The Observer, Volume L, Issue 04, 9/14/18

the

Case Western Reserve University volume L, issue 4 friday, 9/14/2018

Observer

Tink restricts students distributing food

Policy change prevents organizations, individuals from serving food within University Center Yugan Sakthi Staff Reporter The Tinkham Veale University Center (TVUC) recently updated its food distribution policy, severely limiting student groups hoping to fundraise through means of tabling. The policy change, as TVUC management explained, was catalyzed by health concerns.

According to TVUC Executive Director Randy Barnes, “[TVUC] does not permit distribution of food of any kind in the facility by any group, organization, individual that is not part of a booked and scheduled event utilizing approved catering or an operation of the University’s food service provider such as a food court server or restaurant.”

The new changes go on to state, “All food preparation and distribution in [TVUC] must be provided by Bon Appetit catering, with the exception of the Student Organization Center, which must use a university-approved caterer.”

It specifically mentions “tabling and tabling events.”

Many student organizations around campus, including cultural organizations and Greek Life, rely on tabling, selling food and baked goods to raise money in TVUC because of the number of students who travel through the building every day. With the new rule, students complain that fundraising for

their organizations is much more difficult.

One of those complaints concerns the diminished variety of food that students will be exposed to. Cultural organizations often rely on food to connect in new ways with the student body, often tabling with cuisines that many students have never experienced.

Lauren Lew, a fourth-year student, said, “It’s hard for a large company like Bon Appetit to facilitate cultural foods well. Students don’t get properly represented with cultural foods; it’s almost counterintuitive.”

Also affected by the new policy are external organizations that are connected to Case Western Reserve University through student groups—philanthropic ones, for example, that student organizations donate to, or local businesses and restaurants that can have their food catered on campus.

Lew said, “That’s what makes community of [CWRU] so great is getting our name out there with small business.”

Greek Life, which relies on tabling for promotion, recruitment and philanthropy, will have to find new avenues of fundraising as well.

Third-year student Justin Marks said, “Many organizations like to give donuts, or coffee or candy when tabling and cannot. [The] general visibility of Greek Life is damaged overall.”

The primary cause for the policy

Zoe Wang/Observer Students promoting their organization in the Tinkham Veale University Center (TVUC) in February. The TVUC no longer allows students to distribute food if it is not associated with an approved catering service. change concerns student health.

According to Barnes, “The change was made as a response to a significant increase in CWRU students reporting food allergies over the last four years, incidents at other institutions and universities, and concern about the risks to our students from allergic reactions.”

A lack of publicity and information about the revisions may have contributed to the policy’s controversial status around campus, as students have little idea about why the policy was changed and so strictly enforced.

“We recognize and regret that we were unable to engage the campus community regarding this policy in advance, and appreciate that students are unhappy about the policy and our communication of it,” Barnes said. “We now are engaging with the Undergraduate Student Government and other student organizations to hear members’ input and recommendations regarding the policy.”

For now, students are encouraged to use the Thwing Center for food distribution and to bring up issues they have with TVUC management.

CWRU falls in recent undergraduate rankings Sophia Yakumithis News Editor

taged families can use academic resources to achieve at least a middle class standing, a highly contentious issue at universities across the nation.

“I’m glad to see the drop in ratings, as it reflects that CWRU has consistently skirted their responsibility to educate disadvantaged students,” said fourth-year student Andrew Thompson. “As a student whose family comes from the lowest income bracket, I feel that [the University] has made it clear that they do not care about poor students.”

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Speaker of the General Assembly and fourth-year student Prince Ghosh noted that there “definitely still is a socioeconomic divide” in the CWRU community.

He said, “I think the University has been willing to make more changes to bring

more diversity to campus, but there’s still so much more we can do to make [CWRU] more welcoming.”

U.S. News also decreased the weight of the expert opinion category by two and a half percent, from 22.5 to 20, which is a formula component based on surveys of administrators in higher education and high school counselors.

While the University said in a statement to The Observer that it “will not take specific steps in response to [U.S. News’] addition of two categories to the criteria included in its rankings methodology,” it emphasized two initiatives that launched between the 2016-17 admissions cycle and this past spring that will likely improve the University’s performance on the magazine’s new methodology over time.

In U.S. News & World Report’s recently published 2019 Best Colleges lists, Case Western Reserve University came in at No. 42 for National Universities, a considerable dip from last year’s position of No. 37. This is the first time in eight years that the University has ranked below No. 40 on the list.

The reason for the drop is best explained by the publication’s new methodology which altered the weight of several categories related to undergraduate admissions. In an effort to emphasize two social mobility factors, some of the existing categories were weighted differently, while others were eliminated completely.

One of U.S. News’ social mobility fac-

tors analyzes the graduation rates of Pell Grant recipients, and the second compares the graduation rates of Pell recipients to the rates of all students. These two factors combined constitute five percent of the ranking’s formula.

The two social mobility factors, according to Inside Higher Ed, were determined using a formula based on the magazine’s outcomes measure, which includes student graduation rates and the performance of various student demographics based on their projected graduation rates. This year, the weight of the outcomes measure increased from 30 to 35 percent. At CWRU, 78 percent of Pell Grant recipients graduate in six years, which is five points less than the same rate in the context of all students.

Social mobility in the context of higher education is the concept that disadvan-

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Opinion

Sports

pg. 4 New Provost greets students

pg. 6 Improv slumber party

pg. 9 A failure to communicate

pg. 15 Volleyball sweeps at home

to RANKING I 5

news SexPo provides safe space to talk about uncomfortable topics Henry Bendon Staff Reporter Last Friday, the Tinkham Veale University Center ballroom showcased a side it does not usually make public. For four hours, the ballroom played host to SexPo, the annual conference dedicated to breaking down barriers to discussion about health, sexuality and other related topics.

SexPo is typically popular in terms of both attendees and event staff, and this year proved no exception. Not only was the event highly attended, SexPo committee member and fourth-year student Alex Marshall said nearly one-fifth of the University attended, it was also effective in its mission.

Third-year student Sydney Washing, who worked a booth at SexPo with the organization PERIOD @ CWRU, described her table’s positive experience at the event.

“SexPo overall went extremely well,” she said. “So many people, menstruators and non-menstruators included, came to our table to play PERIOD Jeopardy and learn about periods. It was great to see so many people openly talking about a subject that’s often perceived as dirty and seeing them actually learn the facts about periods rather than the myths and stigmas.”

While the event is held on an annual basis, it can still be intimidating to walk in. After all, Case Western Reserve University’s every-day does not typically include a large stack of dildos and BDSM whips casually placed on tables in the middle of very public space.

SexPo attendee and third-year engineering physics major Matt Mitrovich admitted that he did not feel incredibly comfortable upon walking into the ballroom.

“Walking in, I felt a little uncomfortable because I had never been there before so I didn’t really know what to expect, and I think without friends it would’ve been a little too intimidating,” said Mirovich. “I stayed and walked around, however, everybody just seemed comfortable, especially [the people] running tables, and that just made me relax and I was able to learn some stuff.”

Event organizer and third-year student Sabrina Santander was also happy with the way the event turned out.

Santander said that she was in charge of food which gave her the opportunity to gauge the room. She reported that attendance was high, not just with undergraduate students, but with graduate students as well, describing the diversity in attendance as exciting.

Former Apollo 11 scientist awarded ethics prize Katharine Toledo Staff Reporter On Sept. 13 and 14, Case Western Reserve University hosted the winner of this year’s Inamori Ethics Prize, Farouk El-Baz, Ph.D. ElBaz spoke in a lecture entitled “Groundwater for Thirsty Lands,” which was followed by an academic symposium the next day.

Since 2008, the Inamori Ethics Prize has been awarded to one individual per year who displays ethical leadership in their field.

Each year, the winner of the prize is invited to CWRU for a public lecture, academic symposium and acceptance of the monetary award attached to the prize. The event is designed to support the recipient’s continued work.

El-Baz is known for his work as secretary of the lunar landing site-selection committee at NASA, and his application of space images to the exploration of groundwater in arid lands in an effort to find fresh water in countries like Egypt, India and Sudan.

In 1973, El-Baz established and directed the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. He served for 10 years before becoming vice president for science and technology at Itek Optical Systems, then joined Boston University in 1986 to create the NASA-recognized Center for Remote Sensing.

Director of the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at CWRU Dr. Shannon French described El-Baz as “having a great appreciation for teamwork and the power of diversity. An Egyptian-American immigrant, [El-Baz] believes that we can ac-

complish great things when we invite more voices and perspectives to the table and recognize the talent of people unlike ourselves.”

French also spoke to the character of this year’s recipient, adding, “To be the kind of ethical leader that Dr. Inamori hoped to see honored by the Inamori Ethics Prize, you not only have to work towards improving the condition of mankind, you need to inspire others to do so as well.”

According to El-Baz, his parents are his primary point of guidance for ethical behavior.

“My father set an example of ethical human behavior towards all those whom he encountered,” he said. “My mother showed great kindness and respect—and provided help—to all human beings whom she came across without distinction of social or financial status or any other factors.”

Of all the projects that El-Baz has worked on, he said that his favorite was volunteering to help the people of Darfur by using satellite image data to study deserts. El-Baz served as faculty advisor to a student group at Boston University that managed to collect $10,000 for a water well in Darfur, all from one dollar donations.

Although El-Baz retired from the Boston University’s Center for Remote Sensing this past spring, his career is far from over. He plans to continue serving on various advisory boards, including the advisory board of the National Academy of Engineering and the Geological Society of America.

Furthermore, El-Baz said he hopes to write one or more books on “the Apollo lunar exploration, practices of people of the desert, applying remote sensing technologies to archaeology to name a few topics.”

Henry Bendon/Observer Students enjoyed SexPo, an annual event in the Tinkham Veale University Center ballroom dedicated to encouraging students to talk about health and sexuality.

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High hopes for Homecoming Abbey Wells Contributing Reporter With Homecoming Weekend just around the corner, event planners hope their preparations will make this year’s event the best one yet. Taking place from Oct. 11 through 14, the festivities will provide an opportunity for everyone involved with Case Western Reserve University, past and present, to come together and celebrate the institution they love.

Executive President of the Class Officer Collective (COC) Madhan Saiprasad hopes that Homecoming activities will elicit more enthusiasm this year than in years past.

“We no longer want it to be free food and giveaways. We want it to be about class spirit and class pride,” said Saiprasad.

To achieve the COC’s goal, the organization is collaborating with the University Program Board (UPB) to throw a kickoff event that is intended to get students excited for Homecoming. During the official kickoff, the first- and second-year students will play against each other in a game of pushball, while the third- and fourthyear students will face off in a game of flag football. Saiprasad believes that a successful kickoff is key in getting students pumped for the week ahead.

Janice Gerda, associate vice president for student engagement and learning, said that it can be difficult to plan an enjoyable Homecoming that is also unique each year.

“For event planners, this is a challenge because it’s often not enough to just do the standard, cookie-cutter version you’d find anywhere,” said Gerda.

The activities of the week will nonetheless allow both current and past community members to commemorate their experiences at the school. Brad Crews, senior executive director of alumni relations, noted that everyone plays an important role in Homecoming activities, not just students.

He said, “Homecoming is a wonderful time where alumni, students, parents and staff celebrate what the University means to them.”

Homecoming attendees may find it challenging to choose which of the numerous events to attend as organizations and departments throughout campus are hosting their own activities.

“There is such an assortment of events happening that our guests truly have to make decisions about how they want to spend their time,” said Crews.

Crews revealed that his favorite part of Homecoming is interacting with the alumni, adding, “They are amazed with how the campus has changed. They are keenly interested in the strides the University’s students, faculty and fellow alums have made.”

Saiprasad, however, expressed worries that a focus on alumni means that current students may feel left out of the celebrations.

