The Observer, Volume LIV, Issue 27, 4/28/23

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Sports: Men’s tennis defeats WashU 5-1 for first conference title in program history (pg. 16)

The Case Western Reserve The Case Western Reserve

Observer Observer

Friday, April 28 , 2023 Volume LIV, Issue 27 Est. 1969

SOFTBALL

UAA CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN! Puneet Bansal Sports Editor With a sweep over New York University Violets over the weekend, the Case Western Reserve University softball team was crowned the University Athletic Association (UAA) champions for the second straight year, clinching the title by a dominant four and a half games. The Spartans, who also set the program record for consecutive wins with 16 straight, now stand at 31-2 overall, which is the most total wins since 2018 (38 wins). Their 17-2 record in conference play is also a program record since the introduction of site play in 2017.

On Friday April 21, the Spartans opened their first game with a run from third-year infielder KaiLi Gross. Following a walk, Gross stole second base and came home for the point following a single by thirdyear outfielder Kela Jagoda. Gross doubled the Spartans’ lead in the third inning with her fourth triple of the season and a two-out single by fourth-year infielder Amanda Riely.

NYU, meanwhile, was held scoreless by second-year pitcher Lexi Miskey, who completed her second shutout this season after striking out nine batters in seven innings, allowing

only three hits and three walks.

C W R U closed the match in the final inning with three runs. Jagoda notched her second run batted of the game in that allowed third-year Jordon Manworron to score.

A single from fourth-year Carli Tucci and an error from NYU resulted in two more runs for the 5-0 CWRU victory.

The second match of the day yielded similar results, with the Spartans winning it 2-0. This time, second-year Kylie Hosey pitched her first shutout of the season after scattering six hits and two walks during the seven innings. In the third inning, Jagoda recorded her third run

driven in that allowed first-year infielder Elizabeth Berry to score. Tucci capped off scoring with a one-out solo home run in the fourth inning, her fifth of the season.

The next day, Miskey came out with fire in the first game and didn’t allow a single hit in the first five innings. She completed six innings with just one hit, t h r e e walks and striking out six batters.

Third-year pitcher Jenna Jaklich completed the Spartans’ 11th shutout of the season and eighth in UAA p l a y .

Gross, w h o

went two-for-three at bat, scored twice, drove in a run and stole two bases. Riely notched her sixth threehit game of the season, which included driving in a pair of runs, while Berry scored twice with two hits.

The Spartans handily closed out this game 7-0.

NYU finally managed to get on the scoreboard in the final game of this four-game homestand, but the Spartans pulled off the 3-2 win to complete the weekend sweep. Berry kicked off scoring in the second inning with a one-out single that drove in first-year Anna Gobeyn. Thirdyear Stevie Rieger scored on Berry’s two-out single in the fourth to increase CWRU’s lead to two runs.

The Violets finally plated in the fifth inning, scoring on a bases-loaded hit to cut CWRU’s lead to 2-1.

Coming off an instrumental groundout from Berry at the top of the sixth inning, Hosey ran home to make the lead 3-1 for the Spartans.

Continue reading on page 16

First-year infielder Elizabeth Berry had stellar performances against NYU. Courtesy of CWRU Athletics

LIFE

NEWS

Legacy Week gives CWRU RTA Red Line closed for the month of April, impacts history the attention it CWRU students and staff deserves Zachary Treseler Staff Writer

On April 2, the Cleveland RTA’s Red Line closed between its eastern terminus (Stokes-Windomere in East Cleveland) and Tower City.

The shutdown has left no rail service to the two stations serving Case Western Reserve University (CedarUniversity, Little Italy-University) through April 29.

For students and those living on campus and in University Circle, knowledge of this was largely nonexistent, except for the existence of 66R rail replacement buses driving on Adelbert Road. Though, for students, staff and faculty who commute to campus from Cleveland’s west side, this is not entirely helpful.

For example, director of orientation at the Office of First-Year Experience and Family Programs Kathy Petras notes how it “ultimately just added time to my commute on the days I come to campus. They do try to make sure the shuttles are timed with the schedule as much as possible which is nice. I sometimes drive into work too so it’s minimal the number of days I’m truly affected by the current situation.”

However, for students who don’t

drive, the increase in the commute time is substantial. Andromeda Vorndran, an anthropology major at CWRU, notes how their commute used to take “about 35 to 45 minutes—still long, but very doable. Now, however, if everything goes as smoothly as possible, it takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes one way. Meaning that in a single day I spend close to three hours on the RTA—which does not include my additional 15 minute commute from the station to home.”

Vorndran also notes that communication for this shutdown has been poor. Previously, when there were minor shutdowns, “the rapid conductors would usually announce them beforehand at the busiest stations. There would also be notices posted on the doors to the station, though these are less reliable, as they tend to get ripped off fairly quickly. With this rail shutdown, however, there was little to no notice. About five days before it was to go into effect there was a paper notice posted on the door of the station I get on at. But other than that, there was no announcement from the rapid conductor.”

Continue reading on page 2

Shreyas Banerjee Executive Editor

Walking around the campus of Case Western Reserve University on July 1, 2017, Janice Gerda, CWRU’s associate vice president for Student Affairs, noticed something was missing. The day marked the 50th anniversary of the federation between the Case Institute

of Technology and Western Reserve University, bringing the rival schools together into the university we are all a part of today. Yet from seeing our campus alone, you wouldn’t have known it was different from any other day.

CWRU had forgotten, or perhaps suppressed, its own history.

Continue reading on page 5

In honor of legacy week and CWRU’s federation, students flocked to Tink for their choice of either a Western Reserve Red Cat t-shirt, or a Case Institute of Technology Rough Rider t-shirt. Shreyas Banerjee/The Observer

News

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, April 28, 2023 observer.case.edu Volume LIV, Issue 27

RED LINE from page 1 When asked about communication of the shutdown, public information officer/spokesperson for Greater Cleveland RTA Robert Fleig noted that “Communications for the current Red Line rail service shutdown between the Tower City and Windermere stations were implemented with signage at all the stations a few days after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, on Transit App, GCRTA’s website, and GCRTA’s social media channels. Communications support has also, and continues to be provided by local media traffic reporters during their morning traffic reports. Specifically, Jaime Sullivan at WOIO 19 News, and Patty Harken at Fox 8 News.”

The work being conducted on the Red Line during this time, as Fleig Notes, is extensive: Kinsman Hill: Replacement of switch ties and rail Between East 79th to E. 105th: Removal of brush, weeds, tree limbs and trash Between Cedar to Superior: Resurfacing and tamping of the rail Between Little Italy to Superior: Tie replacement Between Superior to Windermere: Removal of brush, weeds, tree limbs and trash Holyoke to Windermere: Replacement of switch ties and rail All switch locations (Kinsman, Cedar, Holyoke, Windemere): Welding performed at switches/ frogs E. 89th Street Bridge: Replacement of GRS Communications Cable Between E. 79th to E. 105th: Signal Power Cable—minor repairs E. 79th and Cedar: U.S. Utilities Fiber Optic Project According to Fleig, this large amount of work necessitated “replacing the Red Line rail service with 66R buses” since it “is the safest and most efficient way in getting this volume of work accomplished while also maintaining service for our riders.”

The volume of work being conducted is a reminder of other trou-

keting with a minor in environmental studies at CWRU, notes that “the

The necessary closing of the Red Line has been a huge inconvenience for those who rely on it to travel around Cleveland.

Clay Preusch/The Observer bles for the RTA. Third-year Jared Zullig, a life-long Clevelander studying political science and mar-

RTA is primarily funded through sales tax … the population of the city of Cleveland has declined while the

population of Cuyahoga County has remained constant.” Zullig says this means the RTA’s “biggest piece of funding does not expand on a year to year basis.” Though, he cautions that “the maintenance beast is different than just a straight up funding problem,” using the example of how the Red, Blue and Green Line trains, imported in the 1980s from Italy, are still running.

“When you have limited train options, when you have limited service options and budget, it comes to having to do lots of maintenance in one go instead of taking things down in pieces,” Zullig notes.

For Zullig, the existence of the HealthLine has lessened the impact of the Red Line shutting down, “which is why they can get away with leaving it down for this long.”

For example, “going down to a Cavs game instead of [taking the Red Line], I took the HealthLine, slightly slower when they don’t have dedicated lanes.”

“At least they didn’t leave us totally hanging,” Zullig notes about the HealthLine. This line also helps Vorndran in their daily commute, “as it takes you directly from Tower City to campus. If it weren’t for that, I would be taking the [66R] bus, which would be even more indirect and take even longer.”

“The 66R replacement bus running only every 30 minutes instead of every 15 minutes like the rail line does is causing issues for many students and faculty at [CWRU] that rely on the Red Line,” says Jarod Lau, a second-year student who is working on starting a chapter of the advocacy group Clevelanders for Public Transit on campus.

Though until the end of the month students, faculty and staff are allocating more time to get to class in the morning, using a little bit of luck, Vorndran notes, “I am lucky that I don’t have any early morning classes this semester, as I have to leave my house nearly two hours before my first class.”

A Tea-riffic Trio: Meeting the student entrepreneurs behind Tippit Tea Ritika Devarakonda Contributing Writer Three students at Case Western Reserve University have recently launched a new bubble tea business on campus. Tippit Tea, founded by third-year students Elwin He and Andrew Wu along with second-year Patrick Yeh, has become a popular option for students looking to find a delicious and refreshing drink on campus.

He, Wu and Yeh came up with the idea for Tippit Tea after noticing a lack of accessible and affordable bubble tea options on campus. All three come from hometowns with booming bubble tea markets, and they noticed there was a noticeable demand for the drink.

After first coming up with the idea during spring break of March 2022, the trio decided to start their own business on campus. The name Tippit Tea came about as the three wanted their business to have a sub-

tle connection to CWRU, and thus decided to name their product after Tippit House, located in the South Residential Village. The name is also fitting to its creators since that is where their idea was born. The founders of Tippit Tea were inspired by the launch of Redheart, a student initiative that aimed to provide healthy, high quality and affordable food at The Jolly Scholar. They wanted to replicate the business model of Redheart bowls by finding a partner organization, as starting a business from scratch would require a large amount of initial capital.

He, Yeh, and Wu all made initial investments into the business to purchase equipment and ingredients and took on the roles of CEO, COO and CFO, respectively. The three also have partnered with Southside Scholar at Carlton Commons, where their bubble teas are available for a portable meal swipe or for purchase at $5.49 plus the cost of any added toppings.

In order to bring the best bubble

tea flavors to CWRU, He recounted the trio visiting Asiatown on multiple occasions and sampling as many flavors of bubble tea as they could, finally testing and creating many tea recipes in their namesake Tippit House. The trio landed on a select few to add to their menu. They also did free bubble tea giveaways on weekends to gauge their market and understand which tea flavors CWRU students preferred. After having many recipes not work out, the team settled on a tea imported from Taiwan and bulk ordered other ingredients from a bubble tea supply website. Now, Tippit Tea boasts a variety of both classic and adventurous tea flavors on its menu, including matcha, thai iced tea, oolong, jasmine, mango and guava. An assortment of toppings such as bubble and passion fruit jelly are also available to customize the drinks.

When asked about how they maintain consistency in their products, Yeh, a biology major and the COO of Tippit Tea, compared the

process of making their bubble tea to following a lab protocol. He said that he hopes all student workers at Southside Scholar will be able to follow a step-by-step guide to make the perfect drink.

In the coming semesters, the trio hopes to rotate new seasonal flavors and offer new tea varieties. They also hope to expand to more locations on campus, as their only current location on campus is at Southside Scholar, which is only open from 6:00 p.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday. They also plan to begin selling merchandise and involve the campus community on a larger scale. Colin Jost even wore a Tippit Tea hat at his Spring Comedian show earlier this semester.

Overall, Tippit Tea serves as a great example of how students’ entrepreneurial spirit can make a positive impact on their campus community. So, be sure to “Tippit and Sippit” by visiting Southside Scholar and grabbing a cool, refreshing cup of bubble tea from Tippit Tea today.

News 3

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The controversy around Ohio Senate Bill 83 and how it affects higher education Paola Van Der Linden Costello Staff Writer Ohio’s 135th general assembly has recently introduced Senate Bill 83, a piece of legislation that proposes cutting state funds to private institutions of higher education unless they meet their ideological demands. It is meant to regulate intellectual content that can be delivered at these institutions both in and outside the classroom.

If passed, this bill would be “Bad for students. Bad for higher education.

Bad for Ohio,” as Honesty For Ohio puts it.

The bill bans the requirement of diversity, equity and inclusion courses or training for all students, staff or faculty, prohibits the use of language around diversity in hiring initiatives or recruitment for students and restricts conversation on “climate change, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion” by deeming these “controversial beliefs or policy.” It further mandates institutions to avoid endorsing, commenting, or taking action on any of these “controversies.”

This would severely limit efforts by universities to address social concerns such as climate change effects, racial inequality and reproductive rights.

SB 83 also bans programs, policies, practices and student groups based on race, sexuality or gender identity.

It serves to ban employee strikes and

resistance as well.

SB 83 not only constraints both the institution and the individuals that are part of it but also serves to mandate course curriculum. The bill specifically states that students graduating after the spring of 2027 will be required to take a U.S. history or government course with six mandated readings—among them the entire U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence—with a mandated final on the material. Additionally, it requires institutions to commit to “intellectual diversity,” which in practice serves to push for colorblind hiring of the institution’s students, faculty and staff. It also requires posting of all course syllabi, instructor bios and lecture summaries so they can be judged for potential liberal bias.

Additionally, it requires that private higher education institutions follow state-defined mission statements and undergo policy change, performance evaluations and reporting. The bill also significantly targets tenure by allowing termination if there is a failure to meet the new guidelines.

This bill allows for state control over material taught at these institutions and works to ban and minimize diversity on campus. It is a threat to students’ learning experiences, leaving them heavily unprepared for a workforce which now prioritizes diversity and equity as well as critical thinking.

The bill’s introduction has left

On April 19, hundreds of Ohio citizens gathered at a hearing that lastest over seven hours to dispute Senate Bill 83.

