USG holds Q&A with President Kaler
Darcy Chew Executive Editor
Lucas Yang Director of Design
On Nov. 11, the Case Western Reserve University Undergraduate Student Government hosted their annual Q&A session with President Eric Kaler. Held in Eldred 203, 48 people attended the event. The one-hour session mostly consisted of Kaler answering precurated questions USG had collected from the student body and their general assembly and followed with a short open floor Q&A section at the end of the hour.
“The purpose of Kaler’s joining the USG General Assembly meeting is to further foster a connection between USG representatives, the student body, and administrators,” fourth-year USG President Zelene Desire said. “As many people feel a disconnect from President Kaler, this forum is an opportunity to bridge that gap. Usually, these meetings would be an invitation to President Kaler to our regular GA in the Toepfer Room of Adelbert, but last year we expanded to allow more students to be a part of this discussion. Our goal then is to express to him students’ concerns on pressing issues on campus.”
Below is The Observer’s breakdown of the curated question section.
Administrative communication
• While Kaler will not hold office hours to meet with community members, he highly encouraged students to email him at president@case.edu or bring concerns to student representatives like Desire.
• The university is “working on driving brand awareness” through signage and advertisements, which they expect will improve the university’s notability.
• Regarding the university’s ranking, Kaler said that college rankings have “a fair degree of subjectivity,” noting that CWRU is the “second fastest growing research research university in the country.”
• Due to the tumultuous nature of the current government, the effects of federal and state policy on the university are constantly changing and can sometimes be subtle which
makes it “difficult to put [the university’s impacts and response] into formal communications channels.”
Student life
• Concerning the custodial changes to upperclassmen on-campus housing, Kaler explained it was to increase efficiency and reduce waste on campus.
• Kaler gave updates on the Climate Action Plan that began in 2020, which includes electrifying about 44% of police vehicles, green building certifications as well as laboratory pipette recycling and CLEANR laundry microplastic filters.
• Regarding student expression and referring to the Aug. 25 update to CWRU’s Freedom of Expression policy, Kaler said “We’ve made the rules and the procedure more flexible.” “We try to create a structure where demonstration and freedom of speech are allowed, but in ways that don’t disrupt the principal operations of the institution.”
Federal funding
• “Overall impact [of federal funding cuts] was really not terrifically difficult for us,” Kaler said. He also noted that undergraduate students would generally not be affected, but it would likely shrink graduate program sizes.
• The university senior leadership team is working to lobby for maintaining research funding and making contingency plans should the university face severe funding cuts.
DEI
• While federal policy changes have “made it more difficult for institutions to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion,” Kaler said, the university is working to “increase everybody’s engagement and connectivity” and “[maintain] compliance with the federal law.”
Campus safety
• Pertaining to concerns about increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence, Kaler said the university would “not cooperate with them unless they have the appropriate legal framework or warrant. We will obey the law, but we will not proactively help.”
• Kaler advised students ap-
proached by ICE to call CWRU Public Safety or the Office of the General Counsel.
• Kaler acknowledged the rise in crime on campus and across Cleveland. He emphasized CWRU’s increase in the police force to “[enable] them to be more appropriately dispersed during peak times.”
AI
• Kaler believes AI is an “extraordinarily powerful multiplier of hu-
man ability” and hopes students learn to harness AI as a tool for their future careers.
• He does note that academic integrity is of the utmost importance, and students should follow their professors’ frameworks and limits on how AI can be used in the classroom.
Continue reading on page 3
The Undergraduate Student Government held their 3rd annual Q&A session with President Eric Kaler (top), allowing students to communicate concerns directly to members of CWRU’s administration. USG President Zelene Desire (bottom) introduced the event.
Mamdani wins New York City’s mayoral race and OSA watch party
Olivia Wen Staff Writer
In a heated battle for New York City’s next mayor, New Yorkers ran to the polls to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The candidates included New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (D), former New York governor Andrew Cuomo (I) and Curtis Sliwa (R).
The polls were open between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. By 9:34 p.m., the Associated Press called the race, confirming that Mamdani, who had captured 50.4% of the vote, would become the city’s next mayor. At that time, Cuomo had 41.6% of the votes and Sliwa had lagged behind with 7.1% of the votes.
In the months leading up to the election, Mamdani had amassed a large follower base, especially among young people, boasting a nine-million-follower count on Instagram. With catchy phrases like “fast, fare-free buses” and “freeze the rent,” he won over the votes of many with his socialist-democratic stance. In the process, he received endorsements from Alexandria OcasioCortez (AOC) and Bernie Sanders, but also opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It’s going to be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York. Because if you have a communist
running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there,” Trump said in an interview in 60 Minutes with CBS, two days before the election. “I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or another, but if it’s going to be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m going to pick the bad
Democrat all the time, to be honest with you.”
The race has fascinated students at CWRU as well. On Tuesday night, the Ohio Student Association (OSA) hosted an election night watch party from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. in Fribley Commons’ Conference Room to see the poll counts came in.
“During the watch party, a variety of CWRU students came together on campus from different organizations with different interests. Everyone in the room had a vested stake in an election, whether it was for the governor of New Jersey, the mayor of Cincinnati, or a local Cleveland City Council member. Overall it was a generally lighthearted evening with a lot of camaraderie,” Moses Fleischman, the communications lead for OSA, said.
However, it’s not just New York City’s high-stakes mayoral election that has roused political spirit at CWRU; it has been a trend this year, stemming from conflicts with the federal government.
“The political spirit on campus this election season feels more awake than I’ve seen in my last three years here,” Amrita Saini, a third-year student and vice president of OSA, said.
She hopes that OSA will continue to create a space for discussing and understanding political issues on campus following their successful watch party.
“In light of the research cuts and recent executive orders, there’s been this heightened awareness of how politics is tied directly into our day-to-day lives,” Saini said. “People are realizing that these decisions don’t just happen in the background; they affect our labs, our funding and our academic futures.”
Cuyahoga County feels the squeeze of potential budget cuts
Maria Burrus Staff Writer
On Oct. 8, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne proposed a 2026-27 budget that calls for $20 million in cuts to Health and Human Services (HHS) next year. As of Oct. 22, the cuts have been raised to about $24 million.
At the County Council’s public presentation on Oct. 14, several
council members raised concerns about the potential impacts of the reductions proposed. Currently, the county dedicates about a third of its $2 billion dollar budget on HHS projects. David Merriman, director of all HHS divisions in the county, is standing behind the proposal despite those worries. He did not comment on the $1 million cuts that will come from his administrative budgets.
The largest human service agency in the county is the Division of Chil-
If the Cuyahoga County budget proposed on Oct. 22 passes, local nonprofits and organizations like MetroHealth face challenges retaining staff and continuing operations. Courtesy of
dren and Family Services, which investigates domestic abuse cases and coordinates the foster care system. The proposed budget calls for a 3% reduction from this year. According to the director of the division, the cuts are a result of the agency having hundreds of cases less this year compared to previous years.
