TF 16-0

133

C. Medlang CWRU E. Hoshaw CWRU

Dec 8-2

141

C. Blackwell

OC

OC

Forfeit

149

M. Lopez

OC

C. Howlin

OC

FAll 2:35

157

R. Pennock

OC

C. Gordon

OC

Maj 17-4

165

K. Papak

OC

OC

Forfeit

174

N. Lees

CWRU

N. Affricano

OC

Fall 1:48

CWRU Fall 4:49

184

R. Harvey

OC

G. DershFisher

197

T. Hall

OC

R. Berg

OC

Dec 6-0

285

J. Judge

OC

C. Balsells

OC

Fall 1:40

sports Under construction Renovations underway in Veale Center and Adelbert Gymnasium

Spartans Swimming and Diving Team Continue Hot Start to the Season

Andrew Hodowanec/ Observer Both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving team remained undefeated this week beating Gannon and Grove City at the Veale Natatorium.

Christopher Gittings/Observer

JP. O’Hagan Sports Editor The Veale Center is getting a muchneeded facelift. The Case Western Reserve University Athletics Department will be undertaking an overhaul of the field house area of the Veale Center over winter break along with other maintenance work throughout their facilities.

Athletic facilities will see three major projects this winter break, and students can expect to return to new and improved spaces for next semester. The first will be in Adelbert Gymnasium where the ceiling is being painted and the floors resealed.

Secondly, it was revealed to The Observer that the general purpose locker rooms in the Veale Center will get new floors and benches.

A new vinyl floor will be placed in both of the general-purpose locker rooms, replacing the current tile in the men’s room and the carpet in the women’s room. “It’s a space used most by students,” said Director of Athletics Amy Backus, “So it will be really great to get it renovated for them.”

Finally the big project is in the field house, which will have a new floor when the facility opens up after winter break. The current floor is 17 years old and in need of an update, a plan that has been discussed in the CWRU Athletics Department for over a year.

The new floor will be a visual change and not simply a replacement of the old floor.

“The new floor will also be the school colors,” said Rebecca Copeland, the associate

athletic director for facilities. “We are replacing the royal blue and white and it will be all navy and grey.”

The floor will be an improvement from a usage standpoint as well. The new floor will be a 10mm BSS 2000 RE floor from Beynon Sports Surfaces, a state of the art multipurpose floor. The basic layout of the field house will remain the same with three smooth courts and one rough court, along with an indoor track the same length as the current track. In addition the courts will have lines for basketball, volleyball and badminton.

For students who utilize the courts on a regular basis the courts will be an improvement as the new courts will have a higher resilience, better for bouncing balls and running. Further, the track will be in accordance with the International Track and Field Association’s guidelines for indoor track deformation and will allow for the CWRU Track and Field team to host the University Athletic Association’s 2017 Indoor Track and Field Championship.

Of course all of these improvement will take time and as a result the facilities will be closed for all or parts of winter break. While students have expressed concerns about the closures, it has been a large part in the planning for the department. “It’s a big concern for us too,” said Backus. “It impacts everyone; faculty, staff, athletes and students, especially the students.”

While some may wonder why not wait until summer break to make the changes when most students are off campus, the win-

ter break was chosen to have a small impact.

During the summer the Veale Center hosts dozens of events such as sports camps and summer camps for Cleveland students. “It’s the largest window of time that we can get it done with smallest impact,” said Backus.

As such the plans were made to start renovations this week, as the field house closed on Dec. 1 While it started during the last week of classes, the six-week window allows time for the work to be done well. In addition the fact that it is an indoor surface means that there will be a very limited chance of weather delays, so the projected is expected to go off without a problem. “They should be done for the start of classes on Jan. 11,” said Copeland. “ That is the hope.”

The installation of the floor is a multistage process which will take about six weeks to complete. It is being installed on top of the current floor, so the first step is to sand down the old surface to allow the new one to adhere. The process has already started. “It’s a poured floor,” explained Copeland, “They will be spraying it down layer by layer and so it will take a few days for each layer to adhere and to cure.”

Finally there is hope that the new surface will hold up to the demands of students into the foreseeable future. The Veale Center is open 110 hours a week during the semester and therefore the field house is considered to be a high use space. As such the new floor is expected to last 15 to 20 years.

Students will see improvements when they return to campus next semester.

Time to workout Dec. 1, 2015 to Jan. 10, 2016- Field House Closed

Final exams hours (Veale and Wyant; Adelbert is closed) • Monday, Dec. 7, to Friday, Dec. 11: Open 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Saturday, Dec. 12, to Sunday, Dec. 13: Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Monday, Dec. 14, to Tuesday, Dec. 15: Open 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Wednesday, Dec. 16: Open 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Winter break hours (Veale, Wyant and Adelbert) • Thursday, Dec. 17, to Sunday, Jan. 3: Closed • Monday, Jan. 4, to Friday, Jan. 8: Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Saturday, Jan. 9, to Sunday, Jan. 10: Closed • Monday, Jan. 11: Resume normal hours of operations (6:30 a.m. to midnight)- Field House Reopens

Veijay Raj Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University’s women and men’s swimming and diving teams carried their early season momentum into a home tri-meet with Gannon University and Grove City College. Tacking on two more wins to their record, the teams only have one loss on the season heading into the last meet of the first semester.

The men’s team posted an impressive 162-118 win over Gannon and obliterated Grove City 220-74. Fourth-year student Connor Farrell added onto an already impressive season, posting two first place scores for the Spartans. Farrell recorded a season-best of 295.05 in the one-meter dive and followed it up with a 312.75 in the three-meter dive. Along with adding 18 points to the Spartans’ score, Farrell earned University Athletic Association Diver of the Week for the fifth time in his career.

Individually the team fared well, with six first place finishes. Second-year student Evan Rose won the 200-yard breaststroke with 2:18.20 and first-year student Brody Schmidt continued his impressive first season with a win in the 500-yard freestyle. Schmidt beat second-year student Logan Smith by a small margin of .16 seconds in the long race.

Along with excellent individual performances, the men fared well in relays. In the 200 yard freestyle relay, the men missed first place by just .02 seconds. Fourth-year anchor Aaron Tam posted a 21.37 to finish off the relay, almost pulling the team into first place. In the 200 yard medley relay, second-year student Oliver Hudgins, along with fourth-year students Elliott Kerbel, Alec David and Tam claimed first with a finishing time of 1:37.19, pulling away from Gannon University in the last leg of the relay.

On the women’s side of the meet, the Spartans handily defeated Grove City and Gannon 171-126 and 177-112. First-year student Suhan Mestha led the charge, taking first place in three different events during the meet. Individually, Mestha posted a 59.78 second time in the 100-yard backstroke and a 2:08.57 in the 200-yard backstroke. In addition Mestha, along with fellow first-year student Alli Drohosky, second-year student Inez Moore and fourth-year student Rebecca Pakradooni won the 200 yard medley with a time of 1:51.89. The next closest competitor was over a second off. The Spartans had three of the top four teams in the race.

The teams head to Wooster, Ohio this week to conclude the first semester part of their meet schedule. The meet will be the first invitational for CWRU as both teams enter as top-20 ranked squads in Division III swimming.