“A lot of time students feel like they aren’t a part of Homecoming and that it’s mostly for the alumni, but that’s something we can really change as we go forward,” said Saiprasad.

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Student Information System upgrade in full swing Brian Schnell Staff Reporter This past summer, the Student Information System (SIS) was upgraded to provide students and faculty with a more modern, customizable user experience. Students and staff were consistently consulted throughout the process, and the improved system now includes new features such as homepage navigation, as well as personalized pronoun and gender identity options.

“Student and faculty feedback definitely played a huge role in the upgrade,” said thirdyear student and Undergraduate Student Government Vice President of Academic Affairs Radhika Duggal. “It began with a group meeting, the SIS User Experience Session, between several undergraduate students, graduate students and other administrators. Overall, the process was heavily reliant upon the team gathering feedback from students and faculty and returning with improvements that took our suggestions into account.”

The SIS Upgrade Leadership Team, which is comprised of University Registrar and Director of Student Information Systems and Services Amy Hammett, Manager of Application Development for Student Information Systems Matt Panchur, SIS service manager for University Technology Tony Kramar and Associate Director for Student Information Systems Stacy Mitchell, oversaw and guided the progress of this project.

“We examined feedback from various sources throughout the years, including student satisfaction surveys, that SIS was in need of an update and we wanted to be responsive to the community,” the Leadership Team collectively stated. “This feedback was the driv-

ing force behind what students and faculty see in SIS today.”

Case Western Reserve University strives to foster an inclusive and supportive environment on campus. In efforts to support all students, the Leadership Team explained that the new SIS upgrade enables students to include their personal pronouns and gender identity on their profile.

When asked about this new feature, the group said, “At first, when release plans had been shared in small groups of faculty, there were a few questions about pronunciation and definitions of personal pronouns, so we made sure to add easy access to reference materials from menus that appear alongside rosters.”

The Leadership Team expressed that the feedback towards this particular feature has been positive, adding, “There have been students who have expressed gratitude for including these options in the student system.”

As a research university with a wide range of needs and programs for undergraduate and graduate students, CWRU has employed the Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions Student Information System to address such matters.

“This product is also used by many other universities across the country because it is a robust system that can meet the complex needs of major research universities,” said the Leadership Team.

While the new SIS upgrade offers many new features, students and faculty can look forward to more updates in the future, including changes in faculty-facing pages.

The Team said, “This Campus Solutions upgrade is in relatively early stages of development and further incremental changes will be released incrementally by the vendor and applied on an annual basis by CWRU.”

Biomedical engineering dignitary speaks in lecture series Jack Heneghan Contributing Reporter In celebration of the Biomedical Engineering Department’s 50th anniversary, the Ford Distinguished Lecture Series featured a talk by Medtronic Chairman and CEO Omar Ishrak on Thursday, Sept.

6. The lecture took place at the Tinkham Veale University Center and included remarks from biomedical engineering Professor Emeritus John Thomas Mortimer.

Mortimer spoke about the history of Case Western Reserve University’s biomedical engineering program and the school’s relationship with Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology company.

He explained, “The environment at [CWRU] was ‘characterized by a type of collaboration between engineers and physicians where the traditional boundaries have been broken down to an unusual extent.’”

The relationship between CWRU and Medtronic began in 1966 when Mortimer acquired a radio frequency antenna from Norm Hagfors, the fourth employee ever at a young Medtronic. Mortimer went on to describe a collaborative research effort between the two institutions in 2002 that lead to new knowledge on the mechanism of tissue injury.

This continued relationship was illustrated by the next speaker, Medtronic’s Chairman and CEO. Ishrak’s talk was on the future of the biomedical engineering industry, the future of the healthcare payment model and Medtronic’s operations.

Evan Vesper, a second-year biomedical engineering major, said, “I thought it would be cool to hear about the biomedical engineering field from someone who’s in the industry, [and] obviously [hearing] the CEO of Medtronic [speak] is a pretty cool opportunity.”

During the lecture, Ishrak broke down the nature of healthcare into chronic care management and episodic care and also discussed the different healthcare payment models.

A “fee for service” model, he explained, is the United States’ current model of healthcare payment, where one pays a doctor under the condition they will alleviate their health issues and if the patient does not see positive results, they continue paying until they do. A “fee for value” model, though, is where a healthcare provider is paid for a specific outcome.

Ishrak argued that the latter system is difficult to implement for three reasons.

He said there is difficulty in defining an outcome, determining the cost of achieving that outcome and also in holding all parties accountable so that if the outcome isn’t achieved, people who accomplished their part can still be compensated.

Much like Apple and Microsoft, Ishrak said that Medtronic started out of a garage; their original product was the first ever battery-powered pacemaker.

Medtronic is currently the largest medical device company in the world, and is worth about $30 billion. They have been working towards their mission statement: “to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life” for almost 70 years.

Medtronic’s status in the industry was

a big draw for most members of the audience. The event was well attended, with some attendees standing due to a lack of chairs, although many of the over 350 attendees were not current CWRU students.

Robert Kirsch, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering said, “The event was fantastic; we showed Medtronic a good side of the University, and I think we got to interact a lot with people from Medtronic very effectively as well.”

He reflected on how the biomedical engineering department has evolved over 50 years, noting, “We started off with a pretty tight focus on just stimulation devices with a handful of faculty, and now we have 30 faculty [who] are at [CWRU] and about another 20 that are at the Cleveland Clinic.”

Moving from the past to the future, Ishrak also spoke about the future of biomedical engineering at large.

He said, “It’s got a long runway, its got unlimited problems to solve and it can make a real difference in patients’ lives, and it can contribute to creating economic benefit as well by having more healthy people.”

Michael Coyle, Medtronic executive vice president and president for the company’s Cardiac and Vascular Group, said that CWRU students can take specific steps that will help them prepare for a job in the biomedical engineering field.

“What we’re looking for is deep expertise in certain areas of [biomedical engineering],” said Coyle. “We really value that kind of subject matter expertise, and then, increasingly, [we value] being able to operate on teams that actually move to

get products developed, tested and out is important.”

Coyle went on to stress the importance of academic and extracurricular resources to learn how biomedical engineering interacts with other industries. He said, “At the end of the day, [interdisciplinary interactions are] what happen everyday when you come into a company like Medtronic.”

According Coyle, the areas of the industry seeing the most growth are in the cardiovascular sector.

He explained, “Every aspect of the technology—from the pumps to the sensors to closing the loop—is basically driving growth all over the world, not to mention the epidemic of diabetes.”

The sensors and closed loop which Coyle is referring to is Medtronic’s new closed loop system, where an insulin pump and blood sugar sensor communicate with one another instead of a patient needing to constantly monitor and correct their blood sugar levels. This system received notable publicity when it first came out because it was the first of its kind, nicknamed an “artificial pancreas.” It was almost immediately approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Ishrak, despite a packed schedule, specifically wanted to speak at CWRU to showcase his company’s technology with hopes of inspiring future engineers to pursue a career with Medtronic. More importantly, though, he wanted to showcase the ways which Medtronic is leveraging expertise from all fields to create new therapies to benefit of patients around the world.

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New Provost wins hearts with ice cream Cindy Tong Contributing Reporter Provost Ben Vinson III made his debut to the Case Western Reserve University student body last Friday when he stood on the Binary Walkway with a table lined with cups of Mitchell’s ice cream. Vinson greeted each student with enthusiasm, a formidable task considering the size of the crowd that had been attracted by the promise of creamy deliciousness.

However, Vinson’s new role goes beyond handing out ice cream to hordes of hungry college students; as the new provost and executive vice president of the university, Vinson is in charge of many important tasks that involve continuing former Provost William “Bud” Baeslack’s work and implementing new initiatives.

As Provost, Vinson carries out a large range of responsibilities.

“I am responsible for each of the schools, research, admissions, student affairs, international affairs, UTech and several other related operations,” Vinson explained. “In this context, my role is not to accomplish personally, but rather to support, serve and collaborate. My goal is to do everything I can to help those who teach, research, coach, mentor, advise, explain and write—faculty, students, staff and alumni alike.”

Since Vinson arrived in July, his focus has been on meeting with CWRU students, staff, faculty and leaders across Northeast Ohio. Specifically, Vinson is continuing the Provost’s Commission on Undergraduate Education.

Vinson said, “I have been deeply impressed by the Commission’s work, in particular the care and creativity they brought to their task. Our challenge now is to determine together how best to bring its ideas to life.”

Vinson is also looking forward to launching a University-wide strategic

plan and “building stronger connections between our schools, as well as connections between our University and our greater community.”

Vinson’s plans for the University stem from an admiration for the students and faculty, which he explained was the reason he was attracted to CWRU. “I am excited to join such an exceptional community and eager to begin to contribute to its growing momentum.

The more students I meet, the more inspired I become. They are smart, engaged and caring individuals,” he said. “They want to make a positive difference in the world—many already have—and also want to be around others with similar aspirations. I am honored to have this opportunity and consider it a true privilege to be a part of this community.”

CWRU is as equally excited to work with Vinson.

President Barbara Snyder said, “Provost Vinson has brought tremen-

dous energy, wisdom and warmth to his work so far. Again and again I hear from people he has met what a great listener he is, and also what terrific questions he asks. He is clearly committed to learning about our campus and its people and also to contributing to our progress.”

Students have noticed Vinson’s approachability as well. First-year students Michelle Chu and Mia Formato both picked up a cup of ice cream on Friday.

Chu said, “I was very impressed with the selection of ice cream they had.”

Formato provided better insight to the Provost: “While I didn’t speak with the new Provost, he seemed really engaged in conversations with other students and he looked really friendly.”

The students, staff and faculty all look forward to what Vinson brings to CWRU and are excited for his new perspective and passion. Hopefully, he will decide to keep the tradition of providing free ice cream to students around.

New students adjust to college life Justin Hu Contributing Reporter The Class of 2022 has been busy learning the ins and outs of college life over the course of the past month.

With three weeks of classes down and a workload that continues to grow, firstyear students are still adjusting to the transition from high school to college and are exploring their newfound freedom. Such changes can be liberating for students who are used to highlystructured high school schedules, but they also present time management challenges.

Bradley Wu, a first-year computer

science and biomedical engineering double major, appreciated the brief respite students experience at the beginning of the year before classes reach their full difficulty.

“So far, my time management hasn’t been very good,” he said. “Although I know I have to make it better, right now, my classes don’t require too much time commitment, so I am able to procrastinate.”

Wu made it clear that he wanted to reform his habits and is eager to change, stating that he plans to “probably back off on movies [and] try to go to bed before 2 a.m. every day and wake up early enough to eat breakfast in the morning.”

While these may sound like small

changes, the New York Times states that developing a morning routine is actually quite important and can be beneficial for increased productivity throughout the day.

A new academic environment is not the only change first-year students must adjust to. With only 18 percent of the incoming class hailing from Ohio, the weather is sure to shock those living in Cleveland for the first time. As summer comes to a close, Cleveland has already been hit by intermittent showers and thunderstorms.

“I’m realizing I’m not prepared for winter,” said California-native and first-year student Lauren Sharkey. “I’ve learned that it’s not always sunny and

that I shouldn’t feel too cold right now because it only gets worse. I need to go out and buy winter clothing.”

Sharkey also acknowledged the frequently overcast weather is something that people from warmer climates may have some difficulties getting used to and could lead to lowered spirits.

Despite varying levels of productivity and acclimation, it is clear that the first-year class is cognizant of the challenges that lie ahead. While guacamole chicken burritos at The Den by Denny’s can help them cope, new students are better served by their resourcefulness and determination—the ingredients for a successful year at Case Western Reserve University.