One of the proposed cuts is an 8% reduction in the amount Cuyahoga County provides to the MetroHealth hospital system. These subsidies help provide healthcare to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it; so far this year, the system has spent $275 million on charity care. However, on Oct. 29, MetroHealth eliminated their 100% free charity care for uninsured residents with a new financial policy.
Nonprofit-funded housing services are also at risk. The budget of FrontLine Service, a nonprofit working to prevent homelessness and prevent suicide among adults and children in the county, will be cut, forcing a reduction in the number of staff and clinicians that can respond to mental health crises.
FrontLine Service’s North Point program, a transitional home for working adults and young adults escaping homelessness, will have its budget reduced to zero by 2027 if the budget plan is passed. Several of its other locations have already closed due to funding challenges.
“Eliminating North Point means higher shelter costs, slower progress on the county’s own strategic goals and more individuals unhoused next
year,” Corrie Taylor, FrontLine CEO, said.
Another potential victim is Greater Cleveland Works, a nonprofit creating job opportunities for residents working to complete degrees or certificates. The program’s county funding would be halved in 2026 and eliminated completely by 2027.
The Division of Job and Family Services was one of the few programs recommended to receive a slight budget increase. The division administers federal aid programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. However, new work requirements and the federal government shutdown are currently putting pressure on the SNAP program, forcing the county to cover the administrative gaps needed to process incomplete federal benefits. Almost 100,000 Medicaid recipients in the area who received coverage under the Affordable Care Act will also be subject to new work requirements and renewal checks every six months.
Some of the potential cuts will impact subsidies to CWRU. For example, First Year Cleveland, an organization based at CWRU that seeks to improve birth outcomes and prevent infant mortality, faces a quarter of a million dollars in reductions.
Ronayne maintains that the reductions protect vital services as much as possible while balancing the county’s budget. Agencies impacted by the cuts are able to fight back in budget hearings until early December, when a budget program must be selected.
Zohran Mamdani’s Nov. 4 victory in the New York City mayoral election fascinated countless across the country, including many at CWRU. Courtesy of Heute
WMrapids via Wikimedia Commons
News-in-Brief
CAMPUS
$8 million gift from the Shaughnessy family encourages work at university nursing academy
After ten years since its inception, the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy (MKSNLA) will be receiving an $8 million gift from the Shaughnessy family. The single largest donation to the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing since its establishment, the gift will fuel the work of the nurse leadership academy and scholarships for students. The concept of the academy, started by Marian K. Shaughnessy, came from a “future of nursing” letter Dr. Shaughnessy wrote in 2013. In the letter, she mused that “Now, more than ever, nurses must seize the opportunity to
NATIONAL
be not just facilitators of healthcare, but rather leaders in their own right.” Since then, the leadership academy has become a center for education, research and policy implementation, drawing together nurse executives and other senior leaders, helping to mark Case Western Reserve University as a leader in nursing education. Ron Hickman, dean of Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, said, “This historic gift enhances the Marian K. Shaughnessy Leadership Academy and elevates the school’s role in placing nurse leadership at the center of healthcare.”
In released files, Epstein alleges to Trump’s knowledge of his operations
On Wednesday, House Democrats released emails revealing U.S. President Donald Trump’s interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his involvement with Epstein’s operations. In an email sent in 2019 while Trump was still in office, Epstein wrote, “of course he knew about the girls.” Another email showed that the president “spent hours at [his] house” with one of Epstein’s victims. Epstein also calls Trump a “dirty” businessman in the released emails. Trump has denied knowing or being involved in the sex-offender’s operations, and the White House has dismissed the claims.
Shortly after the House Democrats released the emails, House Republicans released more material related to the Epstein estate accessible to the public, counting about 20,000 emails total spanning over a several-year time period. “Democrats continue to carelessly cherry-pick documents to generate click bait that is not grounded in the facts,” a spokesman for the Republican Oversight Committee said. Trump has claimed that the Democrats were attempting to use the files, which he called a “hoax,” in order to draw attention away from the government shutdown.
COMMUNITY
New bipartisan bill to protect pregnant women who are incarcerated
Ohio lawmakers have proposed a new bipartisan bill with the potential to save lives and protect the needs of pregnant women who are in prison, by mandating all county jails and prisons to report pregnancy outcomes. The proposal, House Bill 542, is intended to fill the gap in data about pregnancy in jails and prisons. State Reps Terrence Upchurch (D) and Josh Willians (R) introduced the bill on Oct. 22. They sponsored the bill in the interest of addressing problems beyond the state’s current mandate of county jails to primarily report in-custody deaths. The state does not require, for instance, counties to report miscarriages or still-
births of pregnant women who are incarcerated. Upchurch said, “Incarcerated women deserve proper healthcare to have a safe and healthy childbirth.” The proposal comes after an investigation by the Marshall Project Cleveland and News 5 Cleveland. The issue became prominent after 29-yearold Linda Acoff miscarried in the Cuyahoga County Jail. After seventeen hours and calling for help, she was finally seen by a nurse but only offered extra sanitary napkins and Tylenol. Last spring, Acoff said, “It was a traumatic experience when you don’t receive the help that you need when I felt like they could have saved my baby.”
INTERNATIONAL
The second typhoon in a week hits the Philippines, causing destruction
Super Typhoon Fung-wong hit Aurora province in the Philippines on Sunday night with wind gusts of around 230 kilometers per hour. One of the most-impacted cities, Cabanatuan, saw residents salvaging personal items from their homes as water levels climbed. The storm killed at least six people and left 4,100 homes destroyed or damaged, leaving large parts of
the country still-underwater as of Wednesday night. This typhoon comes as the latest in a sequence of storms, less than a week after Typhoon Kalmaegi tore apart the central Philippines while claiming more than 220 victims. On Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that “state of national calamity,” will remain in effect for another year.
Q&A with President Kaler from page 1
Financial aid
• Kaler addresses the fact that financial aid decreases when students move to off-campus housing, stating that the aid lost is the subsidy for on-campus housing. He also highlights the “competitive rates” of university housing compared to local options.
• The university’s financial situation will be evaluated at the end of December where “increasing the lowest paid student wages is on the table.”
• There are also plans to aid summer research experiences with “discounted housing, stipends for research [and] a way to make summer tuition more affordable.” Kaler also noted a commitment to helping international students stay on-campus over the summer.
University investments
• In regards to student questions about investments in companies implicated in the violence of the war in Gaza, Kaler maintained that the university will not change its stance, due to a “fiducial responsibility to act in its best financial interest.”
• “What effect would it have on Israel if we didn’t do that? I think none,” he said. “It’s just frankly impossible to separate funds from certain companies or countries where they have business interests”
The most contentious part of the night was the eight-minute open floor, where individuals raised specific questions and concerns for Kaler.
One of the most novel insights of the night came after a student asked why the Student Advocacy Wall was painted over during Homecoming Week.