Courtesy of Clovis Westlund many outraged college students and professors worried about what its enactment would mean for the future of their institutions and their role in it. Students from all around Ohio attending higher education institutions voiced their dissent regarding the bill to Senator Jerry Cirino, the primary sponsor for SB 83 on April 19 from 4-11:30 p.m. during a public hearing. There were over 500 testimonies, with 116 coming from students across

12 Ohio universities.

This bill currently resides in the Senate Committee and has been introduced to the House of Representatives. These next few months will be crucial as the Senate deliberates over whether or not the bill will be sent on to the governor. To read the bill itself, visit the Ohio State Legislature’s website, and for more information on advocacy action, visit Honesty for Ohio Education’s website.

F F O % 10 CWRU, CIA, CIM, UH, & CLEVELAND CLINIC

Show the cashier a valid ID/badge from any of these institutions for 10% off your purchase,* now until May 31st! * DISCOUNT CAN ONLY BE REDEEMED AT THE FULL-SERVICE REGISTERS. Restrictions apply. Excludes alcohol purchases.

Discount and promotion are subject to change at any time.

Life

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, April 28, 2023 observer.case.edu Volume LIV, Issue 27

Egyptomania: The CMA’s exploration of Egyptian culture in Western fashion Megan Abel Staff Writer The Cleveland Museum of Art’s (CMA) new exhibit, “Egyptomania: Fashion’s Conflicted Obsession,” stands in contrast to its existing ancient Egyptian gallery (107), which is centered around the ideas of burial and death with mummies, mummy portraits and artifacts found in graves.

The “Egyptomania” exhibit in Gallery 234, between the Ancient American and Japanese/Korean exhibits, is a floor above the existing ancient Egypt gallery. It is full of designer fashion and jewelry that highlight the West’s fascination with ancient Egypt. The exhibit also features photographs of models wearing the garments on the red carpet. However, the pieces have taken the culture out of context and instead misrepresent it through stereotypes. It utilizes death, mummies and Cleopatra in a way that is borderline cultural appropriation, taking the authenticity out of the clothes. In one part of the exhibit there is a short dress made entirely from repurposed mummy

The dresses in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s “Egyptomania” exhibit, while beautiful, have been criticized by some as examples of cultural appropriation since they adopt a stereotypically Egyptian style only for the sake of aesthetic appeal.

Courtesy of Maison Yeya/L’ascension Couture Collection

robes worn on the runway and an “Egyptian” necklace containing a Chanel logo. The designers of these garments took traditional Egyptian concepts and completely removed the cultural contexts of each piece simply for their aesthetic appeal.

The CMA usually puts similar galleries near one another based on the time that they were created or their connection to one another, like the galleries from ancient Rome and Egypt. However, the “Egyptomania” exhibit is located on the opposite side of the museum from the standing ancient Egyptian gallery. The museum acknowledges that the displays within the two galleries are not related, and even has plaques discussing the use of Egyptian culture in fashion while ensuring that it does not get confused for authentic artifacts.

Most of the dresses, photos and art in the “Egyptomania” gallery are gorgeous and extremely well done, and the video of runway models walking in similarly beautiful clothing shows the care and thought that went into the designs, but when it is presented in a historical museum, the context changes. There is a dress in Gallery 110 to promote the “Egyptomania”

exhibit in 234, and on its own, the single dress seems to fit with the rest of the gallery. But when you go directly to the new exhibit, the tone surrounding the dress and its context change entirely. There is music playing like “Dance Like an Egyptian” and decorations that separate it from the surrounding galleries, creating a stark contrast between it and the rest of the museum.

The official statement of the CMA says that the use of Egyptian influences in fashion is a conflicted obsession and has led to many controversies. It appears they want the public to form their own opinions about the removal of ancient Egyptian culture from their context while not actively coming out and providing an opinion on the exhibit. The museum is handling it in a mostly politically neutral way while simultaneously and contradictorily drawing public attention to the fact that it is not okay to continually reimagine Egyptian culture simply for aesthetic appeal. If you wish to check out the exhibit and form your own opinions, it is currently open to the public at the Cleveland Museum of Art and is available until Jan. 28, 2024.

Salvatore Russo: The face behind the emails Deirdre Welch Contributing Writer Tarun Sepuri Director of Design Shifra Narasimhan Layout Designer If you are a computer and data sciences (CDS) or an electrical, computer and systems engineering (ECSE) student, chances are that you have received an email or two signed off by Salvatore Russo, manager of academic and research administration at the Case School of Engineering. While the name and title may be a familiar sight to a subset of the population of Case Western Reserve University, Russo himself, and his day-to-day duties and responsibilities, are somewhat less known. Whether you notice his string of check-ins during a campus emergency, notifications about mental health awareness or updates on the functionality of campus facilities such as the water fountain on the third floor of Glennan, Russo’s presence is evident throughout the CWRU community. As someone who has such a reach on campus digitally, explaining his role and the general impact on the CDS and ECSE administration seems well overdue.

Russo is an alum of CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management, and began his undergraduate career as a music education major, but switched to accounting after a year. Though he enjoyed music, he came to the realization that music was more of a hobby and not something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. While this experience was challenging, it gave him a heightened capacity to relate to students because, “as [current students] know, college is hard. You’re having to make these decisions that impact the rest of your life now,

just as you are getting out of high school. It’s a very quick and tough transition.” During his transition to accounting he had a lot of self-defeating thoughts, but he thought he should give it a try because he was good with numbers. Thankfully, it worked out for him.

He started out by working at PricewaterhouseCoopers, an accounting firm. While it may seem unexpected to go from working in a Fortune 100 accounting firm to a university administrative position, Russo wanted to follow his passion for helping others and contributing to the community. He shifted from the path he felt was “what he was supposed to do” to a position where he genuinely felt involved. The title “Manager of Academic and Research Administration” seems very broad and this ambiguity, as it turns out, is for good reason: Russo does a lot. On the research side, he assists Case School of Engineering faculty in submitting research proposals to secure funding. Once the funding is obtained, he oversees financial reporting and ensures that all purchases made with the grant money follow requisite guidelines.

On the academic side, one key aspect of Russo’s position is working to support students along with the Division of Student Affairs. He manages the general bulletin and course catalog, provides administrative support for payroll and responds to student inquiries. He works closely with Cynthia Hatcher, the chair’s assistant of electrical engineering and computer science.

The CDS and ECSE fields are ever-growing, with the department receiving “hundreds of new major declarations a week,” Russo exclaimed. The CDS department now has the biggest student population at CWRU, including undergraduate and graduate populations, beating out the biomedical engineering department last semester,

as Russo puts it for “better and for worse.” This rapid growth requires heavy lifting on the part of the administration, which is where Russo comes into play.

Russo explained that the department is working to balance the number of students with the available faculty, advisors and staff resources. Additionally, many are concerned that the CDS department does not have its own place on campus, especially after the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) split into CDS and ECSE. To address that, the fourth floor of Olin is undergoing a huge renovation to create a lounge which will give CDS its identity. These upgrades have been put off until now due to COVID-19 and administrative challenges, with no date currently set for it to begin.

Between the splitting of the departments and the arrival of an inaugural chair, there have been some growing pains and confusion about the department’s new vision and structure. As a result of this evolution, students have expressed degrees of uncertainty over their overlapping courses and unclear requirements. To address these issues, the department’s staff is undertaking an initiative to streamline the curriculum and provide clarity to students, with changes set to go into effect in fall 2023, which aims to remove any previous ambiguity in students’ course requirements.

As a relatively new manager, Russo has had to adapt quickly to extenuating circumstances on campus while simultaneously familiarizing himself with his position. He feels that the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way students interact with their educational institutions. With the rise of remote learning and the need to adapt to virtual communication, students have become more independent and less reliant on face-to-face in-

Salvatore Russo, manager of academic and research administration at the Case School of Engineering, emphasizes that his office is open to all. Tarun Sepuri/The Observer teractions. Aside from the lingering effects of the pandemic, Russo wonders if there are other factors at play discouraging students from seeking out the “face-time.” He says that the department is working hard to motivate students to reach out and interact with the administration more, and create a sense of “home” for CDS/ECSE students as the population continues to grow.

Although students will inevitably face trials throughout their academic careers, Russo wishes to make it known that he invites students to come to him whenever possible.

In typical Russo fashion, we will end with the quote that he attaches to each of his emails: “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” —Nelson Henderson.

Life 5

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LEGACY WEEK from page 1 If you ask a CWRU student today, most of them would likely be able to tell you that CWRU was originally made up of two different institutions, resulting in our clunky name. They probably couldn’t tell you much more than that, which is really a shame.

When Western Reserve was founded in 1826, it was one of the biggest hubs for the anti-slavery movement in the United States. Its humanities-focused progressive bent would continue for decades as they became one of the first universities to admit women and Black students in the region, with some professors and students even joining the Union effort during the Civil War. Case’s history is just as rich, founded by a bunch of science nerds who liked collecting birds, plants and insects and decided to make a whole STEM-focused school out of it. The schools featured one of the oldest athletic rivalries in the nation, dating back to 1891, and often filled the 70,000-seat Cleveland Stadium during their annual Thanksgiving football games. When the two universities merged, it was a shock and not one that was handled well by many alumni. Following the federation, traditions from both universities were jettisoned so as to not offend the other university, explaining a bit of our lack of school spirit. Students continued to be divided between Case and Western Reserve until 1992, when Western Reserve College was renamed the College of Arts and Sciences while the name for the Case School of Engineering remained. For a while there seems to have been a concerted effort to forget the divisions within the university, even going so far as to just refer to the university as “Case” in 2006, completely neglecting the Western Reserve side of our history. Following the blowback to that plan, the univer-

sity wanted little to do with addressing the contentious topic of federation.

But as the years roll on and the pains become less acute, student leaders are beginning to embrace our legacy.

As the 2017-2018 academic year started, many student leaders realized with shock that the anniversary of the federation hadn’t been acknowledged at all by CWRU. Thus, the Student Presidents’ Roundtable (SPR)—a group comprised of the heads of the major student organizations on campus such as the Class Officer Collective (COC), Interfraternity Congress (IFC), Panhellenic Council (PHC), Residence Hall Association (RHA), Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative (UDC), University Media Board (UMB), University Program Board (UPB) and Undergraduate Student Government (USG)—began working on a way to recognize the union and the ways we’ve improved since, advised by Gerda. While some alumni and administrators were still apprehensive about addressing the controversial federation, those students proudly promoted it, creating “Legacy Week” in spring 2018. Set during the last week of classes, Legacy Week was themed around celebrating how Case and Western Reserve were actually “better together” and acted as a way to acknowledge the dual histories of CWRU. It was also a means to bring together all the yearend events such as Hudson Relays and Springfest under one banner, while incorporating new ones. As a result, a tradition was born, creating a new sense of spirit that is often missing at our corporate-feeling university.

Now returning for its sixth year, Legacy Week preparations were again the work of SPR, coordinating events across all the major student organizations on campus. The usual main-

stays are still here, including the historic Hudson Relays and the convivial Springfest, which will feature 2 Chainz as its headliner on Saturday April 29. However, some newer events for CWRU students have arrived as well.

These include a CWRU history walking tour conducted by Gerda, a pep rally for Hudson Relays, a pancake breakfast organized by UPB, a “Wellness Day” organized by IFC/PHC, a goat petting zoo organized by RHA and a bouquet making event with the Mather Center of Women to recognize the work of the Women’s Center and the philanthropist and namesake of the Women’s College at Western Reserve, Flora Stone Mather. “[The goats are] such a fun event because it’s like a de-stress event, but it’s also like a happy thing to start us off on a great Legacy Week,” said RHA president and second-year neuroscience student Jeyashri Rameshbabu.

In addition, COC organized their first “Spirit Week” with events like Pajama Day and CWRU Merch Day for the whole student body to participate in, each class competing against one another. Tinkham Veale University Center featured old home movies of past life at CWRU on their media boards while the Kelvin Smith Library showcased old fraternity and sorority memorabilia from their archives as part of a Legacy Week pop-up.

However, the main initiative undertaken by SPR as a whole this year was a t-shirt war, with retro-themed shirts given out promoting CWRU’s predecessor institutions and their mascots.

Students could choose to affiliate with either Western Reserve and pick up a Red Cat t-shirt, or with Case and pick up a Rough Rider t-shirt. While most of today’s CWRU students have some connection to one of the two

former universities, either through the College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering, they could pick either shirt depending on what they thought fit their personality best.

To help the undecided, UPB president and fourth-year neuroscience student Laura Marsland created a BuzzFeed quiz titled “Poets or Plumber?” to help designate students as one or the other, with the name taking inspiration from epithets that Case and Western Reserve students hurled at each other.

The quiz featured questions regarding the historical locations of Case and Western Reserve, as well as elements of campus that draw their roots from either institution, all in a pun-filled way.

“I’m excited to see what people get.

I’m excited to see if there is a bias at all,” said Marsland.

SPR planned on creating pop-up events throughout the week to give out the shirts, but due to their massive popularity, they ran out of all 1,000 within two hours of their introduction on Tuesday April 25. The Case shirts ran out far quicker than the Western Reserve shirts, but both had their fans.

“I’m excited to finally embrace our history and embrace our inner rivalry,” said SPR chair and fourth-year applied mathematics student Bishwadeep Bhattacharyya. “Hopefully, we can use it to actually develop some school spirit that’s not fake or coming in from outside.”

“I think historically, [the federation] has been a little bit of a sore spot,” Gerda said. “But I love this sort of student-led effort to say, ‘Okay, we acknowledge that. We see that, we recognize it, but it brought us here. So it’s a good thing.’ And this is a wonderful place. It’s an amazing place. In the end, it is better together.”

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”: A film about love and Italians Joey Gonzalez Life Editor I’m pretty sure every single one of us has had some kind of experience with the “Mario” franchise, from playing “Super Mario Galaxy” with our siblings to drunk “Mario Kart” sessions in college. It is arguably one of the most iconic and recognizable video game series to ever exist. So with past video game movies’ box office bombs in mind, like “Sonic the Hedgehog” (2020) and “Pokemon Detective Pikachu” (2019), critics took a similar approach to the genre’s latest release, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” This movie is truly something special; it might not have an insanely complex plot, but damn, was it entertaining.