Research group applauds University’s disability services, women’s resources Jahci Perry-Richardson Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University does not just boast a physical on-campus presence, but an online presence as well. With 14 master’s programs and two certificates available for completion in a variety of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects, CWRU provides a learning environment worthy of recognition from the SR Education Group for its user-friendliness for students with disabilities and its support for, and representation of, women in STEM. The SR Education Group’s scores were computed with an algorithm which took into consideration many factors, including the depth of resources available and the variety of services provided for students’ various needs.

“In today’s education landscape, obtaining further education for career advancement is a huge commitment for most people, due to time, lifestyle and budget constraints,” SR Education Group Marketing Manager Nicole Hopler said. “There is a tremendous amount of information and misinformation regarding colleges, universities, vocational and online schools, making it difficult for students to find the right program and differentiate between what is accurate and credible.”

Hopler said the group’s mission is to hold online authority in helping students make the best decision possible based on their career

goals, personal needs and financial status.

She explained that data used to determine the Disability-Friendly score is collected from schools’ official websites, the College Board school database and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Institutions involved in the rankings receive higher scores from the SR Education Group based on the services available for people who have hearing, speech and other disabilities that impair learning. Higher scores were distributed under the condition that the online education system provides contact information for faculty, fully details the services available to students, addresses frequently asked questions comments and concerns and has a multitude of resources available for student use.

If faculty members receive training to accommodate the given institutions’ policies towards students with disabilities, then they received higher scores as well. The SR Education Group calls this factor the Universal Design of Learning Training and considers it “the gold standard for ensuring accessible learning experiences.”

“While faculty training does not ensure that these principles are implemented,” the Guide to Online School’s websites states, “it is an indicator that the school is aware of issues regarding accessibility and is working to improve learning environments.”

This year, the SR Education Group also

ranked 76 schools as the best online schools for women pursuing STEM careers because of the various universities’ support networks for women in STEM. CWRU received a score of 86.86 out of 100 and, according to the Guide to Online Schools website published by the SR Education Group, ranked sixth in the category of “Best Online Schools Supporting Women in STEM.” Women are drastically underrepresented in STEM fields despite composing almost half of the workforce in the United States.

An algorithm was used to pinpoint and weigh online schooling across a variety of areas related to women in STEM, including the actual percentage of STEM graduates who identify as women, the support services for women in STEM and the actual quantity and variety of online degrees offered in STEM. The SR Education Group used the American Society for Engineering Education to determine the percentage of women who graduate with degrees in STEM, and those who had higher proportions received a higher score in this category. Other resources used to determine the STEM-friendly scores of the colleges and universities involved with the Guide to Online Schools website included data gathered from the NCES. The SR Education Group was founded in 2004 and, according to their press release this past June, the group is “a leading education research publisher.”

CWRU is featured in the rankings of online universities in two of the five total categories evaluated by the SR Education Group for the Guide to Online Schools’ website and the Online U website. The other three rankings which CWRU was not incluced in are support for LGBTQ students, support for students of Christian faith and support for students pursuing improvement of their economic statuses.

Based on June’s public relations report, the SR Education Group compiles education data and then publishes rankings with the intention of giving degree-seeking students access to information about what “best suits their budget and career aspirations.”

The press release also stated, “[The] SR Education Group is passionate about making quality education attainable for everyone and believes that objective information about education, careers and educational financing should be free and easily accessible.”

Therefore, the SR Education Group offers many scholarships to individuals seeking, or currently pursuing, higher education and grants more than $250,000 in need-based scholarships every year.

According to their website, “[The] SR Education Group [is] motivated by a singular vision: a world where everyone gets the education he or she needs to be successful.”

More information on the scholarships available and applications can be found on the SR Education Group’s website.

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Students go global at Study Abroad Fair Cleveland Catch Up Nathan Lesch Contributing Reporter

Almost forty percent of companies, according to a 2014 joint study by the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and the University of Memphis, “believe they have failed to fully exploit international business opportunities in the past five years due to lack of internationally competent personnel,” and that number has possibly risen since then.

At last Friday’s Study Abroad Fair, the Office of Education Abroad proved its intention to give every Case Western Reserve University student the opportunity to experience different cultures, become more internationally marketable to potential employers and, most importantly, grow as a global citizen.

The Study Abroad Fair is an annual event held the Friday after Labor Day from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Case Quad and is the largest event hosted by the Office of Education Abroad, an office within the Center for International Affairs. Attracting students from across campus, the Office of Education Abroad punctuates their table-style expose on the over 175 study abroad options with snacks, ice cream and activities.

The fair is a good time for all participants and provides a strong starting point for students interested in international adventures.

Kayele Silue, a third-year student, was one of many students who had a strong desire to study internationally before even stepping foot on CWRU’s campus.

She was able to accomplish this goal— with the help of the Office of Education Abroad—this past spring when she spent the semester in Madrid, Spain.

As an international student, Silue expected her experience to be something like her previous experiences but said she found it “much easier than expected.”

Her greatest concern was the language barrier, which turned out to be

RANKING from pg. 1 “During the 2016-2017 admissions cycle, [the University] implemented ‘Meet Full Need,’ a new admissions policy specifically designed to (a) reduce students’ debt burden and (b) increase the number of economically disadvantaged students financially able to enroll,” it said in the statement.

The second initiative, which the University said will enhance students’ individual experiences and contribute to higher graduation rates, was the Student Success initiative, “which aims to provide students support and information in a more timely and coordinated manner.”

Thompson, however, was skeptical about the University’s attitude post-

overblown. Instead, she characterized the experience as, “full of adventures and discovery,” claiming she learned a lot about independence.

Madison Tse, another third-year student who studied abroad at King’s College London at the same time Silue was studying in Madrid, echoed similar points about her fears being unfounded and her own self-discovery.

“I [was] afraid of connecting with people,” said Tse, “but it wasn’t a problem, and [it] was actually easy to connect with people.”

Like Silue, Tse spent lots of time exploring, which, to her, was “kind of the point” of studying abroad. Also like Silue, Tse said she developed confidence from her study abroad experience. Additionally, due to the nature of education in England, she explained that she learned to prep more for her classes and was able to enjoy learning just for the sake of learning.

Tse’s experience is part of the norm, as study abroad students often see their GPA rise after returning to school in the U.S. and are 19 percent more likely to graduate on time.

As a premed student, Tse also proves that even students in programs with hefty breadth requirements can study abroad and still graduate on time. For this reason, the Office of Education Abroad recommends that students begin expressing interest and engaging in dialogue at least one academic year in advance if they are interested in a program abroad.

However, students should not despair if they decide they want to study abroad a little later. The Office of Education Abroad works with all students, regardless of their academic progress, to incorporate study abroad into their CWRU experience in some way, whether it be through a full semester or year abroad, a week or two international jaunt during a school break or a summer trip.

Both Tse and Shaan Patel, a secondyear student who studied at the London School of Economics this past summer,

were surprised they felt such a culture shock while visiting a nation that shares a common language and heritage with the United States. Patel visited England during the FIFA World Cup, which he said really defined his experience of English culture.

Patel said it took him some time to adapt to the fine points of English culture, like cars driving on the “opposite” side of the road, but said he adjusted to the point where he looked so much like a native Londoner that people would ask him for directions. Like Tse and Silue, Patel’s fears turned out to be nonissues, and he enjoyed his experience studying abroad.

Patel also explained that he grew as a person by “gaining global perspectives” and “becoming more culturally aware.”

He said he would recommend studying abroad to other students.

Along with personal enrichment, studying abroad can provide clear career advancement opportunities. Students who have studied abroad are almost twice as likely as those who have not studied abroad to find a job within a year of graduation.

Additionally, for students hoping to continue their education in graduate school, 90 percent of those who participated in education abroad as an undergraduate reported getting into one of their top two choices for graduate schools.

This year’s Study Abroad Fair echoed the warm sentiments study abroad students felt about their experiences. Cheerful, upbeat music was playing throughout the Quad, and friendly study abroad students and faculty were telling students, traveling alone or in packs, about the intricacies of their programs.

Faculty from the Office of Education Abroad were bustling around hoping to find each student their perfect study abroad fit, a fit which is perhaps best characterized by Tse’s feelings about her experience.

Tse says she “glows” when she talks about her study abroad experience.

release of the 2019 Best Colleges list.

“It’s unfortunate to think that CWRU will likely only care about educating students from less privileged backgrounds now that their rankings are affected,” he said. “Some easy first steps would be changing our admissions policy that makes decisions in part based on ability to pay and no longer stripping students of grant aid for moving off campus.”

CWRU denied that the rankings drive academic or related decisions, but acknowledged the list’s impact, stating, “Rankings are shown to affect the perceptions that prospective students and their families—and in some cases, prospective faculty and staff—have about a college or university.”

It added, “In this context, rankings matter to Case Western Reserve, because they can affect whether we have an opportunity to show such individuals more about the University and all it has to offer before they make a decision.”

Ghosh assured that USG has and will continue to work with the University’s administrators to ensure admissions transparency.

“I don’t know if we should make decisions immediately as a knee jerk response,” Ghosh said on the topic of changing University policies in lieu of the U.S. News ranking drop. “These macro level policy changes often take a few years to come into full effect. Again, what USG should continue to do is closely monitor statistics alongside admissions.”

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Lakewood to host women’s rally next month The Ohio Democratic Party announced plans for its “Grab them by the Midterms” rally next month in Lakewood, Cleveland. com reported.

The rally’s goal is to promote political enthusiasm amongst women for female Democratic candidates in the upcoming midterm elections to continue breaking records in congressional candidate numbers.

This year, more women have won primaries than ever before.

The rally will feature an appearance by Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Betty Sutton.

University Hospitals receives state funding for anti-opioid tech On Wednesday, a state commission announced that Cleveland’s University Hospitals was awarded a state grant to develop technology to fight Ohio’s opioid epidemic.

Cleveland.com said the $200,000 award will go toward an opioid surveillance and tracking tool that will operate in real-time.

The computer-operated dispatch system will identify patients suspected of opioid addiction and abuse and will help educate patients on opioid use and disposal before they are discharged.

Man charged after car crash injures woman, three children According to Cleveland.com, a Euclid man has been charged with aggravated vehicular assault following an Aug. 28 crash near Forest Hills Park in Cleveland. The crash severely injured a 43-year-old woman, a 15-year-old boy, a 12-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl.

Curtis W. Harris, 26, was accused of throwing marijuana from a car window, fleeing from a State Highway Patrol cruiser and then crashing into the victims’ car. He was speeding as he proceeded to run a red light, then struck the other car at a busy intersection, according to a Highway Patrol incident report.

According to the report, Cleveland Emergency Medical Services took the four victims to local hospitals, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Ohio doctors approved to recommend medical marijuana 71 physicians have been added to Ohio’s list of doctors who can recommend medical marijuana, according to Cleveland.com.

After the registry becomes operational, this raises the total number of certified Ohio doctors to 293 since April. Medical marijuana in Ohio was supposed to be operational earlier this month, but licensing-related delays and business implications pushed the date back several months.

While it could take months for dispensaries to open in the state, some marijuana farmers expect their first harvests as early as October.

CHA Spirits and Pizza Kitchen closes doors this Saturday CHA Spirits and Pizza Kitchen will close its doors this weekend, just months after its new Ohio City location’s re-opening. Cleveland.com reported that Sept. 15 will be the restaurant’s final day of operation.

The restaurant’s original Battery Park location closed in Aug. 2017 after opening in 2014. Owner Susan Walters told Cleveland. com the decision was the result of a lease terms issue.

arts & entertainment Editor’s Choice

IMPROVment Slumber Party is anything but sleepy Kyle Smith Staff Reporter On Saturday, Sept. 8, over 70 people packed into the Eldred Black Box for a slumber party. Unlike a high school get together, this party featured a live performance by IMPROVment, Case Western Reserve University’s short-form improv comedy troupe, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The audience consisted of students and members of the wider community, dressed in a jumble of sweatpants, work clothes and animal-themed onesies. The erratic dress code proved to be a good sign of things to come. IMPROVment’s show, like any good slumber party, had a fun assortment of silly games and laughs. The only thing missing was a stern parent to occasionally come down the stairs and scold the audience for being too loud.