In response, Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff and Strategic Advisor to the President Katie
Brancato explained that “There was a work order put in to fix the frame around the Advocacy Wall, and someone decided they would just paint the wall. VP Apgar put in some safeguards so that that doesn’t happen again. But it was unfortunate. It was an honest, unfortunate mistake.”
One student shared a mixed opinion about the Q&A.
“I think it’s a very cool expe-
rience that President Kaler was willing to come out and take time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions. I think that not a lot of college campuses would do that,” first-year Tristan Holliday said. “I think that I was able to get more information that would otherwise have been difficult to get at the same time. I do think that some of the harder questions were avoided.”
Tyler Sun/The Observer
A letter to those interested in new study spots
Riya Kulkarni Copy Editor
As the never-ending exams continue to prevent you from enjoying the cozy season and the need to lock in becomes increasingly important, finding a good place to study is necessary to get things done. After consulting with a number of students on their various study habits, here are some favorite study spots:
The Case Quad is a convenient place to study in between classes. Outside on the benches (as weather permits), you can get some fresh air conveniently close to your next class. The second floor of Tomlinson Hall is also cozy and quiet, fitted with swivel chairs to spin on while you complete your next assignment. The Nord Hall basement, though dark at times, has cozy sofas for laptop work or reading (though the tables are ergonomically questionable, so write at your own risk!). The seventh floor of Crawford Hall (when hours permit) is also quiet and comfortable.
Everyone’s favorite study spot is, by far, the Kelvin Smith Library. Whether it’s the rolling whiteboards on the first and second floors, the plentiful collaboration tables or the quiet third floor, there’s a space for everyone. The spots next to the quiet room are equally as effective—without the intimidating silence that fills the quiet room.
However, the Allen Memorial Medical Library is equally comforting in its silence and its aesthetic. Arguably one of the most “college libraries” in style on campus, its academic feeling is a great motivator to get things done, and the variety of books is always interesting if you want to walk around the library as a study break.
Another popular spot is the Biomedical Research Building cafe, home to several types of food (with a Starbucks in proximity). This is a useful place for those with nearby classes in need of a last-minute review session (and shortcuts through the buildings to still get to class on time). In general, it has a good ambiance as you are surrounded by many others who are also
studying.
The Tinkham Veale University Center is a popular and equally nice place to study. The booths put you closer to a study snack (Med-23 has plenty of options even on the weekends) and are spacious. There are plenty of tables and spots on the steps to sit and work. The balcony outside of the second floor is nice as well, but be careful of the wind and any papers it may take with it!
Another popular spot is the Thwing Student Center. The atrium on the first floor is cozy with sofas and booths, but the other floors have small nooks as well (check out the lounge area in the basement).
The Peter B. Lewis building (when access is available) has plenty of relatively soundproof, large study rooms with whiteboards for collaboration. There are plenty of tables and sofas spread throughout the building as well. Even better, morning study-ers can pick up a bagel before work begins.
Bellflower Lounge is another cozy space, which is pretty empty during normal class hours. Its proximity
to the North Residential Village is also convenient for first-years and upperclassmen alike. The Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Community Studies Center also has plenty of space to study, should there be no classes. Study mindfully, as classes and events that need the space come first.
If you would like another quiet place to study, but also a change in scenery, the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library is a great place off campus. Sometimes a walk before a work session is enough to clear your mind and give you energy to study, and it gives you time to decompress before the grind starts again.
A sometimes overlooked and incredibly amazing study spot is, of course, your dorm room. Where else can you have your own private space to study with fuzzy socks, slippers and pajamas? It can be a nice, quiet and judgement-free zone.
Push through, and carry on as the semester begins to wrap up. Don’t forget to take some breaks and enjoy the last of the good weather. Good luck in all study endeavors!
Once Upon a November: “Anastasia” is a wonderful night
Penelope Cloonan Life Editor
Loveleen Sasan Contributing Writer
“Anastasia,” the stage musical, is a work of historical fiction that bridges the gap between 20th Century Fox’s magical movie “Anastasia” (1997) and the climate of 1920s Russia. Anya, or as we come to know her, lost Princess Anastasia, is an amnesiac who, by the guidance of two con-men, Vlad and Dimitri, attempts to reunite with her grandmother in Paris. They face many obstacles along the way and eventually find that their mission wasn’t a con at all, and Anya is in fact the lost Princess Anastasia.
“Anastasia” is a challenging musical. The original movie of the same name is so beloved that it was unlikely a stage production would be able to compete, and it simply didn’t. The fantastical elements and dark mystical tone of the story are removed in favor of a much more grounded take with references to communism and the Bolsheviks. Rasputin is knocked out in favor of the Bolshevik officer Gleb Vaganov with less classical animated movie pizzazz. Despite the show being al-
most entirely sung through, much of the music wasn’t all that impressive—save for a few songs borrowed from the movie and lighter moments. “Anastasia” the stage play and “Anastasia” the movie are strikingly different entities. This is all to say that Footlighters took an already lacking musical and made something beautiful.
Footlighters delivered a great performance throughout. Some standouts were “Once Upon a December,” “Learn to Do it” and “Still / The Neva Flows” reprise. “Once Upon a December” is a classic song from the movie and remains beautiful, yet haunting with a performance by Shareen Chahal, who plays Anya. Chahal gave a consistently strong performance, lending a comedic, but genuine, air to Anya. “Learn to Do it” is a fun romp of a song in which Anya is coached by Dimitri (Ryan Gilmore) and Vlad (Cade Kuhlins). This endears the audience to our central trio, and shows incredible chemistry. In “Still / The Neva Flows,” performed by Austin Kennedy (Gleb Vaganov), the audience feels the culmination of the Neva motif built throughout the musical swell to a beautiful payoff, giving depth to the new antagonist. Beautiful vocals joined the wonderful choreography.
Despite the struggle to get their footing in some larger dance numbers, the smaller pieces were stunning. “The Countess and The Common Man” was accompanied by a touching sequence that reflected the cast’s chemistry. This moment between clear audience favorites was appreciated. “Quartet at the Ballet” was accompanied by a charming ballet routine. The number is performed over a fight for Anya, which reflects the choreography of the graceful battle. The piece managed to subtly convey both circumstance and emotional weight, a testament to the choreographer’s skill. Footlighters’ “Anastasia” is visually stunning. Great care was taken to immerse the audience into the historical fiction world with a slightly magical atmosphere. May it be the street lamps providing a warm feeling or the use of shadows to create ghosts which haunt our protagonists, the lighting design was an integral and thoughtful part of the show. Alongside beautiful lighting was stunning costuming. From ensemble to main characters, every cast member was dressed to the nines. As of printing, I am still hearing about Anya’s iconic gala dress and the Dowager’s blue gown. We were able to talk to some of the people behind the costuming
department, Costumes Head Allison Hall and one of the Assistant Costume Heads Regan Manning. Hall is a third-year nursing major. This is her second show doing costuming. She has been sewing since middle school and worked on costuming in high school.