The movie, as the title suggests, follows the quintessential Mario and Luigi duo while they struggle to make it big in Brooklyn, New York. The two decide to open their own plumbing business, quitting their previous jobs and investing their savings into a commercial for their new business. A pipe bursts in the middle of the street and the brothers decide that it’s time to save New York—from mild flooding. Instead they find themselves falling into a Warp Pipe that transports them to a magical world. Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, befriending both Toad and Princess Peach as he searches for his brother. On the other hand, Luigi is having a much worse time, finding himself deep within the Dark Lands and quickly captured by Bowser’s army. Bowser, who holds the Super Star, is making

his way to the Mushroom Kingdom to ask the princess for her hand in marriage—a fact that neither Peach nor Mario are aware of. In preparation for the impending attack, Mario and Peach travel to the Jungle Kingdom to acquire the Kong army. However, Bowser is in on this plan and ambushes everyone on their way to protect the Mushroom Kingdom. The long battle that ensues brings the film towards a close, an ending that you’ll have to see for yourself.

Critics be damned, this movie was nothing short of pure entertainment, and fans are in agreement. The recent release has set the record for largest global opening for an animated film of all time. It has already grossed over $700 million dollars and continues to climb.

The movie was jam-packed with references across the “Mario” franchise. Luigi’s flashlight-lit adventure in a spooky castle was reminiscent of playing “Luigi’s Mansion,” and the race to Mushroom Kingdom could have been pulled directly from a game of “Mario Kart.” I really enjoyed seeing all of these different aspects of the franchise portrayed throughout the film. I know some people felt that it was just an opportunity to flex a bunch of references without them really serving the plot, but said plot was literally the basic premise of every single “Mario” game: Bowser steals Peach and Mario is forced to rescue her. The movie actually built upon that plot, from the attempted conquering of nearly all the kingdoms and the capture and imprisonment of Luigi, to the passionate affection that

Chris Pratt’s Mario (left) and Charlie Day’s Luigi (right) leave their plumbing careers behind for adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Courtesy of Universal Pictures Bowser has for Peach. It felt like all of breaking [in the 1993 Super Mario the elements came together in a re- Bros. movie] and then they stopped ally fun and entertaining, albeit short, the groundbreaking. They messed up movie. And in all fairness, the visuals the inclusion. They dis-included. Just were stunning—each Kingdom had cast some Latin folk!”

My only personal complaint is that its own really distinct look, which made seeing a new location actually the film could have been so much really exciting. I’m not even the big- longer. At times it felt a little rushed, gest fan of the Mario series, more like with production trying to wrap everything up into one neat package. But I a mid-tier Mario Kart enjoyer.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” honestly didn’t mind, as the stunning has faced some backlash for its cast- visuals and the exciting plot kept me ing choice. Mario, voiced by Chris engaged the entire time. And how Pratt, was not portrayed by an Italian- could I not mention Bower’s ode to American actor which caused a lot of Princess Peach, “Peaches,” perfectly controversy over representation. Oth- performed by none other than Jack ers had a problem with the levels of Black himself. The song hasn’t left representation in the film in general. my head since. If you’re looking for Former Luigi actor John Leguizamo a movie that has you engaged for a announced that he would be boycot- full 90 minutes, I highly recommend ting the recent release as there weren’t checking this one out. Grab your little enough Latin actors throughout the Bowser plushie, sit back and get ready film. In an interview with TMZ, Le- to enter the world of the Super Mario guizamo stated “Like I was ground- brothers.

Fun

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, April 28, 2023 observer.case.edu Volume LIV, Issue 27

Kate Gordon

Tarun Sepuri

It's Over Now The Beach Boys

the perfect pair beabadoobee

Shreyas Banerjee

Future Days Pearl Jam

Lexy Jensen

Sara Khorshidi

Beau Bilinovich

Reese Big Red Machine Clay Preusch

Ghinawa Bonga

Be the One Bree Runway ft Khalid Rachel Alexander

Landslide Fleetwood Mac

Wildflowers Tom Petty

Shejuti Wahed

Rodney Yates David Holmes

Karuna Lakhiani

Sophia Popkin

Puneet Bansal

Love Maze BTS

Finally give up

Make an adult cartoon no one likes

Gemini Cancer

"Go back to school because your degree is worthless"

Leo

Found a new religion

Virgo

i wanna be adored the stone roses

Turtle Island Beach House

Win a League game moments before your death

Max out 10 credit cards in 10 weeks Tax Evasion

Libra

Shifra Narasimhan

Read by ChatGPT

Own three cars you'll never drive

Capricorn Saggittarius Scorpio

1 Thing Amerie

The signs as postgraduation plans

Smile for the last time

Medium

What we’ve been listening to

Weekly Tarot

Aries

Sudoku

Horoscope

Taurus

Pisces

Aquarius

Tarun’s LOLs

Realize you peaked in college

The Star (Upright) You value your independence and are driven by your unique vision for the future. This is a time to trust in the universe and allow your inner light to shine.

The Moon (Reversed) You may be struggling with uncertainty or confusion. You need to trust in your LQWXLWLRQ DQG ıQG FODULW\ LQ WKH PLGVW RI chaos.

The Emperor (Upright) You are stuck in a mindset that is preventing you from making progress.

Try stepping out of your own mindset this week The Hierophant (Reversed) You may be feeling lost or disconnected from your spiritual beliefs. You need to ıQG D SDWK WKDW UHVRQDWHV ZLWK \RX The Lovers (Upright) You are facing a choice that will have D VLJQLıFDQW LPSDFW RQ \RXU OLIH 7KLV is a time to trust your intuition and communicate openly with your loved ones.

The Chariot (Upright) You are in control of your life and PRYLQJ IRUZDUG ZLWK FRQıGHQFH <RX have the willpower to overcome any obstacles that come your way.

Strength (Reversed) You may be feeling powerless or struggling to control your emotions. <RX QHHG WR ıQG WKH LQQHU VWUHQJWK WR overcome your challenges.

The Hermit (Upright) You are seeking solitude and introspection. This is a time to trust your inner wisdom and focus on your personal growth.

Justice (Upright) You are seeking balance and fairness in your life. This is a time to stay true to your principles and trust in the justice of the universe.

Death (Reversed) You may be resisting change or holding onto something that no longer serves you. You need to let go and trust in the natural cycle of life.

Realize you peaked in highschool

Temperance (Upright) You are seeking harmony and balance in your life. You value moderation and selfcontrol and are guided by your higher purpose. This is a time to trust in the GLYLQH SODQ DQG ıQG LQQHU SHDFH

Nothing extraordinary

The Devil (Reversed) People may be only seeing your SDUW\ VLGH WU\ VKRZLQJ Rij \RXU PRUH introspective side. You may be shocked at the results it brings

Farewells

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, April 28, 2023 observer.case.edu Volume LIV, Issue 27

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Observer helped me find A whim that changed my college experience my way at CWRU Shreyas Banerjee Executive Editor The Class of 2023 began our time at Case Western Reserve University in fall 2019 not knowing how good we had it. While much of this is likely nostalgia, I remember just how exciting early freshman life was at CWRU. There were always people to meet, events to go to, clubs to join, late-night Den mozzarella sticks to eat and newlyfound independence to take advantage of. While the acquaintances we made were transient, that was okay because there were always more opportunities to make some more. A true semblance of a community seemed like it existed, and with it a sense of belonging.

And then COVID-19 hit in the middle of our freshman year spring.

While obviously not comparable to the impact the pandemic had on our world, it impacted the Class of 2023 to an extent that still hasn’t really been discussed. We may have had it “best” compared to other years, having at least had a mostly normal first year, and now we’ll have a completely normal graduation, which can’t be said for the Class of 2020, 2021, 2022 or 2024.

However, that exposure to a normal college life made the impact of losing it all the more real. It felt like a promise had been snatched away.

I personally found myself unmoored, detached, isolated, you name it. Once the realization sunk in that we were not coming back to campus and rather that Zoom University was our

new reality, I became aimless and reclusive. The relationships I had built over the past year were just starting to develop and now they were all snatched away. Moreover, the campus culture I had grown to love had fallen apart at the seams. I didn’t belong anywhere.

There were only a few connections that remained; The Observer would soon supersede them all. I first joined The Observer as a writer with much hesitation during that freshman fall. I had never written much in high school and as a prospective biology major, it seemed like I would be doing even less at CWRU. I had picked up a copy of The Observer early on and seeing all the different student writers describe different corners of campus and the student experience that I didn’t even know existed as a new first-year was eye-opening. I mused about being a part of that, so I signed the interest form at the Student Activities Fair. It just had a faint notion that it would be nice to do some writing on the side, but I never truly intended to follow up.

When the first information session came along, I skipped it altogether.

Truthfully, I only began writing for The Observer after awkwardly running into the section editor who encouraged me to sign up in the first place while wandering around Tinkham Veale University Center. That chance encounter would fundamentally change the rest of my college experience.

Continue reading on page 8

Laughing on the inside Tarun Sepuri Director of Design Design is not perfect. Every time you design a newspaper in Adobe InDesign, accounting for the lengths of the articles, the dimensions of the images and the number of pieces in such a way that they fit neatly into 12 pages seems impossible. It is tough to come to terms with the fact that you cannot put the articles you want in the places you want. When I did my first layout almost four years ago, I thought I had it figured out. I put in the articles and images painstakingly, like pieces in a puzzle. That is not to say that layout design is arduous or Adobe InDesign is difficult software to work with, but I felt like those compromises and those puzzle pieces were my responsibilities.

What those compromises have meant to me, and what The Observer has meant to me, has changed over the last four years—which is surprising since ultimately all I did was stare at some iMacs every Wednesday night.

I decided to join The Observer as a layout designer during my first year at CWRU, with no experience, because I had a feeling from being an editor of my high school magazine that the environment of a college newspaper would be fun and purposeful. What I was met with was different from what I expected. I mainly stayed to myself, under three tumultuous different directors of design, usually unsure what the rest of the editorial board was talking about. CWRU did not meet my expectations either, and I was left uncertain whether I belonged, especially during cold, dreary winter days. When

the pandemic sent us home and when I could not work for The Observer during my sophomore year because we didn’t have a physical newspaper, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia. I didn’t second guess coming back my junior year. I stayed, I think, because of the excitement I got from opening the newspaper on a Friday to see how my design had been modified after I went home. I stayed because despite barely knowing anyone else at the newspaper, the jokes the editorial board shared—that I overheard—had me smiling to myself, and I wanted another chance at experiencing that.

My junior year was when I felt a true sense of belonging at The Observer. Maybe it was the new director of design or the onus of responsibility as the only layout designer, or maybe it was the late nights I would spend every Wednesday. What it came down to was the pride in the work we were doing and the hope that one of my memes I created for the Fun page made somebody laugh and have a better day. The nights were never perfect, and I sometimes left miserable, but I kept coming back. On the iMac on production night and in the University Media Board office, I felt some sense of sanctuary and beauty in the cycle of imperfections and compromises every week, in the laughter and camaraderie of the editorial board and the moments of liberty while creating themed graphics, redesigning the Fun page, adding the crossword, meme and word search.

Continue reading on page 8

Sara Khorshidi Director of Print I joined The Observer on a whim. I had never had any journalism experience before, much less any interest in it. In October of my freshman year, my closest friend, Deeksha Gollamudi, a member of The Observer’s social media team, told me that The Observer was desperate for copy editors. “If you don’t have too much going on right now, you should totally apply, I’m sure they’d take you,” she said. “Plus they pay.”

That was good enough for me. Plus, Deeksha would be there, so at least I would have her if things went south.

Within two weeks, I had joined Chris Markham and Aura Rossy in the tiny team of copy editors The Observer had accumulated. I was being trained by one of the co-directors of print, Won Hee Kim, who was instantly the sweetest and most welcoming presence to the slightly overwhelming energy of production nights.

Most of the Observer’s editorial board today would be surprised to hear that I am very anxious and reserved when it comes to new and uncomfortable environments. I barely speak unless I am spoken to and try my best to remain invisible and out of the way. Wednesday production nights were no different. Honestly, I really enjoyed just sitting and watching all the conversations unfold in front of me while I worked, secretly sharing their excitement when they were sharing their stories from the week. It was clear that they were all very close, and I was excited to one day share in that excitement.

Back then, we weren’t nearly as efficient with our editing process as we are now. Aura left The Observer after the fall 2019 semester, so it was just me and Chris. The “late night crew” would be the last ones to leave production nights, usually being made

up of me, Chris, the other co-director of print Nathan Lesch, executive editor Matt Hooke, and our director of design, Preston Willis. We would typically stay until 5 or 6 a.m., and when you’re trapped in a basement room pulling all-nighters with strangers once a week, things start to get weird.

We would talk about strange bits of our lives, write little snippets of nonsensical stories together, introduce strange corners of the internet to each other and edit pictures of one another to such a degree that we cried from laughter. On Thursdays, I had 8 a.m. physics labs, so I would just stay up and go to physics early. I have no idea how I managed to do it every week; it was brutal, but somehow, it was worth it.

In the middle of my first spring semester, COVID-19 came around and shut down everything. I don’t remember much of that, but I do remember that we eventually started our newsletter and released our issues online-only.

We started doing production nights on Zoom, but I never went. It felt too weird, and I just did my editing by myself in my room.

Before I knew it, we were back inperson, and I had been a copy editor for two years. Chris Markham had become director of print in my sophomore year and graduated. I followed along and figured it was time to become a director myself. It was definitely a learning experience, but I really found myself getting the hang of it. I loved being able to oversee all the different parts of the print process and helping all the people that needed it.

I loved getting to know everyone and helping them get adjusted to production nights just like I had. Nathan was the executive editor, but abruptly had to leave in the middle of the spring semester, and Shreyas Banerjee took his place.

Continue reading on page 8

8 Farewells

Friday, April 28, 2023

SHREYAS from page 7 Starting as an Arts and Entertainment writer, I stuck to my comfort zone at first, writing mostly about my favorite movies before starting to cover events. Going to cool functions, eating food and interviewing interesting people made me fall in love with CWRU even more. The bustling student experience at CWRU became all the more apparent and admirable as I continued writing articles. Seeing my name in print was like a drug; I just wanted to write more and more. When the world fell apart there were suddenly no more events to write on and just writing about movies seemed useless.

What point was there to write articles for a university that barely even existed anymore?