For those who have never been to an IMPROVment show before, it goes something like this: the troupe performs several improv “games,” which usually involve the cast members roleplaying different scenarios. The games often involve audience participation, and sometimes a cast member will direct the scene, giving stage directions or recommen-

dations based on the audience’s input. The result is a unique and hilarious brand of free form comedy.

The show is one of many put on each semester by IMPROVment. The shows are free but crowded. Be sure to get in line a half hour early, or more, if you want to sit.

“I went to one of [IMPROVment’s] shows during an overnight visit and had a great time. I’ve been coming back since then,” said second-year student Tyler Kapusta.

“Sleepy time for Bernie,” marked the first game of the night. The game was inspired by the 1989 comedy “Weekend at Bernies,” with “someone is going to be asleep not dead.”

After getting the recommendation “flamingo” from the audience, troupe members acted out the scene. Two members of the troupe were ornithologists intently studying two flamingos dancing, until one of the ornithologists decided to join the flamingos, eventually losing control of himself and having to be put down by the remaining scientist.

The scene ran three more times, each time the audience voted on an additional cast member to be put to sleep. By the end of the game only one flamingo remained, waving the other actors’ bodies around in a pantomime of the original scene.

Following “Bernie’s,” members of the

company performed a “We Are The World” style charity ensemble to bring awareness to the audience-suggested issue of “cold milk.”

The song came complete with the chorus “I know it might sound silly, my milk is way too chilly” and a surprising rap breakdown.

Other games included “Sit, Stand, Lie Down,” where three actors portrayed a scene visiting “pasta”—another fan suggestion—and “Stage Directions,” where two cast members acted out a scene in a furniture store while two more gave stage directions from plays selected by random audience members.

Directions such as “...deliberately deciding on an old cockney accent,” and “the mischief begins to take over,” quickly turned furniture shopping into a tense and hilarious standoff as elements of espionage and action leaked into the scene.

Next came “Telephone Charades,” where cast members took turns telling the same story to each other. Every other player is unable to speak, so after being told a ridiculous story, a cast member has to act out everything that happened for someone else. The witness then does their best to explain the narrative they witnessed in an looping game of telephone.

“I thought the telephone game was really funny,” said second-year student Rachel Norman.

By the end of “Telephone Charades,” the constantly changing medium rendered the original story almost unrecognizable.

The final retelling of the story drew raucous laughter where it had completely divulged from the original and approving cheers where it remained intact.

During “Lullaby,” a first-year student named Joe was pulled from benches and answered a few questions about his major, his hobbies and his favorite food: statistics, table tennis and pineapple pizza, respectively. Then two cast members and a pianist improvised a lullaby, making puns and referencing the information they received.

“Past Curfew,” and “Narrated Fairy Tale,” began to wind down the night. In the former, the audience suggests why a given cast member is coming home late and two others have to communicate it to the latecomer from behind the back of a disapproving parent. For the latter, an actor tells a made up story from the audience—in this case “Larry and the Giant Acorn”— and the rest of the cast acts it out.

The last game of the night, “Show Me,” featured the whole cast responding to a rapid-fire series of audience-suggested skits.

Laughter and cheers were the soundtrack for a fittingly funny and chaotic end to the night.

Origins Club...

H o w D id Y o u G e t H e r e ?

Where Are You Going?

Origins Snapshot:

Origins.case.edu/club Origins Club is a diverse group of students interested in evolution, cosmology, astronomy and other origins topics, especially Origins Science majors. Many of us work closely with faculty in a variety of areas from lab science to field biology and paleontology. Some of us have traveled to do fieldwork in the deserts of Mongolia, the jungles of South America, and the remote outback of Turkana, Africa. You can too.

Origins Fellow Darin Croft is a world expert on South American paleo-mammals: " “One of the real big questions for evolutionary biology is how do the small scale evolutionary processes, genetics and things like that, function over large spans of time? …South America’s a really neat place if you’re interested in mammals because for most of the history since dinosaurs went extinct, it was isolated, basically like Australia is today. And it really represents a separate experiment in evolution and that allows us to test a lot of ideas that were developed based on the fossil mammals on other continents. Looking at ancient meateating marsupials called sparassodonts, there was a huge group that filled their niche for tens of millions of years in South America that is now extinct, and some of the last members were these really pretty fantastic animals with sabre teeth …did they evolve to fill all the same niches that cats dogs weasels and bears fill today? …It may have limited how many species they were able to evolve into. And what we would like to do is look at that in other groups too

Joi n us in Spring Courses: ORIG 101 “Life, the Universe & Everything” (1 credit, Tues 2:30-3:20)

ORIG 201 “From the Beginning” ORIG 301/MATH 357 "Mathematical Modeling Across the Sciences" SAVE The DATE! Jurassic Park geekfest Oct 12, 5-10pm, Strosacker. Paleontologists, Food, Film.

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Omar Sosa on the meaning of jazz, his upcoming album Matt Hooke Arts & Entertainment Editor What is jazz?

Is it a swinging rhythm? Is it a big band wailing on standards? Is it a piano trio in Little Italy?

For seven-time Grammy nominee Omar Sosa the answer is simple.

Jazz is freedom.

“Jazz as a philosophy is freedom. Jazz has no borders,” said Sosa. “If you look at jazz as a style of music, you have bebop, you have hard bop, you have free jazz, you have avant garde jazz, you have Latin jazz, but in the end what is the bottom line; freedom. You can do whatever comes to you.”

Sosa’s view of jazz as a big umbrella that can incorporate any style of music has led the 53-year-old Afro-Cuban pianist to become one of the most inventive figures in the genre. Each album Sosa creates exhibits a new sound as he works with different artists and adds elements of different musical traditions. Each album is tied together by a unifying theme.

“When I’m working on an album, I need to have a subject,” said Sosa. “I need to have one philosophy around the record.”

Sosa has collaborated with musicians as diverse as Italian trumpet player Paolo Fresu, Chinese sheng master Wu Tong and Moroccan oud player Dhafer Youssef.

His upcoming album, “Aguas,” a collaboration with fellow Cuban violinist and vocalist Yilian Canizares, will be released on Oct. 5. The lead single from

the album, “Habana y Otras Nostlagias,” is a melancholy ballad, with Sosa’s piano and Canizares’s violin playing and vocals accompanied solely by percussionist Inor Sotolongo for a minimalist, intimate sound.

“This project is the collaboration of two generations of Cuban musicians who live outside the island. Yilian Canizares lives in Switzerland, and now I live between the United States and Europe,” said Sosa. “This song represents the nostalgia of Cuban musicians when they don’t have the opportunity to go back to their homeland. With this song we try to pay tribute to all the people on this planet who live outside their country.”

Sosa first met Canizares when she opened for him at a concert in the south of France five years ago. Three weeks later, Sosa called Canizares, and they went to the studio. Despite the release date, the recording sessions for “Aguas” occurred in 2015. According to Sosa, “Aguas” can be seen as a companion to his phenomenal 2017 album with Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita “Transparent Water.”

“We don’t care too much about nature, we don’t care too much about the planet,” said Sosa. “With these two records we try to tell people through music, let’s try to put attention to one of the most fundamental elements on the planet.”

For most people, Cuban music is associated with the up-tempo party music of performers like Celia Cruz. Many of Sosa’s recordings, including “Aguas,” show a more meditative side to the island’s musical tradition.

“Most of the time when you hear about

Cuban music, it’s a muscle music, everything needs to be up-tempo,” said Sosa.

“We decide to represent the more contemplative side of our tradition but always with the Afro-Cuban roots underneath.”

“Afro-Cuban music is the backbone of my life,” said Sosa. “I’m a religious person, I’m a santero, I’m part of the AfroCuban tradition. So for me, everything is related with the [spiritual] connection of the ancestors and our elders.”

Sosa said his father would play vinyl records every Sunday growing up, and he became exposed to artists like Glenn Miller and Nat King Cole. Sosa went to music school in Cuba. He began as a cellist but had to switch instruments due a problem in his hands. Then he became a classically trained percussionist at Escuela Nacional de Musica, the national school of music in Havana. He said as a student he dreamed of professionally playing vibraphone or marimba, but there were only two or three of the mallet instruments in Cuba.

“There were pianos around everywhere, [they were] really out of tune but [they] were there,” said Sosa. “I started playing piano, and now it’s too late for me to change.”

His percussion background shines through in his music, as Sosa said he plays piano like “88 drums.”

Sosa has been to many different countries throughout his life, gleaning new musical knowledge from each of them.

Sosa’s time in Ecuador during the 1990s is especially notable.

He lived in Quito, but spent much of his time in Esmeraldas, an area known for its Afro-Ecuadorian culture. Sosa said

several of his records are based on AfroEcuadorian traditions and that the music of Ecuador has become a part of his everyday life.

“It’s simple when you have your road clear you (will) find the right people in your life,” said Sosa on how he connected with musicians in Ecuador. “The problem is when you have too many directions.”

Sosa said his main goal in life is to learn how African music stays alive in the world. In every city he visits he tries to find how African music affects another musical tradition and how other styles of music in turn affect African music. Sosa believes that all music shares common threads that enable musicians to interact across cultures.

For Sosa, these threads are not necessarily musical. Sosa shared how he visited a Chinese Buddhist temple and related the figures he saw with deities in Santeria.

“We are brothers and sisters no matter what kind of religion we practice, no matter what color of the skin we have. It doesn’t matter what tradition we come from, we are human beings,” said Sosa.

“When you have the opportunity to talk to people, to (have them) share in your tradition something good will always happen.

Why, because everything is honest, nothing is imposed.”

Matt Hooke’s interview with Omar Sosa aired Thursday Sept. 12 from noon - 1 p.m. on WRUW-FM. To listen to a recording of the interview, visit the station’s archives on its website. WRUW-FM is a member of University Media Board as is The Observer.

What to do this weekend NuJoy ready to serve baos, Matt Hooke Arts & Entertainment Editor

Friday, Sep. 14 What: Not The Enemy: The Crucial Role of Journalists in Society Where: Freedman Center, Kelvin Smith Library When: 3:15 - 4:30 p.m.

Notes: The English Department’s colloquium series is bringing Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery to campus. Lowery, the author of the New York Times Bestseller “They Can’t Kill Us All,” will be discussing politics and race in America.

What: Latino Art Show and Reception “For The Kids” Where: Kelvin Smith Library (KSL) When: 4 - 6 p.m.

Notes: In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, La Alianza and the office of research will host the eighth annual Latino Art Show outside of KSL. The event, dedicated to children held in detention camps, will feature four different artists and live salsa music from Grupo Kawakan.

What: Loaded Concert Series Where: Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland When: 8 - 11 p.m.

Notes: The first in MOCA’s three-week Loaded concert series features Chicago post-punk duo Wingtips, Akron progressive rock band Actual Form and local electronic group Shadows. Live visual projects by artist Frank Upson will accompany the performances.

Saturday, Sept. 15 What: Noche Latina Where: Jolly Scholar When: 10 p.m.- 2 a.m.

Notes: The event, hosted by La Alianza and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, will feature four hours of reggaeton, bachata, salsa and merengue music. The free event also features La Mega 87.7 FM’s DJ Flaco Flash on the turntables.

What: Chalk Festival 2018 Where: Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) When: 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.5 p.m.