Manning is a fourth-year sociology major and first-year combined bachelor’s/master’s student in the Master of Public Health program. Her grandmother taught her how to sew when she was nine years old, and she really fell in love with it. She’s been able to make a lot of crazy projects like tear-away clothes and ballgowns through Footlighters.
Penelope Cloonan: How long have you been involved with Footlighters’ costuming? What brings you back to Footlighters’ costuming each production?
Allison Hall: I’ve only been doing costumes with Footies for two semesters, but I’ve been involved with the club for five. I just really love the community that this club has in general, which is mainly what keeps me coming back. I also enjoy getting to do some sewing again and have had a lot of fun this past year!
Continue reading on page 5
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Tyler Sun/The Observer
Once Upon a November from page 4
Regan Manning: I’ve been doing shows with Footlighters since my first semester here! “Anastasia” was my seventh show with the club. I keep coming back because I really love the people and the creative outlet that Footies gives me! I’ve met some of my best friends through this club, including my fellow Assistant Costume Designer, Kate Zerefos, and it’s really nice to have a dedicated time every week to create something and not worry about work for a moment. Footies has also given me a lot more confidence in my sewing skill! I used to be really afraid of making anything without a pattern and specific instructions, but the costuming process has taught me how to just go for it and make something that I designed.
PC: I’d imagine costuming with a student budget and shorter timeline can get pretty tricky, but in the end the costuming team pulled off something truly beautiful. Have you had to get craftier in any ways?
AH: There were a lot of Goodwill runs and some creativity to figure out how to fit past costumes into our show. I would say one of my weirder decisions was to order a bunch of tablecloths instead of actual fabric for all of the Romanov clothes since it was cheaper! In the end though, I would say I had a great crew that was able to put in some late nights when we needed it and get everything done.
RM: We definitely had to get crafty! “Anastasia” could be an especially expensive show because it’s set in
the ‘20s and requires ballgowns, but we are able to work around by using things like tablecloths for cheap fabric and doing a lot of thrifting. Especially with Joann closing, we really had to get creative this year with our fabric sources. We also took some artistic liberties with historical accuracy!
PC: Was it a challenge to costume a period piece? Were there any significant differences from your usual process?
AH: Yes absolutely, especially since all the shows we’ve done since I’ve been here have been more ‘80s/’90s to now, which is much easier to find in a Goodwill! I would say pretty early on in the process I admitted that time period was going out the window—if the audience believed it could look old enough,
it was good enough for me! We knew we would be having to make a lot of the older clothes, but we managed to make a lot of pieces work when I really didn’t think they would. I was really happy with the way everything turned out though, as long as no one checked too hard on my historical accuracy!
RM: Period pieces are always difficult because finding period-accurate clothes can get really expensive, so we definitely make a lot more of the clothes from scratch for a show like “Anastasia” than one like “Footloose.” Every show requires finding a balance between which pieces to make and which ones to buy, so this “Anastasia” was not too different. We were able to make it work with a lot of vintage patterns and creativity!
“Six of Crows:” the tragedy of a youth erased
Penelope Cloonan Life Editor
The 10th anniversary edition of Leigh Bardugo’s hit young adult (YA) fantasy novel “Six of Crows” was released last month, and some eagle-eyed readers have noticed admittedly minor edits. Mentions of the teen characters’ ages were changed to be ambiguous or that of young adults. It was truly just a few sentences, but it grabbed the fans’ attention and did not let go.
“Six of Crows” is the first book in Leigh Bardugo’s second “Grishaverse” duology. Though you wouldn’t guess from the sheer amount of fans who begin the series here, this 2015 novel is technically a sequel to the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy. “Six of Crows” is a story about a rag-tag group of young misfits—The Crows—who come together over a heist, finding love, themselves and a chance to get out of the gutter. It is a heist story, but it is so much more. There is a joke
among the fandom that no one can tell you what happened during the Ice Court Heist, but they can tell you every character beat that happened across more than six points of view. These teenagers—well, now young adults—captured the hearts of fans and now, even 10 years later, the book has a strong fanbase.
In the interest of not spoiling any major plot beats, “Six of Crows” is dark and emotionally tense from the start. None of the characters participate in the heist or are in the slums by choice. One of the characters, Inej Ghafa, is escaping sex trafficking. Another, Kaz Brekker, is on a ruthless quest for revenge that led to disability and his status as a mob boss before he reached adulthood. Wylan is cast out by his father, Jesper has a debilitating gambling addiction and Matthias defected from an evil army. None of these kids are alright.
“Six of Crows” is tragic at any age, but the Crows’ ages take it to the extreme. Kaz and Wylan are explicitly 17 and 16, respectively, in
Courtesy
the original edition, but now their ages are ambiguous. While changes like “boy” to “young man” preserve some sense of youth, it is a lesser tragedy. With respect to Wylan, a boy cannot handle being completely rejected by his father, but a young man might. Part of what makes “Six of Crows” so special is this crushing sense of unfairness that undercuts everything. Readers root for the teenagers, the children, out of desperation. No one should have to deal with this, but especially not kids. It is crushing that the Crows go through what they do over the course of the duology, and a decent amount of the emotional appeal comes from the tragedy of youth.
There is a phrase that is repeated throughout the novel: “no mourners, no funerals.” This essentially means that if anything were to happen to the Crows, no one will
remember them and no one will honor their deaths because they are societal rejects with no bonds except amongst themselves. Now, people remember the Crows. Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper and Wylan; people remember the tragedy of these children enough to notice a few sentences changing.
That being said, “Six of Crows” is still a worthwhile read. While removing the extremely young age of these characters from the text dampens some of the more horrific and impactful aspects of the story, “Six of Crows” remains one of the best YA fantasies I have ever read. For fans of the duology, I feel your pain. To new readers, do not let these few sentences dissuade you from reading “Six of Crows.” It remains an impactful story, time and time again. And for those of us stuck in the past, the kindle edition remains unaffected. No mourners…
The ambiguity of age in the 10th anniversary edition Six of Crows removes the striking impact of the events that transpire within the novel.
of Leigh Bardugo via Instagram
A tale of a 2:00 a.m. tailgate
Tyler Vu Director of Business Operations
You're coming into the University Media Board office late because you are hungry and need food. After a long and unproductive night of studying for your impending exam of doom, you decide to visit your friends who are still toiling away at the university's only independent student-run newspaper. There is a suspicious individual dressed in all black standing by the door and holding numerous unmarked bags of unidentifiable contents. "Hm," you think. Perhaps Jolly Scholar got a fancy new decorative statue. But as you approach, he lowkey starts moving, so you attempt to
pull the door closed behind you in a nonchalant and not-panicked way. You think you succeed but are too afraid to turn around and make eye contact. It's probably not very important anyway.
Your friends (henceforth known as friends AB & AK & HJ) are a few yards to the left and returning from a late-night Insomnia Cookie run to stave off hunger of their own. Ice cream and cookies in hand, they see him enter the building and think he phased through the door like the Flash. Thus, they start banging on the inside Thwing entrance doors (in one instance, rather aggressively) for this individual to let them in, as he stands at the top of the stairs, looking around. They then get into the building and watch the man run
downstairs in front of them. Very spooky.