At the same time, all students were feeling just as disconnected as I was; we all needed something to bind us to a college community being held together by Zoom rooms and Discord servers. As The Observer paused its print production and launched a digital newsletter, I was amazed by the hundreds of signups we got within days. Despite The Observer being unable to report what was happening on campus anymore, people still wanted to hear from us, and by extension from the CWRU students they were no longer seeing physically. We were all looking for something to latch on to. There had never been such a moment in student history at CWRU or at any other university, and now understanding the value we had in connecting students during such a disconnected time, I kept writing. The Observer gave me a sense of purpose and belonging.

Becoming the Arts and Entertainment section editor the next year, my priority became to document this truly unique period in student life. We were all trying completely new things for the first time. How would remote events work? Could a play even be done via a Zoom room? How could clubs even operate without the structures and procedures that had once held them together? How many movies and TV shows could we all actually watch on the numerous new streaming services being launched? These were all questions I wanted to answer and student experiences I wanted to relay to everyone else to remind them

that they were not alone. While we were all stuck in our bedrooms, there were many CWRU students valiantly trying to create a mirage of a campus community, just in order to connect us all again. Remembering that would help me get through the darkest times of the pandemic. Each time I interviewed a club president trying to host a virtual meet-and-greet or a student government representative working to improve the limited student experience or a CWRU staff member who just wanted to hold some bingo games, I was reminded that while my experience at CWRU had radically changed, the university and its community had not abandoned me. These stories we were telling went far beyond the traditional definition of arts and entertainment; it felt demeaning to continue calling them that. Rather, we were giving a look into the life of CWRU students, including their interests, anxieties and hopes for the future. The name change to “Life” couldn’t have made more sense; it reflected the new perspective The Observer had given me on just how valuable our CWRU community is.

Meanwhile I began to meet people within The Observer’s editorial board.

At first I was just able to see their lovely faces in Zoom tiles as we slogged away at issues late on Wednesday nights.

Eventually upon a limited return to campus in spring 2021, I ran into the physical forms of my coworkers and it turned out those faces also had legs.

Meeting others who shared my passion for relaying the student experience at CWRU and cared as deeply about this university’s community as I did was truly invigorating. They became some of my best friends, advising and consoling me on many matters inside and outside the paper. Though I had lost many casual acquaintances due to the pandemic, The Observer allowed me to develop real relationships through this time. I must particularly shout out a few Observer staff members for keeping me sane, including my mentor, former executive editor Nathan Lesch; my dear friend, former opinion editor Jordan Reif; my source of joy, former director of digital Media Hannah Allen; my partner in misery, outgoing opinion editor Karuna

Lakhiani and my director of print Sara Khorshidi, who has particularly been invaluable as my right hand person and confidante. The newspaper honestly would fall apart without her and so would I. As time passed, the university slowly started to reopen and more students started to return. The Observer started printing again, but we all realized that we really didn’t know how to do that anymore. So many of the guides, procedures, tips and tricks that previous staff had passed on to the next had been lost to our generation. Our first issue we accidentally produced an improper page count that couldn’t even be printed. The same loss of institutional knowledge was true all across CWRU. All of a sudden, we all found ourselves trying to rebuild institutions we only had the briefest interactions with, all from an external point of view.

While this was frightening, it was all the same exciting. We may not have had the benefit of past experiences, but we were also not beholden to the past. While the campus culture I experienced as a first-semester freshman would be far more robust than any following semester, it was not without its faults, with a noticeable lack of school spirit and engagement as a whole in CWRU matters. An opportune time had arrived to redefine our organizations, traditions and our student experience as a whole at CWRU. I suddenly found myself in the role of Executive Editor in spring 2022, given the opportunity to do just that for our student newspaper. With the help of innumerable other members of the Editorial Board, I’ve worked to slowly rebuild The Observer into a staple of campus life, telling stories essential to the CWRU experience. Over the past year and a half, we’ve worked to overhaul how people interact with our organization, making the digital newsletter as essential as our print product, completely redesigning our print paper for the first time in a decade, starting the creation of weekly videos showcasing the CWRU community and overhauling how our social media operates. Other projects have included creating an endowment to support the independence of this paper in the future, creating a new payment system

for staff members and even renaming our entire paper to better reflect our audience. There have been countless tweaks along the way to our practices, styles, standards, the stories we tell and the ways we tell them. Through it all, we’ve been able to rebuild this organization into one more connected to its community, informing it while no longer being apart from it. There is still much work to do to improve our news-gathering apparatus, but I could not be more proud of my team and the work we’ve done since returning from the depths of the pandemic. This has been such a unique time in the university’s history and I can be satisfied with knowing that we were able to document the student experience during this period, week in and week out.

Now as the Class of 2023 approaches graduation, things are starting to come full circle. Events, club meetings and social gatherings are back on campus, but not exactly like they were when they left us. We’ve gone through a lot as a class, seeing the fall and rebirth of our university’s student life. We are still rebuilding our institutions, but thankfully we are not doing it all the same way all over again. The CWRU community I see today is more active, spirited, engaged, resilient, diverse and aware than it ever has been.

This didn’t happen by itself but rather because we all worked to get it to this point. In our quest to rebuild what had been lost to us, we managed to somehow make something all the better. It’s been my privilege to document this process through The Observer.

I often joke that my true major wasn’t biology or philosophy, but rather The Observer. Having spent countless hours on production nights, writing articles, delivering papers and promoting the organization, this is likely closer to the truth than I’d like to admit. Despite all the work, I could never give The Observer as much as it has given me. It gave me a purpose on this campus, a chance to make an impact and the opportunity to truly appreciate and understand the constant work being done by my peers to improve our university. To me, The Observer was more than just a student newspaper. It was a community, a lifeline and a source of hope.

I feel now and as I leave CWRU is the same uncertainty and the feelings that the silent drives back home after production night evoked. I feel not only accomplished and exhausted, but also anxious about mistakes. I do wonder if I have done what I set out to do or ever came close to fulfilling a perfect college life. CWRU was never perfect, and my experience here was never without my fair share of mistakes. However, if this design process has taught me anything, it’s about dealing with mistakes. While the mistakes I make every week are imprints on papers that will stay with me wherever I go, those mistakes are also not reflective of the entire piece of

work; they will lose their weight with every weekly newspaper, every lesson and every design change. The uncertainty will stay with me for now, unsure of a vision still marred by compromises, but I think, more importantly, I know why I stayed. I am smiling, not in the uncertainty, but in the afterglow of all of the imperfect conversations, laughter and layouts held up by the people around me. Also, the title of this article was supposed to be a callback to the memes I frantically try to create at 2 a.m. while executive editor Shreyas Banerjee and director of print Sara Khorshidi are desperate to go home. I will miss The Observer dearly.

the world to me. I have loved being his co-captain in this wonderful organization and I haven’t processed that it’s all coming to an end in just a few weeks. As I’m writing this, I’m just now realizing that I’ve spent almost every Wednesday night of my college career in the University Media Board office. What am I going to do with all that extra time?

I’m so proud of everyone I’ve worked with in this process—all of the editors and designers that have come and

gone in my time here—and I’ve been so impressed with their growth over the years. I’ve been here for an entire editorial board transition, and everyone’s dedication to their work has never failed to amaze me. The sense of community and belonging that I longed for in the beginning has remained, and I couldn’t be happier. I still hear those lively conversations every night and it still fills me with so much joy. I’m going to miss it when I’m gone.

TARUN from page 7 My senior year as director of design was the most rewarding but also the most uncertain. The real art in design was not the compromises but the decisions that had to be made with the given articles without ever disconnecting completely from the vision of the paper that the team as a whole set out.

The Halloween week article and the April Fools issues were highlights, but so were getting Jolly milkshakes and going to a college journalism conference in San Francisco. Redesigning the newspaper was all more rewarding, not from my own work but from the people I was surrounded by. The work would be impossible without the

other layout designers that made our design what it was and kept me sane.

Shifra Narasimhan, who joined the newspaper after I enticed her with free food, Dasha Degterev, Catherine Choi, Auden Koetters and Mulan Ma, may have all been at our iMacs, but we still felt like a cohesive part of the editorial board. The conversations we had were never productive but comforting, freeing and somehow creatively insightful.

We laughed through the struggle of getting the paper and our work done, but through rough weeks and rough Wednesdays all the same, I always looked forward to production nights.

The amalgamation of emotions that

SARA from page 7 At that time, I was very familiar with Shreyas. I was introduced to him as a writer when I started out as a copy editor, where he primarily wrote for the Arts and Entertainment section. He wrote so much and had such a specific style that it was impossible to ignore him. He often came up as a topic of conversation during production nights, whether it was talking about some strange phrasing he had included in his pieces or how he had come upon such

strange and specific pieces of information. I would be lying if I didn’t say some of his pieces were borderline torture to edit. That year, he had become the A&E section editor, and I had gotten to know him better, but working with him as the new executive editor was an entirely different experience. It’s so evident that he works so hard and cares so much about the final product, and honestly, we made a great team.

Working with Shreyas has meant

Farewells 9

observer.case.edu

The last-minute editorials were worth it Karuna Lakhiani Opinion Editor My first hands-on exposure to journalism was my Introduction to Journalism class freshman year, taught by the late Jim Sheeler. It was the first class I ever registered for, and I had to email Professor Sheeler to ask him to let me in the class since it was already full. On the very first day of class on Monday morning, Professor Sheeler told us that he lets anyone who asks into the class, which I think sums up the type of person he was: welcoming, especially to those remotely interested in journalism. And it was in this wonderful class that I first heard about The Observer. This farewell article would never have been possible without the passionate and caring Jim Sheeler, and for that, I could never be more grateful.

Even though Professor Sheeler and his class made me want to join The Observer, I had no idea what to expect and no clue what section I wanted to write for. It was on a whim that I started writing for the Opinion section. My very first article was a disaster and even got sent back to me to rewrite—so, I became discouraged, but also incredibly busy with other extracurriculars and ended up taking a hiatus.

It wasn’t until Jordan Reif, former

opinion editor, reached out to me the next semester introducing herself as a new section editor that I started writing again. Then COVID-19 hit, and I had nothing better to do other than write.

And I wrote. I wrote about TikTok (which is such a cringe-inducing article that Sara Khorshidi, my director of print, commented on as copy editor at the time), “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” lack of diversity in literature, sexual assault allegations and much more.

The more I wrote, the more I felt as if I had a voice—as cliché as it sounds. More importantly, the more I wrote, the more I grew as a person and a writer. Even though I couldn’t see that growth and change in myself at the time, Jordan did, and she encouraged me to apply to be the next opinion editor. Although, I applied for the position flippantly, thinking I wouldn’t get the position nor that I actually wanted it. But lo and behold, I got the position, accepted it and thus began the next two years of my life in this role.

Even though I may have been unserious about applying for opinion editor, I was incredibly nervous going into my first production night.

I had no idea what I was doing—it took me hours to edit a single article, I knew absolutely no one on the editorial board and my first editorial lacked any real direction. It wasn’t

until my third production night that I had unknowingly found the drive for the editorials: criticizing Case Western Reserve University.

“Editorial: Case For Life is a danger to the student body” is the editorial that started it all. The editorials, such as “President Kaler’s false positivity is not needed at CWRU” or “Valentine’s Day should make us consider existing sexual assault culture at CWRU,” are ones where I’m definitely condemning the university. But on a more serious note, these editorials are not just ones I write on behalf of my fellow editorial board members, but ones where I wanted to be a voice for the student body.

It’s through these editorials, despite writing them during production nights (sorry to the copy editors), that I developed my voice not just as a writer, but as an advocate.

Writing for this campus newspaper has made me recognize my obligation to listen to and convey diverse voices and perspectives. I strived to articulate the concerns of the university community, and I hoped my fellow students, not just readers, felt seen.

However, if it weren’t for the people on the editorial board, I wouldn’t enjoy production nights or even my college experience nearly as much. If it weren’t for being opinion editor, I would never have met ex-

ecutive editor Shreyas Banerjee, the person who I can always make fun of and my coffee-shop buddy. Or social media editor Sophie Popkin, the person who can always make me laugh and my Midwestern goodbye buddy. Or Ritika Devarakonda, the person who always sounds a little too concerned for my well-being and my spontaneous dinner buddy.

I could name so many more people that have made my time at The Observer (Joey Gonzalez, Puneet Bansal, Shifra Narasimhan and Shivangi Nanda all deserve a shoutout) memorable, but the point is, The Observer hasn’t just been impactful in finding my voice, but also in finding my people.

While writing is involved in other parts of my life, such as with my love for creative writing or my job at the Writing Resource Center, seeing that my words in each week’s printed paper could have an impact on this community—even if it’s just one student feeling validated—is what continued to motivate me to write not only for myself, but for others.

The Observer is a place where I’ve learned that no voice is ever the same, but that every voice deserves to be heard. I’m thankful I’ve been able to share mine and those of others around me. So, in true me fashion, I’m signing off my very last article in the late hours of production night at exactly 2:22 a.m.

Goodbye my little CWRU community Joey Gonzalez Life Editor So my time at Case Western Reserve University is coming to an end, and a bittersweet one at that. While I have never been the biggest fan of Cleveland—an understatement as my hope for the last four years has been to leave this place as a distant memory in my rear-view mirror—I’m starting to feel a little saddened by the conclusion of my time here. Part of graduating means leaving the small little community that you’ve found yourself in. As we approach graduation, that realization is slowly starting to sink in. Cleveland has certainly provided me with plenty of memories to pass on, but in the end, it will be the people that I will miss the most.

Fresh-eyed first-year Joey would never have imagined me sitting in my room writing for a college newspaper, let alone a sad farewell piece.

Four years ago I carved out an incredible community of people around me, and we certainly did not completely focus on academic success. But honestly, life was way more fun that way.

I never took anything too seriously, except maybe my grades every so often when they needed my attention, and I really just wanted to enjoy my time.

From impromptu Leutner trips to late nights playing video games, I had found a community of friends who have lasted with me through the stress of our four years here. And every so often, that community steadily grew, losing some members but gaining a ton more. The first person I met at CWRU and my freshman year roommate, Cedric, quickly became one of my closest friends here. The two of us were, and still are, two peas in a pod, always coming together after time apart like nothing changed. We ended up staying during the doomed spring break of 2020, where the two-week COVID-19 vacation turned into months at home.