Notes: Community members join professional artists to color the walkways of CMA’s Fine Arts Garden. It is free to enjoy the entertainment and look at the artists’ work. If you want to create your own masterpiece, a large square and 24-color box of chalk cost $20, while a small square and 12-color box of chalk cost $10.

Sunday, Sept. 16 What: One World Day Where: Cleveland Cultural Gardens When: Sunday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.

The 73rd Annual One World Day at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens celebrates over 30 unique gardens on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and East Boulevard. Each garden will be showcasing its unique traditions through education, food, live music, dance and more.

kebabs and milk tea in Uptown

Yifan Wang Contributing Reporter Ninja City, the Asian fusion bistro on Euclid Avenue, closed on Feb. 24.

After months of preparation, the restaurant that would be replacing it, NuJoy, opened in August.

NuJoy is co-owned by two Case Western Reserve University alumni from the Class of 2012. The owners, Bowen Sun and Xiwen Kang, named the restaurant after Nuwa, a goddess from traditional Chinese mythology who created humans, mended the broken sky and invented the marriage system.

The restaurant has undergone many renovations both outside and inside but retained its predecessor’s contemporary, industrial look. NuJoy now offers changing menus featuring a variety of Chinese dishes.

“One day you walk into NuJoy and try the Beijing style noodles, but you might find something different on the menu if you visit NuJoy two days later,” said Kang, who finished her Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Finance at CWRU before marrying Sun. “We want to find out what kind of food our customers prefer so that we can tailor our menu during the trial operation.”

The couple wants to focus on opening full-menu locations near CWRU with Uptown as the perfect place for

their first restaurant.

Now, the menu features baos, kebabs and the special milk tea. The milk tea, with fruit chunks, iced tea and toppings infused with cream cheese and heavy cream, is a popular item on the menu.

“Try our soy milk if you have a chance,” Kang said.

NuJoy serves noodle bowls and healthy sides which are mostly vegetarian-friendly. The restaurant kept many of Ninja City’s original features, including the bar. There’s even a “drink of the month,” a discounted cocktail that changes on a monthly basis. The restaurant features savory pork belly in baked buns, a famous street food in northwestern China.

“Our menu includes the ingredients of every dish,” said Kang. “We truly want our customers with special needs to feel safe before ordering anything.”

Kang said that as a young entrepreneur, she made some early mistakes in human resource management, resulting in undertrained and unorganized servers.

“Luckily everything’s getting better, and we will have a fixed menu before our grand opening on Sept. 23,” said Kang. “Customers can express their opinions by sending us an email or leave their comments on our Facebook page. We will listen to their thoughts carefully. We will also set up a series of online questionnaires as well as poll questions on our Facebook.”

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Playlist of the Week Kyle Smith Staff Reporter

Cleveland Taco Festival: Overpriced, underwhelming Aura Rossy Accounts Manager

Gray clouds have rolled in and the rains have started. Fall is on the way, and that means months of dreary wet and cold. But summer is not over until Sept. 22, so in the meantime, enjoy the last few drops of summer with this week’s playlist.

“The Sound of Sunshine” Michael Franti & Spearhead

“The Sound of Sunshine” is a must for any summer playlist. Franti is a member of several bands and projects that span genres from reggae to industrial hip-hop. Here, Franti employs up-tempo, attack-heavy acoustic guitar to create an infectious reggae beat. With backing instrumentals like rock organ and clap machine, the song sounds like a busy beach party.

“Breakdown” - Jack Johnson

“Breakdown” is for a different kind of summer night than “The Sound of Sunshine.” Unlike Franti’s brazen bars, Johnson employs a stripped-down set: ukulele, guitar and a simple snare-andhi-hat drum beat. “Breakdown” evokes a intimate nostalgic feeling like a night spent talking into the morning with a few close friends.

This past Saturday, Sept. 8, marked the second annual Cleveland Taco Festival, held at JACK Thistledown Racino. The event boasted over 25 taco and food vendors from around the city.

For those of age, the alcoholic options ranged from a frozen margarita “bar” to a tequila sampling tent. The entertainment included a chili pepper eating contest and live Mariachi music.

Despite the wide array of activities and the variety of food the event claimed to provide, the Taco Festival fell short of being a success.

“I was looking to get to know more of Cleveland and express my love for tacos, but I would not recommend this event to any student,” fourth-year student Emma Baker said. “Make better use of your money and go eat a full meal for the same price at an actual restaurant.”

Going to this festival was a waste of money. If you were lucky enough to purchase presale tickets, the cost

was $9.99. Otherwise, you paid $15 just to enter the event and walk into a designated lot with two rows of white tents in the distance. Once inside, you were obligated to purchase “vouchers,” which were tickets you use to pay for your food and drink with. What attendees were not told is that one voucher did not equal one food or beverage.

The cost for one food or beverage item ranged from two to three vouchers.

To make matters worse, the quantity of food you received could only be described as very little.

Aside from the food tents, there was little else to do. Despite the promise of live dance performances and an array of local DJs, the music and entertainment scene proved underwhelming. Additionally, because the festival did not provide an event schedule before the day of the event, attendees had no way to plan their day around the events they wanted to go to ahead of time.

Overall, this festival was a flop. It would have been a better experience and use of money to just go to one of the vendor’s restaurants and enjoy tacos there.

CWRU professor discusses HipHop and the Holy

Issra Osman Contributing Reporter

“Surrender” - The Smith Street Band

No band captures youthful energy half as well as the bawdy, Australian Smith Street Band. “Surrender” includes lyrics that display a mixture of defiance and insecurity in phrases like, “We should be climbing chain link fences with backpacks, nowhere to go.” Crashing drums and two overdriven guitars give the chorus a sense of free-spirited rebelion.

“Leave It Up To Me” The Mowgli’s

This band should look familiar to most Case Western Reserve University students. The Mowgli’s played a UPBeats show at the Jolly Scholar last March. The Californian rock band creates the perfect sound for summer parties, with all six members frequently joining in to lend group vocals to rousing choruses. “Leave It Up To Me” is about young love. With jangly guitars driving the song at the breakneck pace of nervous heartbeats, it is sure to feel like young love too.

“Sunshine” - Atmosphere

Atmosphere is a Minnesotan rap outfit known for their quippy lyrics and oldschool beats. As such, it is not surprising that “Sunshine” offers a more sardonic summer happiness: the kind of joyful perspective on life that you get after waking up at the very bottom. The song starts with the line “Ain’t no way to explain or say/how painful the hangover was today.”

However, that pain quickly gets lost in an appreciation of the small beauties each summer day brings with lines like, “Settle down, barbecue in the backyard/The kids get treats and old folks get classic cars.”

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

Since its creation, hip-hop has continually paid homage to its spiritual, cultural and religious beginnings. In her talk on “‘God Complexes’ and ‘Complex Gods’: Emancipatory Practices in Religion and Hip Hop,” Joy Bostic, Ph.D. examined the connection between divinity and hip-hop.

Like she does for all her courses, Bostic started off by introducing the perspective of Charles Long, Ph.D., author of “Significations: Signs, Symbols, and Images in the Interpretation of Religion.”

Both Bostic and Long believe black music is a response to the circumstances of blacks in America. To justify the systemic oppression of African-Americans, Africanity, the quality or state of being African or of having African origins, became debased. Enlightenment ideals branded blacks as “heathens” that needed to be saved from their own culture.

To build on that idea, Bostic referenced Michael Eric Dyson’s belief that the black poor are given a voice through what she calls “divine grammars.” Through hiphop and other art forms, these artists are actively deconstructing our notion of the divine. Bostic explains that when humans become religious, they are getting closer to God. This makes them become more Godlike, which brings the use of these “divine grammars” into the music mainstream.

In hip-hop music today, we see artists refer to themselves as divine powers.

From Yeezus (Kanye West) to Hova (JayZ) to Queen Bey (Beyonce), black artists are called out for having god complexes.

By divinizing its roots, the AfricanAmerican community frees itself from the negative connotations it is associated with.

Bostic explained that black bodies becoming divine contradicts the Anglo-Saxon Protestant idea that black bodies were the antithesis of the holy. Tupac Shakur, for example, depicts himself as a crucified Jesus on the cover of his album “Makaveli.”

Despite depicting himself in this image, Tupac references a search for a god that the black poor can relate to. In his song “Black Jesus,” Tupac asks for someone “[...] like a Saint, that we pray to in the ghetto, to get us through/Somebody that understand our pain/You know maybe not too perfect, you know /[...]/That understand where we coming from.”

Bostic related Tupac’s “Black Jesus” to Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “No Church in the Wild;” in both, the dichotomy of the sacred and the profane are blurred. In “No Church in the Wild,” Jay-Z speaks of “Tears on the mausoleum floor/Blood stains the Coliseum doors/Lies on the lips of a priest/[...]/Is Pious pious ‘cause God loves pious?/Socrates asks, “whose bias do y’all seek?” In this, Bostic explains that the rappers are positioning themselves as what she calls the sacrality and flow.

During the talk, Bostic recalled her own experience as a nine-year-old girl, positioning herself while shopping so that the owner could see she wasn’t shoplifting. This kind of code shifting was necessary for African-Americans because historical blackness was a threat to the divine right of whiteness. In flipping this, hip-hop artists make themselves what Monica R. Miller calls “New Black Godz.” “New Black Godz” are people that divinize the struggle of urban poor, speak to experience of those rendered illegible and confront the places that are deemed “non-passage.”

When black rappers manipulate “divine grammars” in their music, they do so to achieve recognition, to achieve a greatness that rises above black community. In Childish Gambino’s “This is America,” he uses symbolism and imagery to describe American history, a history that includes the history of African-American people.

They were brought to America, once free individuals, and subjected to a cruel status change that rendered them owned property. Through movement, rhythmic structures and ritual, African-Americans have found a way to exist and respond to it.

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opinion Editorial

Tink decision shows lack of communication One of the best parts of campus life is the seemingly endless opportunities for either free food or cheap baked goods.

But over the past few weeks, the buzz around campus has been that Bon Appetit Management Company barred this key pastime in the Tinkham Veale University Center. This inaccurate notion does not get at the real issue of a lack of communication from the administration to its students.

Given the importance of organization-run bake sales and candy giveaways, the University has demonstrated immense oversight in making this change without more discussion. From the time they first get on campus, Case Western Reserve University students are immersed in an environment rich with student organizations. As a result of the never-

ending competition for new members, the vast majority of these groups will attempt to attract students with candy, Mitchell’s ice cream or other sweet treats. On top of recruitment, many organizations will use bake sales to raise money for their chosen charity.

It’s become routine to see these tables set up on the Case Quad, adjacent to the Binary Walkway or out in front of Kelvin Smith Library.

The Tinkham Veale University Center (TVUC) was perhaps where these types of events saw the most traffic, which is what makes any change to the system so impactful. As a response to numerous students reporting food allergies, TVUC is now barring student organizations from distributing food that is not prepared or provided by Bon Appetit.

In its provision, it specifically names

“tabling and tabling events.”

What is most frustrating regarding the decision is that they were reactive rather than proactive. When news of the change broke, it caught everyone by surprise, indicating an extreme breakdown in communication. Considering the decision was supposedly based on students, it feels as though that the general student body was not adequately consulted.

Furthermore, no formal announcement was made before the changes were actually put in place, meaning that most student organizations were blindsided ahead of their planned events. The subsequent criticisms that were directed at Bon Appetit only emerged because of how suddenly the rule was implemented, which only served to exacerbate the irritation and confusion regarding the change.

In terms of actual effects on the community, adding this layer of complexity to food-based events inhibits the ability of campus organizations to promote themselves.

Having a table in TVUC will be much less appealing now that organizations will usually need to make catering arrangements to have food. The chilliness of the winter months will only add to the dilemma, with one of the most popular indoor locations now off limits for frequently-occurring bake sales.