Inside the basement office, you tell your friends (henceforth known as friends DC & LY), who are not really paying attention, about the suspicious encounter before you are joined by friends AB, AK and HJ, who say they entered after the strange man. AB, AK and HJ recount watching the man disappear enigmatically as they followed him down the stairs to the UMB office.
After realizing the man might have tailgated, you and AK go out to scout the building. You split to check out the men's bathroom, and see a man there. After convincing yourself that he is really the janitor, you rejoin AK to continue looking around the deserted floors
Super Mega Happy Fun Time Graduate School Application Season Crossword
of Thwing. The search is otherwise uneventful.
Upon coming back downstairs, the two of you find AB sitting outside the office on a dramatic call about a very specific club and the supposed janitor is in the hall with her. You and your scouting friend enter the office, leaving the friend behind.
As you go in, another friend asks if the person you saw was really the janitor. You think for a second. You work your sleep-deprived brain really hard. You realize in horror that they were just standing in the bathroom without any cleaning supplies nor the typical janitorial uniform. Collectively, you realize he was in fact not a janitor, and you had left your friend in the hall with the stranger.
Oops.
Across 1. Trump-era graduate school threat
7. Potential loan purpose
8. Pig's noise
9. Common student loan creditor
10. Extracurricular motivator, for CWRU students
13. Request dreaded by busy professors, in brief
16. American DJ Steve
17. Show on one's face
18. Citizens United v. FEC subject matter
21. Holy Grail for researchers
24. Law school credentialgiver
25. Earth/water solution
26. Found at raves or horse stables
27. Location of Jimmy Carter's tenure
28. culmination
Just 2. MAC competitor
3. Ah, mon ____!
4. Citation duplication abbreviation
5. Dreaded departmental obligation
6. Personal portion of graduate admissions
11. "Orinoco Flow" singer
12. Rating system common to e-sports and chess
14. Scrape by
15. Ph.D successor
18. High-to-low flight move, in gymnastics
19. Aid and ____
20. Unorthodox alternative to Cate
22. Elite American family for whom an Iowa city and NASA research center are named
23. Integer, for short
Opinion Government shutdown ends at a stalemate for the Democratic Party
Editorial Board
This past Wednesday, the House of Representatives returned to office, concluding a 43-day government shutdown. To recap, 1.4 million federal employees went unpaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were terminated for nearly 42 million people for the first time in its history and thousands of flights were canceled or delayed for airline users. These numbers are incomprehensibly large. They might mean long-term, possibly irreversible, damage to the backbone of our country. Yet by the end of the shutdown, no progress was made in the initial conflict that caused it in the first place.
To say we are disappointed is an understatement. The government shut down because Republicans refused to extend funding for the Affordable Care Act, a statute intended to improve healthcare accessibility through federally-regulated and subsidized programs. Democrats refused to accept the proposed spending bill without that provision. According to 2023 and early 2024 statistics, approximately 44 million people were
enrolled in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace and Medicaid program extension. This means it provided healthcare for 1 in 6 nonelderly individuals. In other words, the basic human right to healthcare led to a government shutdown.
So what did we get out of this? We learned Democrats are doormats. In the end, they did not get the Affordable Care Act funded. They allowed a record-length government shutdown just to roll over to Republicans in the end. They put tens of millions in the fire for a mere statement.
At the end of the day, politicians are supposed to work for us. Regardless of status, they are supposed to serve everyone who calls this country their home. Lately, though, it seems that those in power would rather assert their influence, presenting a grandiose show in the face of adversity without making any material impact.
This consistent disregard for the well-being of the average American is a trend for our government. Over the past two decades, both parties have been willing to throw countless lives and dollars into foreign military campaigns that have only led to further
death, destruction and political instability. Billionaires pay less in taxes than all other American taxpayers. To think that millions of lives have been put through financial and food insecurity just to face more financial insecurity in losing affordable healthcare is beyond infuriating.
That’s why news of the government shutdown resolution rings hollow. Maybe many of us did not notice the effects of SNAP termination, because we are able to survive on Case West-
ern Reserve University’s unlimited meal plan and swipe system. Maybe many of us can comfortably fly home over Thanksgiving break because federal workers are earning wages again. But this is not a success. People lost their income, food and ability to support their homes and families, yet again. Republicans get away with it, yet again. Democrats in positions of power are okay with idly standing by, yet again. We are all spectators in a senseless game of power.
The analog game renaissance
Zoe Epperson Contributing Writer
It may come as a surprise to you, as it did to me, that the global market for board games has grown significantly over the past five years and is likely to expand over the next few decades. Post-COVID, board games have boomed as the industry was not stifled by families being stuck at home. Numerous crowdfunding sites generated hundreds of new, independent board games, many of which have become household names (“Exploding Kittens” being a notable example). Additionally, prevalent digital fatigue and the spread of cozy, trendy board game cafes have aided in the sector’s growing popularity.
My point here is not to encourage you to invest in the board game market (although that is a good idea), rather it is to exemplify that board games are awesome, and now is the perfect time to play more of them. We are in an analog game renaissance. This is an era of social reconnection, independent innovation and inclusivity. Analog games are not only being created and advertised to the youngest and oldest ends of the age spectrum, they are being successfully marketed to everyone.
I am sure you have seen the slew of mediocre “social” games at Target or a local, trendy boutique that all virtually rely on a “truthor-dare” or “would-you-rather” format. Although successful, these are not evidence of this renaissance I speak of. I am speaking of “Ransom Notes,” “Codenames” and the various other brilliant board games that have captured the attention of the young adult population. These games include thoughtful branding,
novel gameplay and are perfectly curated for casual social gatherings.
“Wavelength” and “Chameleon” have become go to’s for smaller social gatherings, as all they need is paper, a pencil and creativity. The actual board game is a nice addition, however. I have already mentioned “Codenames,” but I genuinely cannot recommend it enough. I made my first friends at university playing “Codenames,” and the free, online version (though not analog) is especially convenient.
This renaissance is not just restricted to board games, either.
One group of YouTube creators under the channel name “Jetlag” has inspired numerous public transit and travel nerds to blow their board games up to a massive scale. Jetlag takes a seasonal, game-show approach to classic board games, such as “Connect Four,” or more physical games, such as tag or hide and seek, and enlarges them to span countries or even continents. With clearly laid out rules and versatile gameplay, the channel has inspired many young people to replicate the games themselves.