But we didn’t know that at the time and our goodbye was not made with the expectation that we wouldn’t see

each other again that semester. The only benefit to that time was that my little community never saw distance as a problem, because we all continued to keep in contact. We had little Zoom movie nights and of course the occasional “Among Us” sessions to keep us occupied, just how we liked it.

After months of quarantine and living with my family, I decided I needed to return—even if it was Cleveland. I came back the spring semester of my sophomore year and it was definitely a rough time. With clubs and gathering practically at zero around campus, it was definitely a lot harder to stay involved. But one thing came out of it that would lead me to write this very piece—my introduction to The Observer. In one of my numerous online courses that semester, I was told that there were positions that needed to be filled and that semester, I decided to apply. Now I will say, while I enjoy my solo adventures, I definitely needed someone to join me, someone who I could complain about my work to, of course. So when a friend of a friend reached out to me and was searching for a club to join, I happily offered up The Observer. Sophie Popkin, my Observer work-wife if you will, gave me the motivation I needed to put myself out there and apply. And in the fall of 2021, I was welcomed into The Observer as a copy editor—a position that certainly came with its fair share of ups and downs.

I will say, my time as a copy editor taught me so much about both myself and my ability as a writer. I had no ambition of pursuing journalism when I joined; I really just needed something that would stand out on my resume.

But The Observer, and the community involved, provided me with so many invaluable skills and opportunities that I would not have had otherwise. And the late nights in the University Media Board office brought me so much closer to the incredible people that make presenting news actually fun. Now, I did my fair share of complaining about my responsibilities, and that certainly hasn’t changed. But I claimed my role

as the comedic relief, from AirDropping—or in the case of my director of print, Sara Khorshidi, texting (she has an Android)—memes to playing obnoxiously loud videos at 2 a.m. I found that I wasn’t dreading my Wednesday nights, but instead looking forward to them, even if it was just for the free meal. But, alas, in the spring, I said farewell to The Observer, at least for a time. My ability to balance all of my responsibilities was severely lacking and I decided to take a step back, a decision which The Observer team completely backed. I felt like I was letting everyone down but I needed to prioritize myself and frankly my sleep schedule.

That was until I was asked to make my return, a comeback that no one saw coming. I decided someone had to be the sex appeal of the Editorial Board and became the new life editor. Honestly, my goal this year has been to have as much fun as I possibly could and the Life Section was the perfect place to do that. I don’t take much too seriously, and my responsibilities as an editor were no exception. So I decided to take on the challenge of finding the weirdest, most obscure events in Cleveland and write about them. The infamous Pickle Fest article was my first, and arguably greatest, attempt at this feat.

It was the first event that I really felt showcased my own personality while also bringing the CWRU campus important, groundbreaking news. It brought me out of my comfort zone, physically and metaphorically—as I was violently hungover at the festival.

But I continued to find my groove at The Observer, really feeling like an integral part of the community. I got to interview an international music artist and write numerous pieces on outlandish movies and tv shows. Most importantly, I got to work with some incredible writers and editors throughout my last year and I couldn’t be more thankful. So thank you for making my time here incredible, I will certainly miss some of you—just kidding, I’ll miss all of you.

But I am not just leaving The Observer—I am saying farewell to Cleve-

land and the close knit community that I have formed here. Over my four years, the people around me have really shaped the person I am today, especially my roommates. Although I only truly live with three people, there are five of us. Alex, the evergentle problem solver who always has something nice to say, even if she isn’t paying attention to the conversation in the first place.

Dagny, the rambunctious jokester who always accompanied me on my PokemonGo walks and an avid unapologetic Weezer fan. Next there’s Ally, our unofficial roommate who never ceases to help herself to our fridge and who is always ready for a night out, dancing her way through the club while completely sober. Her contact is the only one pinned on my phone so you know she holds a special place in my heart. Destiny is the fourth, but certainly not the least, who always refers to me as her emotional support dog but honestly I think it works the other way around. From late nights laying in my bed to being forced to enjoy my Minecraft builds, I love Des with all my heart and I am so glad to have her in my life. And finally there is Bowser Junior, our collective emotional support cat whose infatuation with bread is quite frankly insane. He never fails to find a piece of plastic to chew on or bite our legs as we’re walking by as if he pays rent. These are the people—and the cat—that make up my small little world at CWRU and I am so grateful for them.

And just like that, my time at CWRU has been brought to close. Only 1,500 words to summarize my entire four years here and it barely scratches the surface of everything and everyone that has made my time memorable.

And while the realization of it coming to a close has not yet kicked in, I understand that this will be goodbye to my little CWRU community in Cleveland. If you’re a part of that, thank you.

I may not appear like it, but I truly and deeply thank each and every one of you for being in my life—it means a lot.

And if you aren’t, I hope you enjoyed this nonetheless.

10 Farewells

Friday, April 28, 2023

Riding the wave Sophia Popkin Social Media Editor Throughout the years I have spent at Case Western Reserve University, my mom has regularly told me to “ride the wave” during our conversations, namely in response to my anxious rants about the uncertain future and my (imaginary) impending failures.

I was never entirely sure what she meant by “the wave,” but I suppose that she purposefully left it up to interpretation.

Within the strange transitional period that was the spring 2021 semester, between attending my Zoom classes and and going slightly insane together with my with my roommate Kasey Pukys in the dorms of a halfempty CWRU campus, I started to reflect more and more upon my college experience so far. During that time, I was making anxiety-induced projections for what I needed to achieve before I graduate and how things might play out, for better or for worse. At that point, I was only friends with the same small group of people I met during Discover Week freshman year, I wasn’t involved in any organizations on campus, I had a resume with very little work experience and, like many other young adults during the pandemic, I just felt mentally stuck and underprepared as I was approaching the halfway point of my college career. I had no idea where “the wave” that my mother alluded to was supposed to take me.

During the sleepless nights of that semester while I restlessly pondered what did and what might happen, two things became solidified within my

plans for the future: 1) Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I was going to have to take a dreaded and stigmatized five year approach to earning my bachelor degree and 2) I needed to make some friends outside of my primary friend group so I wouldn’t end up being hopelessly alone during that unexpected fifth year.

So, I reached out to Joey Gonzalez—a friend of a friend whom I met through one of my Zoom political science courses, and who was one of the few others also staying on campus during the spring 2021 semester. We quickly bonded over our almost identical senses of idiotic humor and our love for the fictional vacation hotspot “Spooky Island” from the 2002 live action masterpiece “Scooby-Doo.” Then one day, after having discussed wanting to join some sort of campus organization together, Joey and I settled on applying for The Observer. Embarrassingly, up until that point I didn’t even know that CWRU had a student newspaper. But, that lack of knowledge inspired me to apply for the social media editor position—I wanted to help increase campus awareness and interest in the newspaper. Joey and I sat together in my room in Village House 5, trying to figure out what we should write in our cover letters for The Observer, and eventually we sent our applications in.

After interviewing and getting the position, I quickly realized that I barely knew what I was doing—I had never managed social media accounts on such a large scale, and I essentially had to teach myself how to do graphic design. But that was part of the fun! I learned as I went, and I slowly started

to get better and more efficient with writing article features for Instagram captions and creating new post designs. I even created our TikTok account to expand our reach. What started as a strategic move to meet other students and to do some resume building turned into a creative outlet for me, and I became weirdly proud of our growing social media presence.

I also started writing articles here and there when I was inspired by current events (and when I could actually find the time). This really helped me to find my voice outside of the academic writing that I’m used to doing for my political science and sociology courses.

But of course, meeting new people was still one of my favorite parts of joining the Editorial Board. Although most of my closest friends graduated in 2022, I started to develop deeper relations with my fellow editors. During the 2022-2023 school year, I had girls nights to watch romcoms with opinion editor Karuna Lakhiani, explored Cleveland with Karuna and executive editor Shreyas Banerjee and went thrifting with life editor Joey Gonzalez for funny t-shirts—and I’m so incredibly happy that I did. Without them, I think my fifth year would have been insufferable, and I am very thankful for all of the late night memories and silly antics that we have gotten up to.

This year, I was also presented with the opportunity to travel to San Francisco with The Observer during spring break for a student journalism conference. The conference really increased my knowledge of professional social media management within the journalism sphere. But it was also just a great bonding experience for all of the

editorial board members that went—I found myself having long conversations with fellow members that I had barely spoken two words to previously.

All of this is just a long winded way of saying that I’m grateful for what I have gotten out of The Observer. Despite all of the tenuous hours that I have spent slightly moving shapes back and forth on Canva until they looked the most aesthetically pleasing and the reading and rereading captions to make sure I got the wording just right, I appreciate the sense of community and knowledge that the newspaper has given me.

But most importantly, I think The Observer has helped me to gain more confidence in myself and to stop overthinking everything in my life. The experiences that came with being in a leadership position and writing articles have led me to finally regain a level of self-assuredness that I had lost for several years. Of course, I still lay awake at night sometimes, anxiously debating what has been and what will be. But, if I’ve learned anything during the past few years, it’s that careful planning and fretting over what could happen is fruitless. With the fast-paced environments of a student newsroom and the social media space, I’ve realized the importance of acting quickly (but rationally) with my best effort, because that’s all I really can do. Although I take a slightly more methodical approach to it, I’ve finally come to understand the value of “riding the wave” like my mom has been telling me for years. It’s important to have goals and general projections for the future, but being adaptable to the tide (and sometimes rip current) that is life is equally necessary.

along with yet another family who I cherish deeply. While growing up, I envied my favorite Saturday Night Live cast members. Being able to impersonate Bill Hader’s Stefon character to my mom, or performing Dana Carvey’s “Chopping Broccoli” song to my friends at my eighth grade lunch table felt like the only way I could express myself. I always used humor as a coping mechanism, a self-defense strategy, a deterrent for opening up and, above all, a way to express myself. When I auditioned for CWRU’s improv troupe, IMPROVment, I went in with no expectations, and no expected negative feelings if I didn’t get in. I knew I could make myself laugh, and to me that was always the most important thing.

Fortunately, I was welcomed with open arms to join the troupe, and it has been an experience quite unlike any other. It has been a creative outlet that I was desperately seeking, but also one that continues to challenge me. It has made me better at interacting with others, and it has made me understand my personal role in a way that I never could have envisioned during my previous existence as a vagabond experiencing my own life through a third-person perspective. I have made some of the strongest connections with people, who not only helped me behave around others, but also taught me the importance of letting go and having fun. As someone who tries to see the lighter side of every situation, I still have problems taking things too seriously, and forgetting that every interaction I have had while attending CWRU has been nothing short of a blessing.

I first started writing for The Observer after interacting with thenexecutive editor Matt Hooke at the student activities fair in fall 2019. I was eager to write about baseball and

music, and ended up taking on the role of playlists, as well as reviews of TV shows, movies and albums. Over the last four years, I have been fortunate enough to have an outlet to share things I love with people, in hopes that maybe just one person might be turned on to a song or show. From local drag shows, to Steely Dan, Lil Nas X and Yo La Tengo, to “King of the Hill,” “The Sopranos,” “Neon Genesis Evangelion” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” I never wanted to pigeonhole myself, or what the campus community was reading. Perhaps this notion was lost when making playlists of music that seemed to mostly fall under the category of dad rock. However, in addition to sharing my interests, I always just wanted to have fun, and if even just one person shared the joy I felt in hearing a song or watching a TV show, I knew that I made some impact during my time here. In keeping with the theme of sharing joy and self-expression, I want to share a few of my favorite songs that helped me get through my time here, and as a way to thank CWRU, everyone and everything that has made my journey here so special.

Thank you, CWRU TJ Disabato Staff Writer When I first drove through University Circle in April 2019, I was frantically trying to find a place where I could envision myself growing outside of the close roots of semi-rural Pennsylvania farmland. I never went on an official tour here, and despite now being a tour guide, I feel that the unofficial stroll I took was more than enough to make up my mind. As if the serenity of Wade Lagoon and the Cultural Gardens, as well as the gluttonous daydreams of Little Italy were not enough, my choice was further solidified while eating at a now-closed Melt in University Heights, now occupied

by The Haunted House Restaurant.

In the past four years, the community I have formed here has helped me grow in ways that I would have never thought previously possible as an overly enthusiastic 18-year-old. My first year at Case Western Reserve University was rough, and I mean rough.

After considering transferring several times, I viewed the two week stay-athome order during spring break to be the opportunity I needed to gather myself and my thoughts. Two weeks soon turned into 11 months and I reached an all-time low. At this point, I was back in Pennsylvania farmland and I was struggling with my coursework, my relationships with all my close family members, and my own identity. After turning to every person available to me, I felt entirely hopeless, and knew that I had few other options than to wait it out.

I returned to campus in spring 2021. Despite not having a single class in-person, I knew that it would be best to return to Cleveland, even with living on Southside being comparable to a barren wasteland at the

time. However, the end of my second year marked a turning point, where possibilities seemed to be opening up to me. I soon joined Phi Delta Epsilon to pursue my passion for medicine and the biological sciences.

More important than shaping those goals, the group exposed me to people who turned into some of the greatest friends, and many of whom I continue to rely on. I was also welcomed to conduct research in the laboratory of Dr. Zigmond in the Department of Neurosciences as a summer volunteer. It was at this time that I made a dedication to myself to make my living habits better. I started working out, eating healthier, forming better friendships, opening up to people and being more vulnerable.

When I came out in fall 2021, it was part of that same commitment to doing things for myself. I couldn’t let awkward silence follow me into adulthood, and I certainly wasn’t going to let anyone else live my life for me. Funnily enough, I was most worried about people treating me differently, and ended up being most disappointed when I was treated exactly the same. I thought that at this point, all of my problems would be solved, including familial strife and strained friendships. I realized that any single action cannot resolve all your conflicts, and after slowly confiding with family over time, I am still learning to love them and myself. At this point, my friend group seemed to be solidified. Between the friends I met through Phi Delta Epsilon, writing for The Observer and giving tours for the Office of Undergraduate Admission, I felt lucky to be surrounded by such incredible people. I could not have done it without them.