It is, on paper, a very minor change to the rules of the Tink. But it represents another decision that shows a lack of understanding of both the campus culture and its needs. If food on campus is to become a truly positive point, then undoing this policy will be an essential first step.

The justice in banning Jones Peter for You

Peter Wilson “Sandy Hook pretty much didn’t happen,” according to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, host of Infowars. Jones has also claimed that the Sept. 11 attacks were “staged” or that they were “inside jobs.”

Profound stuff from this guy.

Recently, Jones has, as usual, drawn controversy after being banned from iTunes, Spotify, YouTube and most recently, Twitter. The social media platform has come under scrutiny because, as many other very popular networks were permanently banning Jones’ work, Twitter only suspended his account for one week.

Eventually, Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey gave into the criticism and decided to permanently ban Jones’ account.

Many have come to Jones’ defense in the wake of the mass banning, claiming that having access to platforms like Twitter falls under his First Amendment right to free speech. Others have stated that he caused harm with his speech, which isn’t protected and violated various terms of service. But regardless of your opinion on Twitter’s decision, one thing is for certain: Alex Jones’ lifetime ban from most major social networks does not infringe upon his constitutional right to free speech.

The First Amendment states, “Congress

shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”

The Constitution only states that the federal government cannot limit the free speech of its citizens. This amendment, though exceptionally important—some would argue the most important—does not outright give individual citizens the right to say and write whatever they want without reprimand. It simply states that the government cannot make laws limiting speech.

With this precedent established, it can be firmly stated that the conspiracies Jones spread are not even protected speech.

Protected speech is a concept which has developed throughout the 21st century, and it essentially lays out what types of speech the government can and cannot protect or regulate. For instance, the Supreme Court decided in Texas v. Johnson that burning the American Flag is a protected form of free speech and, therefore, an example of protected speech.

The government does not, however, have provisions to protect speech that may invoke violence. Jones’ work falls into this category. Jones is known for calling for violent action on his various shows, especially regarding his staunch opposition to gun control. One of Jones’ last tweets told his followers to “get their battle rifles

But regardless of your opinion on Twitter’s decision, one thing is for certain: Alex Jones’ lifetime ban from most major social networks does not infringe upon his constitutional right to free speech. ready,” as if he wanted them to actually go out and kill people. What kind of monster should be given a platform to incite such things?

Many critics of Jones’ universal banning argue that the companies which banned him had no right to do so in the first place.

The companies possess the same rights as Jones does, though. They too, enjoy a right to free speech. Removing Jones’ accounts is simply the companies expressing their identical rights and privileges. Ultimately, each individual company gets to create the site’s culture as they see fit. If they saw Jones as disrupting their desired environment, they had the right to remove him.

Social networks can be an excellent tool in today’s society, linking people of similar interests from around the world and keeping families together, but they also

give platforms to those who seek to disrupt the world and cause violence. Jones and his podcast Infowars are a pair of examples.

Another is the self-declared neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, who has had his accounts removed from various media sites over the past few years. These platforms can be used for good, but they can also be exploited for more sinister purposes.

Alex Jones is a man of poor character and evil intentions who uses fear to incite harm and hate. Twitter, Facebook, Apple and all the others were right in banning him from their social networks. Evil should not be given a platform to spread its message.

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

CORRECTION: The article titled “Fall Convocation celebrates spoken poetry, distinguished faculty” published on Sept. 7 incorrectly stated and described the recipients of the Distinguished University Professor award. The recipients described were from the previous year. The correct winners are Thrity Umrigar, Ph.D., Clare Rimnac, Ph.D. and Clifford Harding, M.D., Ph.D. The Observer regrets the error.

The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer reports news affecting students and provides 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. 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 observer-ads@case.edu.

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 Thwing Center 11111 Euclid Avenue, Suite 01, Cleveland, Ohio 44106. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter.

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the observer

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

10 opinion

9/14/18

The fantasy of Peter Kavinsky Copy Editor Emily Young Peter Kavinsky: the internet’s newest boyfriend and romantic lead of Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Since its release on Aug. 17,

the movie has become wildly popular, earning Noah Centineo, the actor who plays Kavinsky, millions of Instagram followers just a few days following its release.

It’s hard not to love Kavinsky, the messy-haired lacrosse star who is desperately in love with his exgirlfriend. His affable nature, amazing

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Noah Centineo’s character as the ideal boyfriend in “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” has made him a social media celebrity. But there are some doubts over whether his character’s actions can really be considered wholesome.

abs and steadfast support of Lara Jean Covey is enough to make anyone swoon.

However, while we were all fawning over Kavinsky’s abs, we skipped over some seriously unattractive character traits.

In the first present-day scene with Kavinsky, we see his then-girlfriend bullying the main character, Covey.

Kavinsky can clearly see what has transpired and instead of apologizing or contradicting his girlfriend, he begins to make excuses. We see this kind of apathy from Kavinsky throughout the movie. He only stands up for Covey when prompted to in a public arena or quietly apologizes to her later in private.

I do not argue that it is Kavinsky’s job to protect every bullying victim because that is simply impossible. His failing is in ignoring the toxic relationship between two of the people he is closest to, especially given that he is partly the cause for the aggression.

One of the reasons Kavinsky begins dating Covey is because he knows that it will anger his ex-girlfriend, making Covey into even more of a target to be bullied. Either Kavinsky refuses to see this or ignores it because he is so intent on blindly pleasing a girl. Regardless, he is putting Covey in a position that will inevitably bring her pain because he wants to play mind games with his ex-girlfriend, which is no excuse for inflicting pain on Covey.

The greatest failing of Peter Kavinsky is not that he is imperfect but that he is lifted up by the world as an example of the ideal boyfriend.

Instead of recognizing the toxic nature of Kavinsky’s blind devotion to his first girlfriend, the internet has turned the devotion into a notion of loyalty and love. In reality, Kavinsky trails behind a flawed girl in a relationship he has

no control over. This type of one-sided power vacuum is not a form of loyalty, and it is certainly not romantic. Worse still, is that this relationship is only a small glimpse into the modern view of romance.

Romance is not a new notion in our society, but it has evolved over time.

Currently, we are in the era of romcoms, where relationships are messy but will magically end in happiness because the couple is fated to be together. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is no exception to the genre.

However, the idea that a perfect love story can come out of an impossible mess has resulted in the constant romanticizing of doomed relationships.

In Kavinsky’s case, we see him give unconditional love and unwavering devotion to his first girlfriend, regardless of whether she is deserving or if it is fair to Kavinsky. When he frees himself of that relationship, he begins another unbalanced relationship.

He agrees to rules made up by his new girlfriend and follows her lead in every situation. Some may see this as a sign of respect, and at times it is, but ultimately it shows that Kavinsky has no role in the relationship where he can express himself freely.

What makes Kavinsky a perfect dream boyfriend is not that he is perfect, but that he is flawed and human. The tragedy is that he is imagined in a world where he is the perfect boyfriend and is presented as such. Such imaginings are merely perpetuating a world in which it is okay to be mistreated in the name of love. We need a dream movie boyfriend to show us a real, healthy relationship without falling into the pit of romanticized fantasy. Until this movie magically appears, we can only wait and hope.

Life by the border Case Embraced Christian Reyna Immigration has been a hot topic recently. Talks of a border wall, family separation and the growing resentment against undocumented immigrants has been on news outlets more often since the start of the Trump administration. This has been constructing a bad image of the MexicanAmerican border and the surrounding communities.

I am from the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), more specifically McAllen, Texas, a small city in south Texas that is only about 10 miles from the border. It is also the same city that received national attention over the separation of families due to the “zerotolerance” policy. Journalists from all over the country flooded the area not knowing the true face of our culturally rich community.

This, is the truth.

Families waking up early to see their children take the bus to school. Fathers going to work on construction sites, picking crops or at a local store. Mothers staying home cleaning the house, taking care of children not yet old enough to go to school or who are too sick to go. Teenagers driving to high school, looking forward to another day of school. Flags of both the United States and Texas blowing in the wind. On the surface, we are just as normal as any other community in this country.

When you go deeper, however, you see the true beauty of it. Grocery stores filled with both American and Mexican products. “Tortillerias” serving fresh, hot and authentic tortillas made in the back of the store and mariachi music playing as

you shop. Parents who only speak Spanish finding relief in the fact that many speak their native tongue as trucks parked on the side of the road sell mangoes, watermelons and citrus. “Taquerias” serving the best tacos outside of Mexico with salsas that are to die for while tourists from Mexico happily shop in our newly renovated mall. Mexican Independence Day celebrated just as much as the Fourth of July and an abandoned Walmart that is now the biggest single story library in the nation.

This is the RGV. This is McAllen.

Whenever I see someone who has not lived in a border town say that the border is dangerous and not a good place to be in, for example, when President Donald Trump tweeted in January that we “must have Security at our VERY DANGEROUS SOUTHERN BORDER,” I throw my hands in the air and say that is not the case.

Although Mexico does have dangerous locations that should probably be avoided, McAllen, and the RGV in general, have a fast-growing economy with a low crime rate. It thrives on its openness and friendliness to our neighboring country.

Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, work hard every day in my home community while also respecting the law. Despite a high poverty rate, we have high-achieving schools that send talented students to some of the best universities in the country.

It makes me sad that border towns get painted with a bad image just because the majority of the population are immigrants.

Immigration has helped us move forward and provide a community that is special, beautiful and one of a kind. I am forever grateful that I was raised in the RGV. Immigrating to and living by the

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The border wall running along Texas. Many people have developed misconceptions regarding the area surrounding the United States-Mexico border. border was beneficial to my parents. They were able to open a recycling center as immigrants from Mexico and worked hard to see their daughter graduate from medical school, mentor their son to take over the business when they retire and provide for me so that I could attend Case Western Reserve University. Living by

the border made all this possible.

Christian Reyna is a first-year biomedical engineering major who is also planning on obtaining a Spanish minor.

He absolutely loves dogs, so send him pictures of dogs to his Twitter account (@ cchristiann7).

opinion 11

observer.case.edu

The Corner Alley is closed. What’s next?

Asking the Real Questions Jason Richards Following the closing of the Corner Alley near Case Western Reserve University, Uptown’s center-of-campus location is now lacking in entertainment. Recent news shows there are already plans to replace the hot spot, but these options may not satisfy everyone’s needs. Present ideas to divide the space up and implement a taco-and-tequila spot as its centerpiece stand next to letters of intent from a cell phone retailer, bank and fast-casual restaurant to occupy the surrounding spaces.

According to MRN Ltd., a real estate company, the reasoning behind this change from the entertainment industry is because of a demand for businesses that cater to hospital workers, professors and students. The entertainment business wasn’t fit for the location, as the owner of the location declared a lack of business is to blame for the shutdown. The downtown Corner Alley will remain open—a more fit entertainment environment—but the plans to replace Euclid’s location have no entertainment in mind, begging the question: will they meet the standards set by Uptown’s consumer base?

Entertainment is not a strong suit for Case Western Reserve University, but in retrospect it really doesn’t belong in this environment. At an academically advanced research university, entertainment is not a top priority. I cannot speak for everyone, but in the time the Corner Alley was open during my first year, I did not go in once. It was

always that building you’d look at and say, “hey that would be a great place to go on a weekend,” and then never have the motivation to go visit.

I may just live a lackluster collegestudent social life, but I consider my money well spent when I go out to eat food with friends. A dedicated entertainment business just doesn’t hold any value to me here.

There is no question about the current intended audience for businesses in Uptown. Most locations, if not all, are catered to college students. Quick eats, a hugely marked up grocery store and a textbook/university apparel store—and the recent addition of a giant hand— accent the appeal of the area, so the

demand to cater to these other audiences is prominent.