Role-playing games like “Dungeons and Dragons” (D&D) have found massive mainstream popularity in recent years. D&D has been glamorized through media such as “Critical Role” and “Stranger Things,” introducing a new generation to its attractions (if you are investing, get on it before season 5 starts). The game has also become more “starter-friendly,” as have many other complex classic games in the modern age. Some committed players have expressed frustration with this development, as it can lead to the industry focusing on and funding more accessible and simpler games for a broader audience. I believe, generally, that there is
enough variety today that “gateway” and “starter-friendly” games can easily have a place on the shelves. Recently, I have found myself reverting to my favorite conversational games from childhood, and, honestly, they are the perfect cure for a lull in conversation. Seriously, sometimes a round of 20-questions is exactly what a conversation needs, especially if you are impatiently waiting to get to a destination or for your appetizer to arrive. My personal favorites include “Song Association” (one word, sing songs with that word till failure), “Mind Meld” (say a word at the same time, associating it with the next one until the same word is said) and “Fortunately, Unfortunately” (you tell a story, but one of you wants what’s
best and the other wants what’s worst for the protagonist). If anything, in a whirlwind of school, extracurriculars and social life, I just want to remind you that games are there to provide muchneeded structure, delight, accomplishment and healthy competition to your daily life. If you get a chance, take advantage of this era of analog games: fund a Kickstarter, play-test a board game, host a game night or even make a game yourself if you are feeling inspired. Maybe, most importantly, keep this renaissance going by sharing your favorite games with the young and old people in your life. Games connect generations. And if there is actually a way to invest in the board game industry, now is the time.
Anna Trusova/The Observer
Courtesy of Martin Falbisoner via Wikimedia Commons
The precarious state of human agency on the modern internet
Stephen Li Contributing Writer
The internet, in theory, is a tool for the democratization of knowledge. And based on functionality alone, it successfully accomplishes that goal— any curious mind through the web can effortlessly find the definition of an obscure word, witness faraway events unfold without taking a single step and compare diametrically opposing perspectives when constrained by the ossified attitudes of one’s own people. The possibilities to augment human cognition that widespread computer ownership foretold led Steve Jobs in 1980 to declare that PCs would become “bicycles for the mind.”
Naturally, the abundance of knowledge carries with it the assumption that ordinary people could assume greater control over their lives and, in turn, create a more democratic society. Those who previously lacked a voice could be heard; information sharing would be dispersed among the public rather than remaining a prerogative of mass media companies.
In reality, most online communities see only 1% of users regularly contribute, and about 90% rarely or never contribute. Factors associated with active engagement include unreliable and heavily-biased sources; vocal minorities with extreme views tend to be the most engaged. Rather than reaching its theoretical possibilities, the internet has hindered vocabulary development, dislocated people from the real world and contributed to the nation’s divide into mutually unintelligible political camps.
Virality on social media platforms hinges on the myriad of often irrational impulses of strangers, who each bear an infinitesimally thin slice of responsibility for the content’s popularity. This collectively means that the scale and speed at which viral content propagates is often enough to counterbalance the fact that most pieces of it serve only to stimulate the impulses for a brief moment. For the individual, the appeal of each successive social media post is usually more than enough to outweigh the ostensibly inconsequential time cost associated with it. Perhaps the reason algorithmically-determined content is so appealing is because it frees people from the burden of conscious decision-making.
That such modes of interaction are characterized by their lack of user agency is not surprising considering that algorithms have become far more sophisticated between the 1998 launch of Google’s revolutionary PageRank and its 2025 introduction of an AI search mode, integrating services like Google Drive, Gmail and Google Docs to hyper-personalize results. Many algorithmic personalization methods, such as TikTok’s “For You” feed which reportedly boosts engagement by up to 60%, now adopt AI. Unlike earlier social networks that facilitated connection, social media platforms’ goal is to keep users online for as long as possible through endless streams of readily-available, often provocative content to profit from selling advertisement data. Paradoxically, websites neutralize users’ agency by inundating them with infinite options.
Choices made from rational calculation give clear indications of purpose. Aimless scrolling, by contrast, represents a perpetual state of indecision where each individual choice neither yields significant benefit nor incurs significant cost. In a way, algo-
rithmic interactions signify an abdication of individual responsibility.
The fact that algorithms influence behavior in some way is not ipso facto cause for alarm. However, they actively promote ideological homogeneity, limit exposure to diverse viewpoints and direct users toward sensationalist narratives by amplifying preexisting biases. A systematic review of a decade’s scholarship on “filter bubbles” revealed that online spaces are fertile grounds for shared memes, vocabularies and humor within groups to the exclusion of other groups; personalized content engenders polarized attitudes even when nothing physically prevents people from seeking alternative sources.
Content that elicits high-arousal emotion, especially out-group animosity, are more likely to be shared online. Viral information on social networks tends to experience a short period of rapid circulation before a steep decline in popularity. Shortform content is the highest performing format online, and while it excels
the word also reverberates a sharp note of ironic self-awareness absent in a state of total incapacity. Young adults are not unaware of algorithms’ dark designs. Social media has existed for long enough that its principal harms are well-documented in the public sphere, with the Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma” among other reformist advocacy efforts like the student-led Log Off Movement aiming to develop a healthier human relationship with technology.
These efforts notwithstanding, aggregate usage across platforms has increased since 2021. Algorithms still reward the same short-form, attention-grabbing content as evidenced by the proliferation of mass-produced AI “slop” years later; monetary incentives have not changed even if users have gained awareness. In 2024, 71% of social media images were found to be AI-generated, with 34 million new images generated daily. The idea that people with artistic vision but insufficient resources can materialize their creative talents through generative
in capturing attention, which research finds usually occurs in the first three seconds after which over 50% of users leave, it tends to spread sentiment rather than fact. And while users may receive the impression of depth or consensus, forms of engagement that occur online are often neither sufficient to sustain long, coherent trains of thought nor provide incentive for further evidence-seeking because responsibility is too diffuse. Combined with the internet’s tendency to spark outrage, which can be amplified by the perceptions of virality engineered using bot accounts masquerading as experts or ordinary citizens, otherwise trivial disputes swell into large-scale online conflicts, wherein each individual user holds little stake. Although the popularization of the term “doomscrolling” in 2020 and its subsequent addition to the MerriamWebster dictionary present a bleak view of what the internet has become,
AI is a tantalizing possibility. But in some sense, a creation’s material form is inextricable from its ideation. Although OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that Sora 2 may bring a creativity “Cambrian explosion,” generative AI often takes imprecise verbal commands and extrapolates images with existing data, producing unpredictable and biased outcomes not explicitly articulated. Without major changes to the internet’s existing architecture, the probable outcome is that vacuous entertainment will continue to be pumped out at even more prodigious quantities. Not unlike social media’s transition into large-scale content machines, AI has the power to accelerate the internet’s transformation into a network centered around commercial output rather than human endeavor. Popular narratives surrounding digital technology’s harms tend to present the status quo as a toxic place rife with mental illness, fringe
views and unending negativity. Such is one face of the internet. “The Social Dilemma,” for instance, paints an almost dystopian image of smartphones controlling humans like marionettes, replete with heavily-dramatized depictions of social media obsession that are no less sensational than the media it aimed to criticize. News stations have accentuated stories of teens killing themselves mere hours after receiving an online threat to emphasize the dangers of technology, although this can motivate legislation that mitigates explicit harms. Independent commentators often describe the internet as a driver of social maladies like loneliness, fragmented attention spans and adverse educational outcomes, perhaps ironically to attract more attention.