Over the last year, I took a huge step in my journey with self-confidence, while also finding a creative outlet,

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Tears for Fears “Lazy Line Painter Jane” – Belle & Sebastian “In the Kingdom” – Mazzy Star “Songbird” – Fleetwood Mac “Uncertain Smile” – The The “Road to Nowhere” – Talking Heads “Someday, Someway” – Marshall Crenshaw “Nightswimming” – R.E.M. “My Old School” – Steely Dan “Somewhere Only We Know” – Keane “My Little Corner of the World” – Yo La Tengo “Jungleland” – Bruce Springsteen

Farewells 11

observer.case.edu

Love it or hate It, I’ll miss it Bye bye, CWRU! Enya Eettickal Staff Writer If you’ve read my other articles, or have had a conversation with me in person, you know that I’m a certified Cleveland hater. I’ve always had a lot to say about this city and university, and I, like many other seniors, have no reservations saying “I can’t wait to get out of here!” But as graduation is less than a month away, I’m suddenly a bit hesitant to say it. Case Western Reserve University, for all it’s faults, has been quite kind to me over the past four years. There’s a lot I’m going to miss.

I’ve spent the last year-and-a-half being a critic in these articles, so for my last go around, I’ve decided to switch it up and share some love I have for this small STEM university.

It all started my freshman year, when I got dropped off at my Northside dorm. I truly had no idea what was going to happen when I moved onto the second floor of Taplin. The girls who lived next door, down the hall

and on the other floors became some of the people who I’d had the most fun with that year. They taught me how to go explore Cleveland and get involved in events on campus, which I’m insanely grateful for. So while I’d still whine about the lack of air conditioning and constant construction, I can’t say the overwhelming smell of detergent or the sound of an out-of-tune piano being played in the quiet of night wouldn’t get me sentimental.

Call me a nerd, but I’ve also really enjoyed a lot of the classes I’ve gotten to take at CWRU. I was lucky enough to get into an interesting SAGES class, take weird interesting courses to fulfill credits and discover a lot of hobbies and interests along the way. Screenwriting, ceramics and fencing are some that come to mind. I’ve always had a hard time learning stuff I don’t have interest in, but I take great joy in being able to learn things that I like, and I know that I’ll miss that postundergrad.

Along those same lines, The Observer is a major joy that I’ve found as an upperclassman at CWRU. I always

enjoyed pondering random arguments or debates, but I didn’t have a space to share them and I was hesitant to start doing so. I know my opinion pieces are far from traditional, but The Observer made space for whatever random thoughts or opinions I wanted to share (shoutout to my opinion editor Karuna Lakhiani for always approving whatever whack pitch I send her way too late) and I’ve had so much fun sharing them. I don’t know if I’ll have a space like this again in the future, and so I hold my time with The Observer very close to my heart. If you’re thinking about writing for The Observer, do it. It’s very much worth your time.

But the part of my CWRU experience I’m going to miss most is my time at CWRU Mock Trial. I joined my freshmen year, and it very quickly became one of the most important parts of my life. Traveling around the Midwest and East Coast in 16-person vans while staying at questionable hotels really bonds you to a group of people, especially when you’ve been doing it for four years of your life for nearly every week. During the COVID-19 pandem-

ic especially, mock trial was simultaneously the one thing that drove me up a wall and kept me sane. I can reliably say with a degree of certainty, the connections I’ve made with my loud, crazy and hard working teammates are relationships that I’ll be maintaining for a long time, even out of college. I’m very grateful for them and I’ll miss them a lot.

So that’s it. In about a month, there’ll be no more time for my undergraduate experience here at CWRU. No more waiting for Safe Rides for insane amounts of time, no more weekly deadlines for The Observer I miss with regularity (Sorry Karuna), no more traveling at 2 a.m. to a random Midwest town for a mock trial tournament. For me, it’s the end of Thwing Tuesdays, Saturday night IMPROVment shows, dance and acapella showcases and late night runs to Euro Wafel. So while I’m ready for the next phase of life, I don’t know if I can keep saying I “can’t wait” to leave. Maybe, just maybe, I could stand to wait just a bit longer to say bye to a community that’s dear to my heart.

That’s when I found The Observer, a place for me to share my voice in the Opinion section with the freedom and flexibility to talk about any issue that was on my mind.

It’s connected me to many different writers on campus, who all share the same passion for media and writing. Joining during a remote learning period meant that I wasn’t able to see the board or the columnists in person but rather over Zoom calls, and for a long time, I forgot we even printed physical copies of our issues. That being said, it was almost like I was joining the organization for the first time when we started to shift to an in-person environment. I learned about the print process, connected more with the board and even snatched a couple of physical issues (so that I could cut out my articles for memorabilia, of course).

Writing for The Observer rekindled my passion for writing in gener-

al, and even though at times I pushed off writing articles to catch up on essays for my classes, I do think that it strengthened my literary voice, and I think the articles I wrote are a testament to that growth. Saying goodbye is never easy, but that just means what we are saying goodbye to is that much important. I am glad that I got to spend three-fourths of my time here at Case Western Reserve University writing for The Observer, and doing so alongside many talented friends and peers. While it feels like one chapter is closing, I now look forward to starting a new chapter where I can continue writing and making new connections with the environment around me. But that doesn’t mean the past is forgotten. I’ll look back at my cutout Observer issues and reminisce about the wonderful times I’ve had here, and I know that there was no better way to spend the rest of my senior year.

Farewells are never easy Latavya Chintada Staff Writer Yesterday, I woke up with a sense of dread brewing in the pit of my stomach. As a senior, graduation is an exciting prospect—finally being free from the shackles of academia, celebrating with friends and family and having a sense of new beginnings. I still feel thrilled to be graduating in just a couple of weeks, but the full force of how soon I’ll be moving onto the next chapter of my life hit me like a semitruck. I would have to say goodbye to the home I’ve made in Cleveland for the last four years, friends who I feel like I’ve known forever, and the organizations I’ve poured my heart and soul into, such as The Observer.

My journey with The Observer started December 2020, amidst the ongoing pandemic and the various social protests occurring around

the world. Freshman year, I didn’t even realize that The Observer existed, as I was still getting accustomed to the university and all it had to offer. However, after the pandemic sent everyone home, I, like many others, felt isolated from the campus community and sought a way to be connected with my peers. During this time, I started to pick up hobbies that have been long neglected. This included picking up books (that were not class textbooks or assigned readings!), playing my violin, and most importantly, getting back into writing creatively. I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, and I distinctly remember 10-year-old me trying (and failing) to write a novel. Because of the large number of ongoing social movements at the time, I also felt impassioned to raise awareness and share my own thoughts about key issues such as environmental disasters, mental health and U.S. healthcare.

Reflections on the past four years Caroline Kuntzman Staff Writer If someone told me in April 2019 that my undergraduate experience would be what it became, I have no idea how I would respond. A lot of people told me it would be the best years of my life so my expectations were high. The first semester-anda-half of my time at Case Western Reserve University met those expectations, which came crashing down when a global pandemic sent most of the student body home. As lockdowns started and continued to be extended, I found myself questioning if I would return to CWRU’s campus before my senior year.

Contrary to my cynical prediction that remote learning might continue through the end of my junior year, I did come back to CWRU’s campus halfway through my sophomore year.

I was skeptical as to whether or not students would be allowed to stay there through the end of the academic year, but we fortunately were able to.

Learning to navigate a dramatically different campus life was difficult and continued to be through my junior year. It was a major adjustment that I often struggled with. Unlike previous semesters, where connection and socialization were easily available, it was normal for me not to speak to anyone besides my roommates in nonacademic or student organization settings for prolonged periods of time during spring 2021. I often felt isolated and frustrated by how the pandemic was being handled. My junior year was comparatively better, but still challenging because of the lingering effects of COVID-19.

The Observer gave me a space to say something about the challenges of campus life during the pandemic.

Looking back at the articles I wrote during or after March 2020, COVID-19 is by far the most common topic. Over a third of my articles from this time focus on the pandemic.

Within this selection of COVID-19 articles, the majority are critiques of how the university responded to the virus, most of which I stand by today.

At the time, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was accomplishing, if anything, by writing my articles. I assumed that someone would read them. I hoped they would, at minimum, reach someone who was thinking the same thing and would find some relief in knowing they weren’t alone. I doubted they would reach anyone who could make any of the changes I was calling. I certainly didn’t expect that they would be seen by anyone outside of the CWRU community.

My belief that my article circulation was limited to the campus community was proven incorrect when I got a request from MSNBC to interview with them. They were curious about a piece I wrote on CWRU’s decision to host the first presidential debate at the Health Education Campus. While the interview ultimately got canceled because it was scheduled for the day that The New York Times released information about Donald Trump’s tax returns, it showed that I had a larger audience than I thought.

My pieces were online. Anyone could read them.

I got an even better appreciation of how far my articles could spread after a piece I wrote titled “I unknowingly ate a $15,000 Oreo” became the top trending article on The Observer’s website for a considerable amount of time. I learned from members of the editorial board that it had gotten thousands of views which was a powerful feeling. While I wrote the article primarily for entertainment purposes, it was nice to know that I had such a large platform.

The conclusion of my time at CWRU is incredibly bittersweet.

I simultaneously did more than I thought I could and feel as though so much of my undergraduate experience is missing, probably because of the pandemic disruptions. Throughout all of this, The Observer was a throughline that helped me navigate college. It was a space where I knew I could make my voice heard, no matter how invisible I felt. It helped me find my voice during difficult times. For all of this and more, I am extremely thankful for the years I spent writing for The Observer.

Opinion

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, April 28, 2023 observer.case.edu Volume LIV, Issue 27

EDITORIAL

Dear CWRU Class of 2027 Editorial Board

As the Class of 2023 gets ready to graduate, so does the Class of 2027, just in a different capacity.

This year’s graduates of Case Western Reserve University are leaving after their own unusual college experience of freshman year being interrupted by COVID-19, an entire year being remote and online and post-quarantine campus life. And while the Class of 2027 may have undergone a similar timeline in high school, the next four years will be one of the most foundational ones they will ever experience. So, this editorial is a bit of sage and friendly advice for the new class.

As the cliché goes, don’t come in with expectations or preconceived notions. As repetitive and obvious as it may sound, for a school like CWRU, with its population of nerdy, STEM-obsessed kids, it’s important to keep this in mind. While, sure, we have our quirks, this university has so much to offer. There is so much room for creativity on campus, regardless of whether or not you’re a STEM major. You can be part of a dance team, take art and poetry classes, advocate for causes or even write for The Case Western Reserve Observer while still being studious and social. Keep an open mind and avoid letting any preconceptions cloud your judgment or limit your experiences, especially if you didn’t think CWRU is where you’d end up for college. College is a time of exploration, discovery and growth, regardless of where you attend. Entering Cleveland, Ohio with rigid ideas about what it will be like can prevent you from fully engaging with

the opportunities and challenges that CWRU presents. And again, it’s true—many of us may not have chosen this lovely college campus as our very first choice, but entering college means letting go of the preconceived notions and embracing the unknown.

One of the best ways to embrace the unknown is by meeting new people and finding your community on campus through the hundreds of student organizations offered. The best way to get in touch with these groups is through the Student Activities Fair (SAF), offered at the end of Discover Week, our version of orientation week (or O-Week).

In just a couple hours you can shop through rows of student organizations, learn about their missions and grab some free goodies. Even if you come to this event knowing which groups to join, try to keep an open mind. The beauty of the SAF is that you are not committed to anything; you can join mailing lists and talk to student organization leaders, no strings attached. You never know until you try, so why not try out for our improv troupe, IMPROVment, or play for club sports. They may just become your new favorite activities and your most memorable experiences at CWRU. The same principle applies to finding your friends in your four years. While yes, you will make friends through O-Week, classes, club interest meetings and residence halls, don’t feel pressured to stick with the first friend group you make. Continue to keep that open mind and meet new people and make new friends. This will remain true throughout your entire college career, as your friendships will grow

Like music? Try metal!

Snehal Choudhury Staff Writer It’s nearing finals week again, typically characterized by students—often running on Dunkin’ and very little sleep—scrambling to relearn a boatload of class material they might’ve forgotten during the semester and fighting to keep their GPA intact. And not to mention finalizing move-out and summer plans. Simply put, stress levels on campus are at an all-time high.

Some people diffuse their stress by working out. Others fall down the TikTok rabbit hole. Or, if you’re like me, you pop in headphones and just vibe to music.

Many people find solace in pop or rap, but not me—I must confess that I am a metalhead. Along with hard rock, I got hooked late in my high school career after spelunking through YouTube and finding metal songs by accident. Now, in college, my metal repertoire has expanded.

However, I feel weird admitting this because while there is a sizable community of loyal metalheads, that’s generally the last kind of music most people want to listen to. A 2018 survey of people from 18 countries found that 64% and 57% of respondents preferred listening to pop and rock, respectively, while only 19% preferred metal. Whether it’s online or in real life, there are

plenty of people who insist that metal is absolutely despicable.

A common complaint is that metal just consists of ear-shredding, fast-paced, distorted guitar riffs and guttural screams, making the lyrics impossible to understand and unpalatable for the average listener.

Unlike melodic pop songs that often have a predictable structure and lyrical earworms, metal songs don’t usually follow that format.

However, this is intentional.

Metal is inherently rebellious, opposing the musical status quo. This includes utilizing unconventional song structures, long song lengths, fast and aggressive instrumentals, extra sounds and darker subject matter. While that can be a turnoff for some, pushing the boundaries is what makes metal so alluring to fans. If you think about it, this unorthodox approach to music is an art form of its own.

Unlike many other genres, vocals and lyrics don’t always take center stage. The interplay between guitars, drums and other instruments greatly contributes to the listening experience. When listening to metal, think about the sheer ingenuity and effort it took to coordinate these instruments to create complex, stimulating and memorable riffs—it requires skilled musicianship.

Continue reading on page 13

and sometimes be outgrown too.

Speaking of growth, it’s easy to fall into a routine of classes, extracurriculars and social life once you find your groove at CWRU, especially during your upperclassmen years. However, don’t stop striving to explore Cleveland outside of University Circle, become involved with the campus community and expand your knowledge beyond required coursework. Figure out how to navigate the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority—it’s part of the CWRU experience. Attend events hosted by the University Program Board and University Media Board or volunteer through the Center for Civic Engagement and Learning.