Considering audiences outside of the average college student, I can see the demand for alcohol-serving businesses to cater to the 21-and-older group. But a bank and a cell phone retailer seem like outlandish choices that are too specific for Uptown. There’s an obvious convenience and uniqueness, but there’s no room for a repeat customer base in them.

Uptown has already earned its reputation for a variety of food choices, but it would be best to consider the needs of the students that haven’t been met. The closest retail pharmacy is still a Rite Aid that resides off campus, and

there is no competition for Constantino’s Market who has a monopoly on groceries in the area.

These problems are out of the hands of the student body, and even if the university had a way of lobbying for specific businesses, CWRU students and faculty are not Uptown’s only consumers. Hopefully, the area’s developers will find more effective routes for improving the prominent business strip.

Jason Richards is a second-year computer science major. He enjoys programming, biking and spending his money at Chipotle.

Nick Natko/Observer The Corner Alley, while it was still in business. Many people in the area, especially on Case Western Reserve University’s campus, have wondered what will soon be replacing it.

Stepping through the language barrier Opinion Editor Jackson Rudoff It’s a fair bet that many of the students on this campus took a foreign language in high school. As oft-criticized as the American education system has become, the language education required by many states is a bright spot. Then again, the American language curriculum certainly struggles to maintain the interest of its students into the future.

Foreign language study has been on the decline for the better part of decade, a phenomenon traceable to the ways in which numerous major universities have cut their language departments. On campuses like Case Western Reserve University, where science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields tend to be the center of attention, classes offered by modern language departments always seem to take a backseat to more “relevant” coursework.

This very idea, that foreign languages are not immediately relevant, is blatantly untrue.

While focusing on a specific field of study is important, taking a foreign language course is a critical step to expanding your horizons both academically and personally.

At its core, language learning enhances your capacity to understand others. On a more dramatic level, it’s been shown in numerous studies that language acquisition can change the way you view the world in terms of basic sensory perception. Rather than cluttering your brain with jargon or new ways to say “hello,” a foreign language course can build upon the ways you perceive your environment and approach the problems encountered within your profession.

In fact, one of those problems could center around a need to communicate with the experts of your field in another language.

The STEM world is becoming more global as technology and media progress, which makes speaking multiple languages an increasingly essential component of a STEM professional’s skill set. Enabling yourself to collaborate with your foreign contemporaries opens you up to a new realm of projects or positions once made inaccessible by a language barrier.

While these practical reasons for learning a language could be all that I addressed, they do not give due credit to the more prescient, humanitarian purposes of multilingualism.

In the current American landscape, the nature of our media and politics often tilts the scale in favor of more Anglocentric issues. It caters to perspectives confined by the borders of this country, failing to adequately represent those that live outside them. Having lived in both Canada and the United States, I’ve seen how Anglocentrism can undermine cultural cohabitance in multiple contexts. Taking a foreign language course can allow you to figuratively step beyond the borders of your native country, both through the study of the language itself and the interactions you will have while doing so.

If you take a class in the French department, you may run across Professor Gilbert Doho, a Cameroonian playwright.

His classes will take you outside of the course material and teach you endless amounts of info regarding Francophone societies around the world. You may even get invited on a trip to Cameroon, where you can spend a few weeks immersed in the language and learning about a categorically

undervalued region of the world. And yes, if that practical aspect is still nagging, you will learn a language that will allow you to work in French-speaking nations.

This single example only speaks to a fraction of the potential experiences that await in the modern languages department at CWRU. With ten languages available for study, there’s no predicting what exactly you will encounter if you take one on as a part of

your undergraduate experience.

The most important step forward is taking that leap beyond the borders of your lingual comfort zone.

Jackson Rudoff is a second-year political science and cognitive science major. When he isn’t working at the Observer, he’s usually crafting terrible tweets @im_jacked_son7.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The Mather Quad on the north side of campus, home to the modern languages department. Foreign language education is on the decline, and there are numerous reasons to reverse this trend.

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9/14/18

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Sudoku

Horoscopes The signs at a college party

Normal 9 8

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Judging literally everyone

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Screeching and obnoxiously dancing to the ‘90s pop playlist in the background. Hasn’t even had a drink

Word search Y

Having fun, but you wouldn’t know it. Very observant and only talks to people they know

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Quietly waiting for someone to suggest going to The Den by Denny’s

Is single and ready to mingle but will also get uncomfortable if anyone hits on them

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So loud. So, so loud. But no one seems to mind. Gemini is fun

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Here for a good time, not a long time

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

TINK SOCCER TENNIS INTERNATIONAL HOMECOMING RANKING JONES CORNER ALLEY JAZZ IMPROV TACOS FESTIVAL NUJOY HIP HOP VOLLEYBALL CROSS COUNTRY

Sagittarius Someone will end up holding their hair back at some point

Capricorn Will end up holding someone else’s hair back at some point

Aquarius Wishing they wore more flexible pants because the longer they stay out, the crazier their dancing gets

Pisces Designated driver

14

sports

9/14/18

Men’s tennis storms the court in season opener Riley Simko Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University men’s tennis team battled through bad weather to take four of the five brackets in the Kenyon Invitational doubles’ competition. The six Spartan doubles teams combined to win 26 of their 29 matches over the course of two days.

Third-year student Anthony Kanam and second-year student Jonathan Powell won the “A” doubles flight after three tough matches. The duo triumphed over Kenyon College’s Jacob Zalenski and Austin Diehl 8-4 in the first round, then again over Nicholas Calzolano and Ray Boppana from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) with a score of 8-5. Kanam and Powell took the flight with an 8-1 win over Kevin Brown and Blake Burstein from Denison University.

Second-year student Matthew Chen and first-year student Chaitanya Aduru won their opening round in the “A” draw against Walsh University’s Jakob Riglewski and Pedro Campos 8-6, before narrowly falling to Denison’s Brown and Burstein 8-7 in the semifinals.

Third-year students Sam Concannon and Zach Hennessey lost their first match in the “B” doubles flight but came back strong with an 8-5 win against Denison’s Brian Weisberg and Vlad Rotnov in the consolation finals.

First-year students Aaron Umen and Max Vicario started their first collegiate

tennis season strong, going 3-0 in the “C” flight. In their first round, Umen and Vicario beat fourth-year student Pako Alezivopoulous and second-year student Omar Santiagonunez Ahumada from Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) 8-0.

Fourth-year student Jesse DeWitt and first-year student Austin Hanna from the College of Wooster also lost to Umen and Vicario with a score of 8-2.

The Umen-Vicario duo took the flight in their third round with an 8-3 win over John Carroll University’s Andy Siciliano and David Sinese.

Third-year student Siddharth Rajupet and second-year student Earl Hsieh opened the “D” flight against Dawson Drummond and Clemens Wagner from Walsh with an 8-4 win. Their next win in the semifinals catapulted Rajupet and Hsieh into the finals, besting Kunal Barde and Clark Safran from CMU 8-1. In the finals, the Spartans duo narrowly defeated Denison’s Akshat Agarwal and Jacob Dennen with a score of 8-6.

Fourth-year student Rob Stroup and first-year student Kenneth Boyette battled through the “E” flight to take the win. They took their opening match against OWU’s Grant Brooks and Billy Lewis with a stunning 8-0 score. In the semifinals, the StroupBoyette duo played Doug Moore and Jack Payne from John Carroll, winning 8-1 and advancing to the last round. The Spartans won the final against Mattias Mauviel and Henry Wessel from Kenyon 8-0.

The Spartan men’s tennis team will play in the Cincinnati Collegiate Invitational and the Oberlin Invitational this weekend.

Riley Simko Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University women’s tennis team started their season at the Oberlin Invitational last weekend, winning several singles and doubles matches over the two days of competition.

The women’s team ended last season as a top-15 team in Division III and seek to maintain their reputation going into this season. Overall, women’s doubles duos went 5-7 over the weekend, with eight players coming home with at least one win each.

Jessica Liu, a fourth-year player, went 2-1 in her singles matches, winning against fellow fourth-year student Sheridan McLean from the University of Findlay. In her doubles match with partner Madeline Paolucci, a secondyear student, the two lost to Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Katya Minchenkova and Thais Andreotti. But Paolucci faced off again with Andreotti in the singles play, and bested her with scores of 9-2 and 11-2, securing a singles win for the Spartan women.

Liu is continuing an impressive career. Her 0.635 singles winning percentage is the ninth-best in CWRU women’s tennis history, and she only needs 26 singles wins to earn the school record for career wins in women’s tennis. Her 0.723 doubles winning percentage is the

all-time best at CWRU. First-year student Shreyaa Mukund started her college tennis career with a win over third-year student Rainie Heck from Oberlin College. Mukund joined teammate and first-year student Sneha Karnam for another triumph in their doubles match against Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Mariana Valenzuela and Maria Magraner with a score of 8-4.

Fellow first-year student Nidhi Jha bested Oberlin’s Delaney Black in her singles match on Saturday before falling to Slippery Rock University’s internationally acclaimed Lois Page in their Sunday singles match.

First-year duo Eliza Georgiades and Kristin Jones won their doubles match against Heck and teammate Alandria Bellamy of Oberlin.

With such a young team, there is much room to grow. Of the nine players on the roster, there is only one fourthyear player, while the rest are first-year or second-year students. The talent is there, but it is raw and will need to be developed.

After a week without competition, the women’s tennis team will travel to Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region Fall Championships. The players will compete in matches from Sept. 21 through 24, squaring off against Division III teams from across the region.

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Spartan runners’ win in first home meet Riley Simko Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University cross country teams sprinted into first place at the Sudeck Sunset Classic Stampede on Friday, Aug. 31 at the Squire Valleevue Farm in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Third-year runners Madeline Lindemann and Andrew Green broke away from the pack to each place first in their respective races. Lindemann won the 4,000-meter race with a time of 15:23.0, nearly 22 seconds faster than the second place finisher from John Carroll University. In the men’s race, Green took the 6,000-meter race with a time of 19:38.2, narrowly beating fellow teammate and second-year runner Yoshmar Pinal-Alfaro.

Fourth-year runner Zach Roshon and second-year runner Eric Rachita placed in the top five overall, securing the win for the Spartan men’s team with times of 19:55.8 and 20:05.0, respectively.

For the women’s team, second-year runner Kiera Olson took third with a time of 16:01.7, and fourth-year Jennifer Hoffmann came close behind in fifth with a time of 16:12.8. Several more runners on the women’s team earned points, and the team took first place.

According to Lindemann, the women’s cross country team began their preseason with an awesome attitude which she hopes will carry into its upcoming meets. The coaches and their families added to that

positive excitement during the meet, which helped keep the runners’ spirits high.

“Our assistant coach...Chris Kelly’s mom [was] driving the cart that led the runners, and [was] cheering me on in the back half of the race, which definitely kept me going,” Lindemann said.

Despite finishing so far ahead of her competitors, Lindemann said her win in the Sudeck Sunset Stampede came rather unexpectedly.

“I did not expect the race to go the way it did, especially since [I’m] coming off of a hip injury,” Lindemann said. “But it proved to me to have confidence in my training and to continue to work to get healthy.”

The Sudeck Sunset Classic Stampede is named for William “Bill” Sudeck. Sudeck was the Case Institute of Technology (and later, Case Western Reserve University) head cross country and track and field coach for 46 years, and the classic honors his winning legacy here at CWRU. The Sudeck meet hit home for Lindemann.

“After the meet, Coach Lanese spoke about how he was a mentor for her when she became the cross country coach at [CWRU],” she said. “The running program that he created at [CWRU] is one that I am proud to be a part of.”

The Spartan cross country teams had a break from competition this past week, but are scheduled to run in the Allegheny Cross Country Classic at Allegheny College on Saturday, Sept. 15.

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How “sweep” it is Volleyball doesn’t lose a set in three matches at home

Sparta would have been proud of the performance by the Spartans this past week.