Irrespective of the veracity of this fatalistic narrative regarding the collective and longitudinal impacts of the internet, most individual users interact with it in far more mundane, balanced and subtly harmful ways. Even if the web has led many astray with its innumerable negative influences, it has also given others a guiding light with its vast corpus of information. Most individuals, perceiving themselves as less biased, may recognize that their complex motivations to support a cause stem from pragmatism rather than unequivocal belief but are less aware when prosecuting others. To accept this narrative’s elaborate psychological explanations would be to admit personal fault, which is not necessarily reasonable considering that individual actors who intend to reach a wide audience would be foolish not to use social media. Sweeping measures like school phone bans frame humans’ relationship with technology as adversarial. While the “dystopian” narrative is shock-inducing, it may be ineffective at spurring action. Its underlying assumptions weaken its legitimacy in the eyes of individuals, even those who agree in principle, who can mentally refute them with personal experience or is a member of today’s youth whose important experiences increasingly involve digital media in some form. If algorithms have such severe consequences, then it is others who are cast under their spell.
Thus, the same problem arises when attempting to rectify the internet’s harms as when individuals make decisions about their online activity— a lack of individual agency. Even so, the judgment that social media platforms are devoid of useful or interesting content is indefensible. Plenty of creators make informative, insightful and creative content—and many of them arguably play a more constructive role in attenuating the internet’s toxicity levels than those who leverage generic critiques against the vices of the “digital age.” Online platforms can be educational, entertaining, novel, collaborative, expressive, social and critical to sustaining digital activism. But the internet is also suffused with half-truths and incendiary posts with which the scintilla of wisdom are often interlaced. The internet’s role in shaping the future is unclear as of yet but perhaps it is best to remember that regardless of how skilled algorithms are at manipulating human agency, they ultimately lack the physical means to do so.
Finally … I got through this article … Writing about user agency has nearly made me lose my own self-awareness. And you got through it too … But the real question is, did you do it without getting distracted by your phone?
Lucas Yang/The Observer
PSA: Walk your wheels on the quad
Anya Lin Analytics Manager
Plastered in bold blue and white font across select walkways around campus are clear “Walk your wheels” signs, banning the use of wheeled transportation in specific areas. Yet, every day, I see bicycles, skateboards or electric-scooters skidding right over them. You would think that college students would be able to understand this simple threeword instruction, but reality begs to differ. The flagrant disregard of this clear campus rule is a danger to both riders and pedestrians.
A recent study of California State University, Sacramento, University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Los Angeles students found that inattention contributed to over 60% of accidents on campus involving pedestrians, and excessive speed contributed to about 23%. College students are especially vulnerable to these risks of inattention and excessive speed. When sleep-deprived and desperately attempting to get to class on
time, it might seem tempting to pedal just a little bit faster than usual, but this excess speed, along with some morning brain fog and chaos, can make for a dangerous combination. Imagine if this was a situation with a car instead: speeding past the limit while driving distracted is almost certain to result in a nasty ticket from the police, and, even worse, an accident.
In the California study, many of the accidents were caused by bikes, skateboards and scooters on mixeduse pathways. Especially in areas with few dedicated bike lanes, such as where Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland, mixed-use paths are vital to bike infrastructure. But this need for infrastructure must be balanced with the associated increased risk of accidents. This is exactly where the “Walk your wheels” zones come into play: they protect the most high-risk areas. All of these zones are located in campus activity hubs that pose significant risk of pedestrian collision, such as the Case Quad, with its high-density pedestrian traffic, or the walkway next to the Tinkham
Veale University Center, due to its narrow walkway and low-visibility corners.
Balancing the needs and safety of all commuters on campus is difficult, but rules such as “Walk your wheels” do so effectively, allowing relative freedom for bikers while ensuring pedestrian safety in key areas. However, that’s only if people actually follow the rules. It’s not even difficult to follow them either. When you come across a “Walk your wheels” zone, just dismount and
walk. If you’re on the Case Quad, you can ride to the perimeter and walk through the interior to your class as usual. On the path next to Tink, you can choose to ride an alternate path around that one area. The mere 60 seconds extra it takes to do so ensures the safety of far more than 60 other students.
To all bikers, scooter riders, skateboarders and roller bladers, please remember: just walk your wheels for the sake of everyone’s safety.
The Case Western Reserve Observer
Established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of Case Western Reserve University
Darcy Chew Executive Editor & Publisher
Hannah Johnson Director of Print
Sabrina Feldberg News Editor
Alyssa Wang News Editor
Penelope Cloonan Life Editor
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Ellie Palaian Sports Editor
Michelle Bai Copy Editor
Riya Kulkarni Copy Editor
Siya Motwani Copy Editor
We’ve all been there, trying to study or finish that last assignment when all we want to do is … anything else. Maybe we’re overwhelmed with the work we have to do, or maybe we feel the pressures of perfectionism and don’t want to start. We push ourselves to “lock in,” but call it quits too often, feeling guilty each time we pick up our phones to doomscroll again and again. Doing anything but the work we have piled up always seems to feel better than actually getting things done, but the sinking feeling in our stomach knowing we’ve wasted time is much worse. Can we really consider these pauses to be “breaks” if we feel worse after taking them?
Abhishek Nambiar Copy Editor
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Lily Zhang Copy Editor
DESIGN
Anjali Bhuthpur Director of Design
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Shareen Chahal Layout Designer
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We may trap ourselves in a cycle of counterproductivity and double the time it takes to complete a task. In this “popcorn brain” mindset, we work and get little done, then stop working and think about how we could be working. By the time we resume our work, we feel ashamed, not refreshed, and we stay up late in attempts to catch up.
DIGITAL MEDIA
Auden Koetters Director of Digital Media
Moses Fleischman Web Editor
Ayan Sheikh Video Editor
Matthew Stall Video Editor
Obafami Tidjani Web Editor
Phillip Kornberg Photo Editor
Tyler Sun Photo Editor
A break is not shameful, not when it has the potential to act as a tool that makes productivity much more efficient. We just need to know how to use them.
Esha Bagora Social Media Editor
Benjamin Kang Social Media Editor
Timothy Le Social Media Editor
Rhea Soni Social Media Editor
Just as an athlete wouldn’t do 150 consecutive bicep curls while strength training at the gym, as students we must take meaningful breaks in reasonable intervals. One popular example of this is the Pomodoro method, where 5 minute breaks follow 25 minutes of work (10 minutes of break to 50 minutes of work is also a popular option). By time-boxing our productivity and knowing we will be rewarded, we remain more focused when we
Ethan Daley Sports Broadcaster
BUSINESS
Tyler Vu Director of Business Operations
Riya Dixit Ad Manager
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Ria Trivedi Marketing & Distribution 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 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.
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Sports
CWRU men’s soccer concludes 2025 season, looks ahead after missing NCAA Tournament
Ellie Palaian Sports Editor
After an impressive non-conference campaign that saw them go 6-1-3, the Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team entered UAA play with confidence and high hopes of earning a postseason run. But despite their strong start and impressive performances throughout the season, their NCAA tournament dreams came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end on Saturday, Nov. 8 with a last-minute loss to Carnegie Mellon University.