Take classes that you know nothing about or don’t have much experience

in, not just for the easy A (which the humanities and social science classes are not). While, yes, any college can help you develop as a person, how you grow depends on where you are.

CWRU’s impact on your growth will certainly be unique and challenging, but ultimately it’ll be for the best.

It’s incredibly easy to be pessimistic during the anxiety-inducing move-in day, the sleepless nights studying for your first exams and the times when you have to gulf down terrible food from Leutner. However, just know that there is plenty to look forward to here—including finding your academic stride, evolving as a person and leaving your legacy behind when you graduate, all while a new class begins their own journey at CWRU.

The Case Western Reserve Observer Established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of Case Western Reserve University

Shreyas Banerjee Executive Editor & Publisher PRINT Sara Khorshidi Director of Print Grace Johnson News Editor Joey Gonzalez Life Editor Karuna Lakhiani Opinion Editor Puneet Bansal Sports Editor Beau Bilinovich Development Editor Shivangi Nanda Copy Editor Lexy Jensen Copy Editor Rachel Alexander Copy Editor Elie Aoun Copy Editor Kate Gordon Copy Editor DIGITAL MEDIA Joce Ortiz Director of Digital Media Sophia Popkin Social Media Editor Clay Preusch Photo Editor Shejuti Wahed Video Editor Collin Wong Web Editor DESIGN Tarun Sepuri Director of Design Shifra Narasimhan Layout Designer Auden Koetters Layout Designer Catherine Choi Layout Designer Tyler Vu Graphic Designer BUSINESS Khushali Desai Director of Business Operations Matthew Chang Business Manager Ryan Chang Business Manager 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 via e-mail at observer@ case.edu.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be e-mailed to observer@case.edu or submitted on our website at observer.case.edu. Letters 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.

The Observer is a proud member of CWRU’s University Media Board. Follow The Observer on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @cwruobserver.

Opinion 13

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MUSIC from page 12 For example, the band Tool played one of their songs to the rhythm of the Fibonacci sequence. If you listen closely, you can detect a melody behind all the drums and heavy guitars playing at an odd key. Sure, it doesn’t sound like sunshine, but it’s still an incredible form of music.

Plus, there are many metal subgenres, such as heavy or thrash metal. Contrary to popular belief, not all metal is built the same. Progressive and alternative metals are examples that can have more comforting instrumentals and more melodic vocals—listen to Tool, Opeth and Chevelle. Or try listening to more popular metal groups such as Metallica or Iron Maiden, since they

are better suited to the public’s musical tastes.

Other misconceptions about the metal genre include that it is reserved for angsty youth or that listening to it makes people more angry and violent. However, the metal fan base is diverse—they are not all “loners” or “social deviants.”

While some take umbrage at the seemingly inappropriate subject matters covered by metal (i.e., political and social issues, death, gore, destruction, etc.), how is it any worse than pop songs that often include references to sex or partying? Additionally, metal deals with challenging emotions like sadness, anger and betrayal; these are

universal, visceral emotions everyone experiences, making metal a lot more relatable than you may think. Furthermore, one study indicated that metal music does not desensitize individuals to violence.

Research has also found that it can help metalheads emotionally regulate and process difficult feelings like anger. For many people, it can be incredibly beneficial.

For me, metal is therapeutic.

Whether I feel sad, burnt-out or angry, the headbanging music and screaming vocals help me contend with these feelings. Metal even diminishes my daily stress and recharges me, akin to a warm bubble bath in my brain. In high school,

being myself made me somewhat of an outsider and to survive the social landscape, I had to pretend—shattering any self-confidence I’d had.

Listening to metal helped me realize how unapologetically genuine it was, empowering me to do the same. Along with my supportive college friends, metal gave back the confidence I’d lost in high school.

To clarify, I’m not asking you to convert to metalhead status—perhaps the next time you listen to music, maybe you can sprinkle in a metal song or two. If you still don’t think metal is worth a listen, that’s okay, but hopefully, I showed you the beauty of this oft-misunderstood art form.

Stay strong till the very end Beau Bilinovich Development Editor Well, here we are: the end of the semester and another year at Case Western Reserve University. As I’m sure most people can relate to, this semester has been one long, arduous battle. Homework has kept us cooped up in our rooms and exams have challenged our very sense of being. Before college, we were never told how much an excellent education would test patience. But we all find a way around the stress to discover our special place in the world.

And I have, too.

I often struggle with thinking of interesting opinions that are worthy of being published. When our opinion editor Karuna asks me for a pitch, I typically have no idea what to send her. What opinions could I possibly have that people will want to read? What is even worthy of being published? These questions were in my mind when I wrote this article.

When I joined The Observer in the fall of 2020, I came from a speech and debate background. I was part of my high school’s Congressional Debate team, so I had become accustomed to framing arguments in a logical, precise way. That background is immediately obvious looking at my older articles, where

I attempted to create some unbeatable argument about the controversial political event of the week.

Over time, I stepped away from that kind of thinking, branching out into other subjects—focusing more on the university and surrounding community, and, more recently, exploring the struggles of college living, mental health and personal expectations. I believe the latter has been my saving grace, the one thing I’ve always wanted to do but never fully understood. My articles have become an expressive outlet for me.

I think I’ve finally found my place, and I’m happy about the progress I’ve made. I will be a fourth-year in the fall, so I’m excited to continue exploring this side of my writing.

There is still so much more for me to learn.

Aside from writing, I can think of many other saving graces.

Music has been a light shining through the darkness. As small as it may seem, I’m always eager to share a little bit of my musical taste in our weekly editorial board Spotify playlist. Certain songs carry a special meaning for me but there are others that I simply like listening to.

Porter Robinson—a very talented electronic dance music artist and one of my all-time favorites—has helped me get through the worst of this year. I find so much comfort in his music and I’m glad that I get to

listen to it. His newest album, “Nurture,” is phenomenally beautiful and I highly recommend it if you haven’t already listened.

I’ve also found happiness in the fun moments that I spend with my friends. My roommates and I have been watching “The Last of Us” on HBO, written and produced by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the creator of the award-winning video game of the same name and the creator of “Chernobyl” on HBO, respectively. Both Druckmann and Mazin are fantastic writers with amazing creative visions. The series has allowed the 30 million viewers of the first season to experience the lives of the original characters in an entirely new way. I have fallen in love with the show and cherish the sweet moments between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and his adopted daughter, Ellie (Bella Ramsey).

Small moments like this—watching a show with my friends—have kept me steady despite the stress of college. It has given me something to look forward to in the hope that, even if other parts of my life aren’t going so well, I can count on another episode of my favorite show or my favorite artist’s music to brighten my mood. It helps me look forward instead of down. I hope that whoever is reading this has found those rocks in their lives. Make sure to keep them in your back pocket

because you might need to rely on them sometimes.

This is not my final farewell—at least not yet. I still have one more year left and many more opinions and explorative pieces to publish.

I will still be working for The Observer, making my weekly trek to the University Media Board office to work on the paper with the rest of the editorial board. And I still have so much to learn and experience.

However, for my friends on the paper who will be graduating soon– and all other seniors–this is a final farewell. I am so glad to have been able to work with you these past couple of years, and I wish you the best of luck out there in the real world. I hope that those of us remaining on the editorial board can keep this paper as alive as it has been since the beginning.

As this academic year comes to a close, remember to stay strong until the very end. Final exams will be stressful, but take each day as it comes. Eventually, you will reach the end. Hang out with your friends, watch your favorite show and listen to your favorite music—anything that keeps you steady. When you reach the culmination of your journey, you will realize every little setback and the successes that moved you forward made you stronger than you thought. For that alone, you deserve a million congratulations.

How to change someone’s mind—and when you shouldn’t Milo Vetter Staff Writer By now, most people at Case Western Reserve University are aware of the street preachers who took to Euclid Avenue last week. Everyone has their own reactions to the situation, but what really struck me the few times I walked past was how ineffective and useless the street preaching model is for converting people. What college student would be convinced by a monotone lecture about how only repentance for your sins can save you from burning in hell? More to the point, can you think of a pitch less attractive than “this god that you don’t believe in thinks that all of the things that make you happy are actually terrible”?

Broadly, the case of the ineffective street preachers poses a question: When you believe that someone’s lifestyle or beliefs are wrong and you want to change them, how would you do

it? The stakes are high: with Trump supporters, anti-vaxxers, QAnon believers and more, people have gotten much more extreme over the past few years. The need for deradicalization is as clear as ever, so what can you do for the people you care about?

There are two main ways you can go about it. The first is the preachers’ approach—take advantage of someone’s instability and unhappiness. The only way the aforementioned pitch is convincing is if someone is near rock bottom and ready for a fundamental change. This is how most cults and hate groups recruit: A life shock— whether it’s a breakup, a job loss or a move to a new town—makes for minds very fertile for change.

However, this strategy has some problems. As we’ve seen from the preachers’ chilly reception from students, aggressive lecturing doesn’t work on people who are already doing fine. But, more importantly for principled people, it’s not a very honest strategy. Waiting for someone to lose

their job to convince them out of a belief seems a little underhanded, to say the least. So, what if you want a better strategy than what cults use for changing minds? Well, I’ve got bad news for you. The honest approach is much, much harder. It’s not just a matter of having strong and unassailable arguments—although you’ll need those, too. There are two fundamental things that you need in order to bring someone over to your position honestly.

The first thing you need to do is communicate a sense of benefit. If you’re trying to make someone come to an event with you, tell them it’ll be fun and engaging. If you want to convert someone to your faith, tell them about how welcoming the community is and how fulfilling it is to practice.

And if you want someone to agree with a political belief (or a factual statement if they’re denying reality), you have to sell them a better narrative. Say, “I know it’s comforting to think that we live on a flat earth made just for us, but isn’t astronomy much cooler than

theorizing about how many people are in on the conspiracy?” Or, “Sure, you just want the government to leave you alone, but wouldn’t it be nicer if the government helped people instead?”

For this you have to know about the type of person you are talking to. The appeal in that second example isn’t going to fly if the person you’re talking to doesn’t care about helping other people, is it?

The second and much more important requirement to change someone’s mind is to become respectable in their eyes. You may be thinking of practices like dressing well, appearing knowledgeable and being a good speaker.

However, these things are good for giving a convincing speech, but on an interpersonal level, they’re not what’s most important. The key is that whoever you’re convincing must deeply respect you and value what you have to say.

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Friday, April 28, 2023

CHANGE from page 13 Think of someone you profoundly respect, whether it’s a parent, a sibling or a friend. If you had an intense, fundamental disagreement with them, you’d be motivated to resolve it, wouldn’t you? At the very least, you’d hear their argument—and if it’s passionate and reasonable, you might even consider moving over. Conversely, if a distant friend had a similar disagreement with you, it’d be easy to push that dispute to the back of your mind or even spend less time with them. The key difference between these two situations is respect and closeness.

Now, let’s take a step back and see how we can apply this. Let’s say you’re

gay or transgender, and you want to convince a bigoted parent to support your lifestyle. First, you need to build trust and respect. Show them that you’re not just a confused teenager, but instead a functioning and mature adult. When you make your claims, show them how much happier you’d both be if they supported you. But remember, even with these two principles, you’ll never change someone’s mind all at once. All you can do is plant a seed, which may one day make them a supportive parent if they choose to water those seeds by considering your words.

However, having these tools also

means knowing when not to use them.

For example, handling the classic racist uncle during Thanksgiving won’t be done by simply gaining their respect.

You’d have to spend quality time with him and have a series of deep, unrelated conversations for him to stop seeing you as a liberal idiot who’d see the truth if they stopped wasting their brain power inventing new genders. And the more extreme his views, the harder it would be to tolerate his presence to try to build that respect. Finally, there will be a tipping point at which your racist uncle is so racist, his views so vile and his sociability so dysfunctional that building trust is near impossible. You

could still try to plant that seed, but the only person that can help him at that point is a therapist.

Even further, changing minds of political opponents or strangers? Forget about it. You’ll never convince someone of any view if they don’t respect you on a personal level. Without knowing what they truly value, you will have no idea what kind of appeal would be most effective. While you can try to change the minds of the people you know and care about if you’re determined, the strangers at the forefront of those beliefs cannot be convinced of anything else—they can only be outnumbered.

Discussing Refugees on Record and why student publications are vital to counterbalancing mass media Carsten Torgeson Staff Writer I do not think I am alone in saying that the world, as depicted by revenuemotivated mainstream media, can be overwhelming. The news, in an effort

to cover the spectacle of human suffering en masse, ultimately fails in its mission to inform the public, instead generating apathy and disconnectedness. I knew this when I first started writing for The Observer at the end of 2022, and it was my hope that by writing for a smaller student publication,

I might wage a personal war against this feeling of disenchantment. It worked—so much so that I chose to double my journalistic output by writing for another student publication, Refugees on Record (ROR). As this school year draws to a close, I want to briefly state three of the most salient features of student publications that help you, dear reader, to forge onward in your quest to be sensitive, wellinformed and interested in the world around you.

First, in a world increasingly censored by political correctness—justified or not—student publications carve out spaces for the voices of budding thinkers. It is not that classrooms do not provide this space—they do.

But with classrooms being commonly prone to groupthink and consensus, they rarely allow much room for dissent. Student publications are spaces for both orthodox and heterodox ideas to meet in a collaborative discourse that renders both positions more wellrounded and sound in the end.

Second, student publications produce stories and opinion pieces that matter to the student population. Be it a piece breaking down the controversy behind the new “Harry Potter” video game, coverage of an inflammatory letter sent out by a dean or the human-centered story of a refugee, student publications are free to publish creative, thought-provoking and relevant pieces. These pieces are unlikely to be found in other forms of media, where the most sensational pieces are given precedence.

Third, related to the previous point, student publications battle the disconnected, distant and—at times—inhumane perspectives of mainstream media. These perspectives stem from too broad a scope and too strong a drive to churn out commodified stories for consumption. Student publications do this by moving in the opposite direction—by zooming in and emphasizing the individual and the human.

This is not to say they do not consider global stories, only that they do so in a way that does not overwhelm the reader and informs the student body.

By doing this, student publications cover stories that press with shocking urgency and convey their importance through fostering deep-seeded interest in the topic—something that mainstream media struggles to do.

