Life: Stolen orders: An exploration of the issue of meal swipe stealing at CWRU (pg. 5)
the
Observer
friday, december 9, 2022 volume LIV, issue 14 estd. 1969
The Student Newspaper of Case Western Reserve University
Women’s soccer falls to JHU 2-1 in NCAA DIII sports championship game, concluding historic season
Team captains Lexi Gomez, Anika Washburn, Merry Meyer and Elizabeth White (left to right) hold up their NCAA National Runnerup trophy after a season full of new records and accomplishments. Courtesy of CWRU Athletics Puneet Bansal Sports Editor 2-1, claiming the runner’s up trophy to Last Sunday Dec. 4, the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team was one win away from their first NCAA Division III title. In their way stood the formidable second-ranked Johns Hopkins University (JHU), also seeking their first championship in program history. Unfortunately for the fourth-ranked Spartans, the Blue Jays tenacity and offensive pressure proved too much for CWRU. The Spartans fell
cap off the most legendary season in CWRU women’s soccer history. When CWRU arrived in Salem, Virginia on Friday Dec. 2, they first had to go through Virginia Wesleyan University in the semifinals. The Spartans made quick work of their opponents and scored in the 17th minute of the first half. Graduate student forward Camryn Hartman received a pass at the top of the box to
Colleen Barker-Williamson, student leadership advisor, retires after three decades news of service Shreyas Banerjee Executive Editor Quotes are lightly edited for clarity.
Much has changed at Case Western Reserve University since July 1989, but there has been one constant: Colleen Barker-Williamson. Having started her time at CWRU as the assistant Director of Programs of the Thwing Center and now working as Director of the Office of Student Activities and Leadership (SAL), Barker-Williamson has dedicated all her time here in service of student groups and leaders. She has been a consistent pillar of support for students and through her work has ensured that CWRU students have the guidance and resources they need to create the most vibrant student life and campus culture possible. Her era of mentorship towards generations of students will come to an end this January as she retires. It’s easy to take many of the institutions we have surrounding student life for granted, whether they be the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), the University Programming Board (UPB), the Class Officers Collective (COC), the Hudson Relays, Legacy Week, Springfest and Thwing Study Over, but none of them really existed in their current form when Barker-Williamson arrived at CWRU in 1989. It was due to her presence and influence that we have many of the structures that govern our student experience today. For decades, the University Undergraduate Student Government (UUSG) had been the only umbrella organization responsible for all student activi-
ties, whether it be funding all clubs or organizing all programming, BarkerWilliamson arrived at a time where that was suddenly no longer the case. Due to misspending from UUSG on a concert for Atlanta Rhythm Section in 1982 that left them and all other student organizations strapped for cash, UUSG was split up in 1984 into various boards, such as UPB, to make sure that certain areas of interest would get guaranteed funding each year. To bail out the student body, groups received a financial windfall the year before Barker-Williamson arrived. Now in charge of making sure programs happened, and with a new system and some cash to work with, she was able to guide students towards restructuring how programming was done at CWRU and building new traditions on campus. In addition, longstanding campus traditions had to be adjusted to bring them in line with modern times, such as the Hudson Relays. “My very first year, I was given the task of bringing [the Hudson Relays] to campus. Talk about a nightmare,” Barker-Williamson said. Previously a 26-mile relay race where students ran from Hudson, Ohio to Cleveland in order to commemorate the campus move of Western Reserve University, the race was retrofitted in 1990 to be a loop around campus because of safety issues. This was not taken well by many in the CWRU community due to the longstanding nature of the tradition, having been in place since 1910. Continued on pg. 2