Although this isn’t Ancient Greece, the Case Western Reserve University volleyball team dominated all three of their opponents at the CWRU Invitational from Sept. 7 to 8. The Spartans swept John Carroll University, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and Defiance College over the course of the twoday tournament.

“The teams we played this weekend may not be the same level of teams we will play [in conference], but the fact that we swept shows that will play our best volleyball and finish the game no matter who is on the other side of the net,” third-year outside hitter Karley King said.

Fourth-year defensive specialist Karina Bondelid added, “I think this will give us a bit of confidence going forward, especially considering our interpersonal connections and comfort level playing with each other.”

In their opening match with John Carroll, the Spartans were virtually unstoppable. King dominated at the net, recording a game-high 11 kills. Secondyear middle hitter Katie Kaminski followed suit with 10 kills of her own. John Carroll just could not muster anything offensively, never reaching 20 points in any one set.

St. Mary-of-the-Woods put up more of a challenge but not much more.

CWRU won 25-18, 25-22 and 25-14.

King had 10 kills in the match while fellow third-year outside hitter Brianna Lemon led the team with 14. Third-year middle hitter Haley Sims provided a strong defense at the net, totaling five blocks.

The final game was a rematch against Defiance, a team CWRU had beaten earlier in the season. The result came easier this time though, with the Spartans knocking off their opponent in three sets

instead of four. King and Lemon led the offensive attack with 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Sims again had four blocks and added eight kills to her stat line in this match.

“I saw a level of consistency in our offense that I haven’t seen in the past,” Head Coach Karen Farrell said. “We’re playing at a very high level.”

This tournament was also the first home action CWRU has seen this season, and they felt a sense of comfort and confidence on their home court.

“Playing at home is so much more comfortable,” second-year libero Anna Jaskoviak said. “We get to sleep in our beds the night before and lots of family and friends are usually able to come watch at home. Having that little added support from friends and family can bring some added excitement to the games and push us to play a little harder.”

Even though Horsburgh Gymnasium has been notoriously cold lately, the team still loved being at home.

“I think the biggest differences that I have found are the level of comfort in the gym and the tiredness incurred from traveling,” fourth-year defensive specialist Noel Jeansonne said. “We know the ins and outs of Horsburgh—our team has a few special drills to deal with the low ceiling and we know it’s always freezing, so we warm-up in our jackets and pants so we don’t end up frozen icicles when we play at home.”

It still may be early in the season, but improvement is still visible.

“What is great though is seeing just how much we have improved in one week, from our first tournament to the one this past weekend,” King said. “If we keep committing and getting better at this rate, then I can’t wait to see the things we will do this year.”

The team lost against the University of Mount Union on Sept. 12 in three sets. Through eight matches, CWRU boasts a 5-3 record and are averaging 14 kills and 18 digs per set. The Spartans will travel to New York for the Buffalo State Bengal Challenge on Sept. 14 and 15.

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Athlete Spotlight

First-year soccer player values faith and food Niko Kamlet Staff Reporter First-year defender Maria Prokos is enjoying her first season as a member of the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team. Prokos loves spending time with and getting to know her teammates. She also has a unique history with the game she now plays at the collegiate level. As a first-year student, she is looking to get involved with clubs that reflect her values, faith and love of food.

Q: What is your favorite part of being on the soccer team? Why? A: My favorite part about being on the soccer team is definitely the people.

It is really nice to be around teammates who share the same passion for athletics, but also have prevalent and prioritized academic goals. It motivates me to see all the amazing things they accomplish on the field while also excelling in their studies and being active members of the campus community.

Q: Where did you get your passion for soccer? Any good stories?

A: I first started playing soccer in kindergarten, and I initially hated it. My mom had signed me up and for the first few weeks I was miserable. Eventually, I discovered that I was super competitive and loved to win, so soccer started to become more fun. It has played such an integral and developmental role in my life ever since and helped me not only stay active but handle pressure situations, network and practice my time management skills.

Q: Do you have any games that you remember being particularly special?

Why? A: One of my favorite games was during a futsal tournament. I’m a defender, but in futsal the court is a lot smaller, so it allows for more opportunity for defenders to get involved in the attack. I scored the most goals in the tournament, and my team ended up winning the entire thing. It was awesome to feel like I was contributing to the team’s success and to gain a new offensive perspective.

My favorite game at CWRU so far was our first home game (and win) against John Carroll University. It is still crazy to me that I am able to represent my school at the collegiate level.

Being in my uniform on DiSanto Field for the first time was such a special moment and made me so grateful for all of my opportunities I have been given and the faith Head Coach Tiffany Crooks has in me.

Q: Aside from soccer, what else are you involved in on campus? Can you explain your role?

A: Since I’m only a freshman, I’m still trying to explore everything CWRU has to offer. Some clubs that I’m excited to participate in are the Food Recovery Network, which works to reduce hunger and food waste, and also the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Club which is a community that seeks to help members grow and explore their faith and spiri-

Courtesy of CWRU Athletics First-year defender Maria Prokos, a nutrition major, hopes to be a wellness ambassador on campus. Playing soccer has helped her off the field as much as it has on it. tuality. I also hope to be a CWRU wellness ambassador during my next four years.

Q: Why are you majoring in nutrition? What interests you about it?

A: I love how nutrition intertwines food with health and wellness. Growing up, food has always played a huge role in my life because my dad owns a restaurant. Throughout my childhood I spent a substantial amount of time at my dad’s job; watching him cook, helping him take inventory in the giant refrigerators and eating. I also was very active and played a lot of sports from a young age. As I got older, I started to become more health conscious and was fascinated with what foods would help me achieve my best performance as an athlete. I love the effect food can have on the body and appreciate how relevant nutrition is to a healthy lifestyle.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your degree?

A: I am hoping to get involved with sports nutrition and also find a way to practice nutrition in the context of public health, potentially at even an international level. Additionally, I am also interested in the industry aspect and think I would enjoy working for a food company in order to help health-conscious consumers and advocate for increased nutritional quality in ingredients and production processes.

Q: What are your favorite free time activities? Why? A: My favorite free time activities are anything outdoors and reading. I always feel a sense of invigoration in nature and being outside always seems to make my day better. I enjoy reading because I love the creativity in stories, and I’m also a complete nerd.

Q: What is your favorite quote, or what inspires you?

A: One of my favorite quotes is “let your faith be bigger than your fear.”

It reminds me that no matter whatever challenge or obstacle I am facing that there is a purpose behind my struggle and that I will be okay.

sports Winter highlights Spartan teamwork in double overtime thriller David Chang Staff Reporter Although the next season of Game of Thrones won’t premiere until the spring of next year, third-year midfielder Garrett Winter let the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes know that winter was coming.

The Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team had a strong showing this weekend, with a back-and-forth 4-3 victory against Geneva and blanked Oberlin College 3-0 on their own turf.

Third-year midfielder Brian Woo opened the match with an attempted shot in the first minute. The team bombarded the opposing fourth-year goalie Luke Nolan with a total of five shots in the first 16 minutes, and the opposing keeper saved just three. A pass to fourth-year forward Alex Besl dragged the goalie out of the box, but third-year midfielder and forward Zachary Senft intercepted the pass and lofted the ball over the goalie for the first score of the game.

But that wasn’t enough for the Spartans. The team continuously pushed the ball and attacked the keeper, with Senft taking three shots in the five minutes after his first goal. First-year midfielder Sean Atwater also attempted a shot but was blocked by the Tornadoes’ goalkeeper. The Spartans did not allow Geneva to attempt a shot in the first half, playing with more control and maintaining possession of the ball.

In the second half, Geneva came out more aggressive, pushing the pace on both ends of the field. After a close miss off the crossbar by second-year midfielder Nevo Ziv, the Golden Tornadoes pushed the ball on the breakaway, leading to their first goal of the game.

The Spartans attacked immediately but did not score with two headers and three corner kicks. Second-year defender Na-

Daniel Brenner/Observer Fourth-year defender Reed Kurtenbach (3) and third-year midfielder Brian Woo (26) chase down a ball against a Geneva opponent. The Spartans won in an instant thriller thanks to two goals by Garrett Winter. than Eckberg found Winter with a long pass, and Winter took back the lead with a high shot which landed in the top left corner of the goal, out of the keeper’s reach. Geneva responded with a far shot into the goal. In response, secondyear midfielder Connor Weber connected with second-year forward Seldon Magruder for a header into the goal on a thirty-yard pass. Yet again, Geneva scored another goal off a breakaway.

“Geneva was a very hard-working team… It was a good challenge to play an opponent like them,” Senft said.

Tensions remained high during overtime, as the teams controlled the ball for longer periods of time and lingered on corner kicks. After some lofty passing from the Spartans, Ziv found Win-

ter in the middle of the field with his back facing the goal. In one motion, Winter stopped the ball, turned and took a high shot aimed directly at the top of the goal over the opposing keeper, who was standing too far in front to reach the ball. The team and bench immediately ran and collapsed onto Winter. Even first-year goalie Jakob Dunn galloped onto the field on his crutches.

Recollecting on the moment, Senft said, “We know we’re capable of doing something special this season.”

The Spartans took the momentum from their win into the second match of the weekend. The team did not allow the drizzling rain to burn out their fiery spirit, as Winter blitzed through the defense for the first goal in the fifth

minute of the game. Three minutes after, Eckberg scored a header off a corner kick by Weber, which deflected off an Oberlin defender into the goal.

Senft provided insight on the Spartan’s game plan.

He said, “[Oberlin] liked to hold the ball a lot, so we just waited until a certain distance to push the ball...great tactic by coach.”

First-year goalie Charlie Fink was vital on defense, saving all six shots by Oberlin.

The Spartans would hold the 2-0 lead until Senft dodged Oberlin defenders at the endline and scored at the 78 minute mark.

The team beat John Carroll University 2-1 on Wednesday, Sept. 12 in overtime and will return to DiSanto Field on Saturday, Sept. 15 to face Capital University.

Women’s soccer puts up tough fight, falls to nationally ranked opponent Sanjay Annigeri Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team faced its first test on the road against No. 8 Ohio Northern University (ONU) and fell in a tightly contested match, 1-0, on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The Spartans came out of the gates with a tough defensive mindset. They shut down a strong ONU effort that tallied eight first-half shots. This defensive stand was mainly due to the presence of second-year goalkeeper Lauren Metz, who had a total of five saves during the match and lowered her goals-against average of 1.06 goals per game.

Head Coach Tiffany Crooks was proud of Metz and the other goalies. “[Metz] is growing each game and gaining valuable experience,” she said.

“Our other two keepers, [third-year] Lauren Unterborn and [first-year] Jenna Ruccolo have been training very, very well, so I’m excited about all three.”

After 45 minutes, the teams were tied at zero heading into the second half.

However, the Spartans’ defense and goalkeeping would eventually crack.

In the 68th minute, Metz saved a shot on the goal by fourth-year forward McKenna Walsh; but the resulting rebound was collected by third-year midfielder Haley Moses, who scored the go-ahead goal.

Even with the Spartans’ seven shots, two each by third-year midfielder Ana Petropoulos and fourth-year midfielder Melanie Kukura, the team was unable to score an equalizing goal.

Crooks lauded her team’s effort against the nationally ranked opponent.

“We showed we can compete against some of the best teams in the country,” she said. “It made me very optimistic about the [University Athletic Association] schedule.”

Following a 3-0 win at home over Hiram College, the team ended the week with a win and a loss, bringing their overall season record to 2-2.

The Spartans will be back in action at DiSanto Field on Saturday, Sept. 15

against Chatham University at 1:30 p.m..

“It’s really a typical turnaround,” Crooks said. “We’re looking forward to playing our next two games at home. We don’t mind the travel, but it’s always fun to play at home in our environment.”

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