To varying degrees, both The Ob-

server and ROR exemplify all three of these traits. In the case of The Observer—especially the Opinion section for which I write—the first and second traits are clearly manifested. On the other hand, ROR leans most heavily into the third trait. The purpose of ROR is to highlight the human stories that lie behind the oft-quoted refugee statistics that are found in mainstream media. Whereas mainstream media attempts to cover refugee crises in its entirety—to the detriment of a human narrative—ROR endeavors to lean into the lived experiences of refugees by utilizing a long-form, human-centered approach to its reporting. The result, in my opinion, is a set of deeply moving stories that function to humanize people affected by refugee crises and paint pictures of hope, optimism and resilience in the face of extreme adversity. These emotions— all of which are conducive to positive change—stand in refreshing contrast to the sensational desolation and despair peddled by other media outlets.

As we enter the summer months, I encourage you to search for news that does not come from the loudest microphone. Small publications—especially student publications such as The Observer and ROR—are special, and your engagement with them is necessary to maintain an unbiased and effective media sphere that can deliver on its larger journalistic purpose.

Read, send letters to the editors, and— if you feel like going even further—become a contributing writer. With one in five publications closing prior to the pandemic, and over 360 closing since its onset, small publications are becoming increasingly hard to find. And considering they are a breath of fresh air in a world of sensationalized news from only a few colossal organizations, they should not be taken for granted.

In the coming year, keep an eye out for special editions of The Observer containing ROR content and take a look at the vibrant and compelling stories of individual refugees from around the world on the ROR Medium page. ROR publishes on a semiregular basis and will be recruiting new interviewers/writers and interpreters in the fall. Keep an eye out for emails from the CampusGroup page of its parent organization, Refugee Outreach Collective at CWRU Undergraduate Chapter (ROC@CWRU Undergrad), in the coming months.

@cwruobserver on Instagram

Sports

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, April 28, 2023 observer.case.edu Volume LIV, Issue 27

Cavaliers go down to the Knicks 1-4 in a disappointing string of loses, ending season

New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson tries to dribble the ball past Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell in a high-stakes series of playoff games that ultimately eliminated the Cavaliers. Courtesy of Getty Images

Ishan Kulkarni Staff Writer The Cleveland Cavaliers have been on the rise ever since LeBron James left in 2018. Every season they have improved up to now, when the team broke 50 wins in the regular season— a commendable feat. The team ended the regular season with a 51-31 record, good for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. This left them matched up with the fifth-seeded New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs in what was slated to be an exciting and competitive series.

The Cavaliers, who have homecourt advantage due to their higher seeding, hosted the Knicks for the first game of the series. The game was competitive, but the Cavaliers were never really able to catch the Knicks. New York established a 6-point lead at the end of the first quarter and remained ahead for most of the game. With about two minutes left in the game, Jarrett Allen put back a missed shot to give the Cavaliers the 93-92 lead, their first since the first quarter.

From then on, both teams traded clutch baskets, with the Knicks’ Josh Hart hitting a deep three-pointer to retake the lead 95-93. The Cavaliers needed one stop to get the ball back to try to take the lead at the very end of the game. Jalen Brunson missed what might have been the dagger, but the Knicks’ Julius Randle grabbed the offensive rebound, forcing the Cavaliers to foul with just over four seconds left in the game. Quentin Grimes hit two clutch free throws to put the Knicks up by four and, a few seconds later, the Knicks took control of the series with the 101-97 win.

The Cavaliers had mixed performances from the team, with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Allen doing most of the scoring with 38, 17 and 14 points respectively. Evan Mobley struggled all night, going 4-13 from the field and only adding 8 points for the Cavaliers. Caris LeVert also struggled for the Cavaliers off the bench, only adding 3 points in 18 minutes on

the floor.

For the Knicks, Brunson and Randle had 27 and 19 points, respectively, and the team got a solid boost off the bench from Hart, who had 17 points, compared to the 14 points the entire Cavaliers’ bench contributed. The Knicks also seemed to be the deeper team, with three players off the bench playing more than 20 minutes, while the Cavaliers only had two players playing a little less than 20 minutes off the bench while four starters played close to 40 minutes.

The Cavaliers looked to bounce back following their disappointing loss and did just that in the second game.

The game started off a little shaky for the Cavaliers, with starter Isaac Okoro picking up 2 personal fouls and committing 2 turnovers in the span of three minutes. The Cavaliers turned to LeVert and Cedi Osman to give them a boost and the two did just that. Garland had a strong performance, scoring 32 points to go along with 7 assists.

Mitchell took on a larger role in playmaking with 17 points to go along with 13 assists and Mobley contributed with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds.

LeVert was the X factor for the Cavs, as he added a crucial 24 points in 40 minutes off the bench. For the Knicks, Randle and Brunson again led scoring with 22 and 20 points respectively, but Garland’s 32 points proved to be too much and the Cavaliers had a strong comeback win of 107-90 to even up the series 1-1.

With the series now shifting to New York for the third and fourth games, the Cavaliers hoped to build on their momentum from the second game, but the Knicks had other plans. The game started off very close with no team really gaining an advantage through the first quarter, leaving the score tied at 17 at the end of the quarter. In the second quarter, the Knicks picked up their defensive intensity and started pulling ahead, getting stops and converting turnovers into points on the other end to build a decent lead.

Going into halftime, the Knicks were up by 13 with a score of 45-32.

The Knicks never looked back in the second half, only adding to their lead by playing tough defense to prevent the Cavaliers from getting any easy baskets. At one point the Knicks had a 27-point lead in the fourth quarter, and when the game was over, the Knicks held the Cavaliers to 79 points as a team—one of the lowest scores in recent playoff history. Garland had a terrible performance, scoring only 10 points off of 4-21 shooting.

The Knicks’ defense was the biggest story of the night, notching 14 steals and forcing the Cavaliers into 20 turnovers. Mitchell and LeVert, who got the start over Okoro, lead the Cavs’ scoring, with 22 and 17 points, respectively. Brunson led the Knicks in scoring with 21 points, and RJ Barrett added a solid 19 points to give the Knicks a dominant win of 99-79 to go up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

This set up a pivotal fourth game in the series, with the Cavaliers needing a win to avoid going down 3-1 in the series. The Knicks, on the other hand, wanted to build on their strong home performance in the third game, and they did just that, going up by 7 points to end the first quarter. The Knicks added to their lead in the second quarter, leading by as many as 15 points in the quarter, before the Cavaliers cut that back down to 9 points to go into halftime.

The Cavaliers came out strong to start the third quarter, going on a 14-5 run to tie the game at 59 midway through the third quarter. Both teams went back and forth throughout the third quarter, with no team pulling ahead, and the Knicks leading by only 2 to end the quarter. Finally, the Knicks began to pull ahead, with clutch baskets from Brunson, Barrett and Hart to go up by as many as 11 with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers were unable to hit shots to bring themselves back into the game and the Knicks won 102-93 to take a strong 3-1 lead in the series.

Garland led the Cavaliers in scoring with 23 points, but Mitchell’s struggles were evident throughout the night as he went 5-18 from the field. Mean-

while, Brunson and Barrett gave the Knicks huge scoring with 29 and 26 points respectively.

With the series shifting back to Cleveland for a crucial fifth game, the Cavaliers had their backs against the wall down 3-1 in the series, needing three straight wins to move on to the second round. Both teams came out of the gates trading baskets and stops in the first quarter. The Cavaliers went down by 7 points at the end of the first quarter but couldn’t close the gap, going down by 10 points into halftime.

Knicks’ forward Randle suffered an ankle injury as he landed on another player’s foot, aggravating a previous injury. Despite this big loss for the Knicks, the Cavaliers didn’t capitalize in the third quarter and the Knicks added two more points to their lead, making it a 12-point lead.

With the season on the line in the fourth quarter, the Cavs strung together some stops and found the bottom of the net to cut their deficit to 6. However, that was as close as Cleveland got.

The Knicks won it 106-95 to seal the series 4-1.

The Cavaliers’ star big men Allen and Mobley both struggled, with Allen only scoring 4 points and grabbing 4 rebounds while Mobley scored 6 points and grabbed 9 boards. Mitchell and Garland led the Cavaliers in scoring with 28 and 21 points, respectively, but it wasn’t enough to hang with Brunson, who scored 23 points, and the rest of the successful Knicks.

Throughout the series, the Cavaliers’ struggles were persistent up and down the roster, and outside of the second game, they never really put together a complete performance. Their offense was especially stagnant, scoring less than 100 points in all their losses. The bench also had weak contributions, which further weakened the offense when one of their key players failed to perform.

The Cavaliers will now go back to the drawing board for a very crucial offseason to improve the team with a strong and young existing core so they may become legitimate contenders next year.

16 Sports

Friday, April 28, 2023

FIRST-EVER UAA CHAMPIONSHIP! Men’s tennis defeats WashU 5-1 for first conference title in program history Puneet Bansal Sports Editor The Case Western Reserve University men’s tennis team came back from Altamonte Springs, Florida with their third piece of hardware this spring season. Less than two months after winning the ITA Indoor National Championships, the Spartans defeated the University of Rochester, Emory University and the University of Washington in St. Louis en route to the program’s first University Athletic Association (UAA) championship.

With the conference title, the Spartans earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship.

The team will now enter the NCAA tournament sporting 14 straight victories for an overall 28-4 record and a perfect 23-0 against DIII opponents, both of which are program records.

The men’s tennis team also becomes the fourth team alongside women’s soccer, men’s basketball and softball to win a UAA title in the 2022-2023 season.

The Spartans, ranked No. 1 in DIII, defeated the University of Rochester 5-0 in the quarterfinals on Friday, April 21. Fourth-year James Hopper/ third-year Vishwa Aduru won first doubles 8-1, second-year Ansh Shah/ third-year Sahil Dayal took third doubles 8-5 and fourth-years Diego Maza/Chris Provenzano finished second doubles 8-2 for the 21st doubles sweep this season. Shah kicked off singles with a 6-2, 6-1 victory in fourth. Second-year Casey Hishinuma clinched the match 6-1, 6-3 in fifth singles.

The following day, the advancing

Spartans faced seventh-ranked Emory University, triumphing with a 5-1 win in the semifinals. Hopper/Aduru and Maza/Provenzano emerged victorious once again in first doubles (85) and second doubles (8-4), respectively. Shah/Dayal fell in third doubles (8-6), recording the first CWRU doubles loss in almost two months.

Up 2-1, the Spartans made quick work of Emory in singles. Aduru secured second singles with a spotless 6-0, 6-0 win, Hopper added with a 6-1, 6-1 win in first singles and Hishinuma clinched the finals berth 6-3, 6-0 in sixth singles.

On Sunday, the top-ranked Spartans faced off against the third-ranked Washington Bears in a rematch of the ITA Indoor National Championship match from February. The result was no different than the original match, with the Spartans pulling off the 5-1 win for the trophy. After Hopper/Aduru claimed first doubles 8-5, WashU struck back in third doubles 8-4 to even the score. Maza/Provenzano sealed the doubles wins for the Spartans with an 8-6 victory in second.

Hopper, ranking first in the region, won first singles 6-2, 6-4 while second-year Ajay Mahenthiran claimed fifth singles 6-4, 6-3. Aduru, ranking 14th in the region, bested the secondranked player in second singles 6-2, 7-5 for the historical clinching point.

The Spartans will now enter the NCAA tournament for the third straight year and the sixth time in program history. In the previous two seasons, the Spartans finished second as a team. Selections for the full draw and hosts for the first three rounds will be announced at noon on Monday, May 1.

Softball (31-2, 17-2 UAA) CWRU vs NYU (4/21): Game 1: W 5-0 Game 2: W 2-0 CWRU at NYU (4/22): Game 1: W 7-0 Game 2: W 3-2 CWRU at Mount Union (4/30) - 2 games CWRU vs Wooster (5/6) - 2 games CWRU at UChicago (5/13)- 2 games

Men’s Tennis (28-4, 3-0 UAA) 2023 UAA Champions!!

CWRU vs Rochester (4/21) - W 5-0 CWRU vs Emory (4/20) - W 5-1 CWRU vs WashU (4/20) - W 5-1

The Spartans celebrate their April 23 victory against the WashU Bears, having secured their first UAA Championship after an immensely successful season. Courtesy of CWRU Athletics

Softball sweeps NYU for 16th straight win, 6th UAA title in program history SOFTBALL from page 1 This was especially key since the Violets almost made a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, scoring off a single. Miskey ensured that an upset was impossible with a swinging strikeout to seal the sweep.

Miskey recorded her first save of the season after allowing one run on two hits, two walks and striking out two batters in two innings. After striking out 158 opponents, Miskey needs just one more strikeout to tie for third in a single season for program history. She was named the UAA Pitcher of the Week for her stel-

Scores and Upcoming Games Track & Field CWRU vs UAA Outdoor Championships (4/22-23) : Women’s Team: 5th / 7 (57.5 pts) Men’s Team: 5th / 7 (119 pts) CWRU vs Ashland Alumni Open (4/28-29) CWRU vs Carius-Gregory Invitational (5/11-12) CWRU vs St. Francis Fighting Chance Invite (5/12-13) CWRU vs Mount Union Last Chance (5/18) CWRU vs NCAA Outdoor Championships (5/25-27)

lar play 15 innings for a 0.47 ERA. In 19 conference games, the Spartans have outscored their opponents 112-38 with a 1.93 ERA and 126 strikeouts.

The Spartans have three doubleheaders remaining in their regular season schedule. They will hit the road against the University of Mount Union on April 30. On May 6, CWRU will celebrate Senior Day as they host the College of Wooster.

Their regular season finale will be in Illinois as they face-off against the University of Chicago on May 13.

Baseball (23-12, 11-5 UAA) CWRU at Brandeis (4/21): Game 1: W 27-2 Game 2: W 13-2 CWRU at NYU (4/22): Game 1: W 10-0 Game 2: W 15-12 CWRU vs Wooster (4/26) - W 8-4 CWRU vs Ohio Wesleyan (4/29) - 2 games CWRU vs Mount Union (4/30)

Women’s Tennis (14-5, 1-2 UAA) CWRU vs UAA Championship CWRU vs NYU (4/20) - L 5-3 CWRU vs Rochester (4/20) - W 5-0 CWRU vs NYU (4/20) - L 5-1