the left. After some quick dribbling past her defender, Hartman lasered in an angled shot to the top right corner of the net for the 1-0 lead. With her 14th goal, she became the second highest singleseason scorer in program history. “I was looking to go one-on-one for the goal and she was giving me my left foot, which is the foot I like to use,” said Hartman of her goal in an interview with the NCAA DIII press. “I saw a little bit of an angle so I just took the chance and it went in.” In the final four minutes of the first half, fourth-year midfielder Anika Washburn made her presence known. After receiving a pass well above the box, she juked past her defender and sent a rather relaxed, bouncing shot just past the goalie’s fingertips to secure the 2-0 lead. Fourth-year forward Helina VanBibber finished off the Spartans’ scoring in the 63rd minute. She got a cross in the middle of the 18-yard box, dribbled around her defender and lasered it into the upper right corner for the 3-0 advantage and for her 10th goal of the season. Instrumental in the 3-0 win as always was third-year goalkeeper Maggie Storti, who forced her eighth shutout of the season after saving four shots from the Marlins. Fourth-years Lexi Gomez, Elizabeth White, Merry Meyer
and second-year Katie Rishel anchored the Spartan defense for almost the entire game and allowed only a dismal 10 shots, a testament to CWRU’s stringent back line. The Spartans were in control of the possession for much of the game, outshooting the Marlins 22-10. Hartman and VanBibber each recorded five shots. With the three goals, CWRU’s goal total increased to 22 over the five NCAA postseason games thus far, setting a new record for most goals scored by a team in the tournament in NCAA DIII history. The previous mark was 21. “I think it’s really a testament to the culture of the team,” responded Washburn when asked about the explosive offensive growth the Spartans have seen over her five-year career. “It started with [recent] alumni and each year we brought in a great group of girls who’ve been able to raise the level each year. We’ve gone through a couple coaches, we’ve got different aspects of soccer all together and we’ve been able to put the pieces together finally and come away with more goals and just better soccer overall.” This season, the NCAA DIII implemented a new tournament schedule where the two teams get one day of rest in between the semifinals match and the championship game. Continued on pg. 16
What to expect for closing: tips, tricks and guidelines for leaving your residence news hall for break Grace Johnson News Editor
Whether you are a first-year or fourth-year living in the residence halls, moving out for break looks a little bit different each year. This article offers a little bit of guidance, no matter which residence hall you live in. While each community is a little bit different, some guidelines remain consistent. Below is a compilation a list of things to do when leaving for break, as well as some short explanations as to why: 1. Clean up after yourself. This seems like a very straightforward and intuitive part of moving out for the break, but you may be surprised about how often Resident Assistants end up having to throw things out. Once, a full turkey exploded in a garbage can over break so the whole carpet had to be replaced, and students had to be moved while this cleaning process took place. Don’t be the one that left a turkey in a garbage can. 2. Close your windows. Again, this seems pretty straightforward, but it does add an extra step for RAs and other staff when they check out your rooms. If windows are left open, the rooms could be ruined because of pipes freezing and then exploding. This tiny step saves a huge headache. 3. Take out your trash. Residence hall staff don’t want more exploding turkeys, nor do they want vermin or bug-infested living spaces. Furthermore, members of the custodial staff in each community do a lot to ensure that these spaces remain clean and
comfortable, so take out your trash to the dumpsters outside each residential community to make the lives of our custodial staff a little bit easier. 4. Remove or switch laundry from laundry rooms in a timely manner. Even though this is preached throughout the semester as an important part of being a good resident, now more than ever we must be extra cognizant of others’ time. Many students are flying home or have big trips where they want clean laundry packed, so be kind and set yourself a timer. 5. Unplug, clean out and defrost your minifridge. Many people, especially if they are a first year, do not know the proper steps to defrost a minifridge. Here I will provide a brief guide for how to do that. First, unplug the fridge a couple of days before you plan on leaving—10 hours beforehand at least. Open the door and place a towel in the freezer, if it has one, or on the top shelf if it does not have a freezer. While the fridge defrosts, the ice melts and there is a good bit of liquid that comes with that. Keep the door open and the towel inside, and once it is fully defrosted, make sure the towel is washed, or at least dried, so no mold makes its way into your room. Next, it is also important to make sure there is no food left in the fridge, whether that be in your own private minifridge or the one in a common space. Continued on pg. 3