With just 36 seconds remaining in regulation, the Tartans capitalized on a counterattack, slipping the ball past the Spartan defense and into the net. The goal sealed the match, and with it, the team’s chances of advancing to the NCAA tournament.
For the six graduating seniors, the moment marked an emotional conclusion to their collegiate careers. Though the season ended in heartbreak, it was also defined by resilience, teamwork and pride.
“This was one of the best teams I’ve ever coached from a culture standpoint, mentality, training and work rate,” Head Coach Carter Poe said. “Unfortunately, during the UAA portion of the season we simply did not score enough goals to put us over the edge. But I’m very proud of the group and all they put in. At the end of the day, everyone put everything they could into this year, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The Spartans closed out their 2025 season with a 7-5-5 overall record, going 1-4-2 in conference play to finish eighth in the UAA.
While the numbers may not fully reflect their efforts, the team’s performance was marked by determination, growth and standout individual achievements.
Fourth-year goalkeeper and cocaptain Bradley Winter capped off an outstanding collegiate career with 127 career saves and a program-record 22 shutouts. He was also named to the All-UAA First Team alongside fellow fourthyear defender Phillip Washington. Fourth-year midfielder Camden Larson made his own impact as well, starting 64 career matches (tied for ninth most in program history) and earning All-UAA Honorable Mention honors.
Alongside Winter, Washington and Larson, fourth-years Stephen Vilardo, McLaren Baggett and Ben Collier all saw the field in their final match, each closing a meaningful chapter of their CWRU careers. For these six seniors, their final minutes on the pitch reflected years of commitment, teamwork, and passion that helped shape the foundation of the program’s future.
“The seniors on our team are some of the most passionate, skillful, and inspirational people I’ve ever been around,” second-year forward Amir Awais said. “To say that we have work to do this offseason to fill in their shoes is an understatement. But while that’s all true, I’ve always looked at ‘losing’ something as an opportunity. I am more than confident that our team has a plethora of players that have the character and ability to step into the roles our seniors are leaving behind, and I am excited to witness my teammates’ growth into these positions.”
The Spartans faced plenty of adversity this season. Early injuries
to key players tested the team’s depth and resilience, pushing others to step up and fill crucial roles on the field. Offensively, the team struggled to convert opportunities, managing just one goal in conference play—scored by second-year midfielder Ashton McNally in the lone conference victory against New York University.
“Unfortunately, early in the year and then at different points throughout the season, we lost players that were important to the team,” Poe said. “In addition, we just couldn’t quite seem to get our attack going in UAA play. This is a tricky thing because, when things aren’t clicking, players can lose confidence, and then it becomes even more difficult.”
Amidst those challenges, the Spartans welcomed a talented group of nine first-years to the roster. Standout first-year Alex Eby started all 17 games, playing nearly every minute of the season and earning an All-UAA Honorable Mention alongside Larson. The first-year class demonstrated the program’s bright future, showcasing a strong foundation of young talent ready to lead the team in the years ahead.
“Coming into the season with such a large freshman class, even if they didn’t know it, the freshmen were going to have a huge impact on the team’s culture,” Awais said. “We understood that since we were bringing in so many new players into our program, it was essential that they understood our goals and how we carry ourselves right from the start. The warrior-like mindset our freshman class brought to the team fueled everyone’s drive throughout the season, pushing our
team to be better.”
Overall, Poe remains confident in the team’s potential and believes they have what it takes to reach the postseason tournament in the future, but emphasizes that it will require greater effort and commitment from every player to get there.
“We just have to keep moving and keep trying to get better each and every day,” Poe said. “We need to focus on ourselves, reflect on the year we had and how we can improve, and get back to work. I very much believe in the players we have, but we need to improve. The competition is so high in the UAA, and we need to make sure we’re developing individually and collectively to get to where we want to be.”
Despite an early exit this season, the team is motivated by this year’s setbacks and confident in their potential to compete for a national championship.
“In our locker room, we have our ‘CASE’ core values above our lockers. It goes along the back wall saying “Character, Attitude, Selflessness, and Excellence.” While each value offers its own contribution to how we uphold ourselves, excellence has always stuck out to me,” Awais said. “The atmosphere of our team throughout these past few months has proved to me that we want to become excellent. Playing with my teammates throughout this season has shown me that we can be excellent. So moving forward, my expectations for our team are that everyone strives for their individual excellence through our offseason and into next season, which will bring our team much closer to our goals of a successful future.”
Men’s and women’s basketball look to bounce back from losing records, off to promising start
Abhishek Nambiar Copy Editor
After finishing their previous seasons with losing records, the Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s basketball teams look to bounce back from their struggles.
The men’s team finished last season with a 9-16 overall record, including a 5-9 record in UAA play, while the women’s team are coming off the heels of a 7-18 record, securing just two wins in their 14 conference matchups.
While the previous season may not have been up to the men’s team’s standards, fourth-year guard and co-captain Anand Dharmarajan is nonetheless optimistic about the 2025 season.
“I’m very excited for this season,” Dharmarajan said. “I think we have a really good team with a lot of guys who play well together and have high hopes for our season.”
This year’s roster marks a major shakeup for the team, with 12 firstyears making their collegiate debut in addition to three upperclass transfers. Eight players from last year’s roster are making a return for 2025, including three prior starting players. Two additional players will be returning to the squad after missing out on the 24-25 campaign due to injury: third-year forward Ethan Nowak and second-year guard Henry Stowell.
One of the team’s biggest challenges this season is the loss of several key players from last year’s roster. This list includes former co-captains forward Umar Rashid and guard Sam Trunley, the latter of whom set program records for points in a single season and game last year.
“Losing [Trunley and Rashid] hurts obviously because those guys were such huge parts of the program. But the freshman class is really good and that’s every one of them,” Dharmarajan said. “I think you’ll continue to see a lot of those guys playing and maybe some new freshmen start playing as well.”
The team has been off to a strong start so far. On Saturday, Nov. 8, the team opened its season with a home game against Houghton University at Horsburgh Gymnasium. The Spartans earned a decisive 99-79 victory over the Highlanders that saw several team members, both old and new, hit the ground running. Dharmarajan and second-year guard Matthew Ellis each scored a team-high 14 points during the match, while first-year guard Shyam Patel began his collegiate career with 13 points to his name. Close behind in points were fellow guards first-year Anestis Hadjistamoulou (11) and third-year Julian Scott (10).
The team’s strengths carried onto their next match, an away game against Penn State Behrend on Tuesday, Nov. 11. While this game was a decidedly closer result for the Spartans as they narrowly defeated the Lions 71-68, it was nonetheless an opportunity for the team to show off their strengths and talents as numerous first-years helped contribute to the narrow win. Notably, first-year forward Alex Vincent led the squad with 24 points scored in only the second game of his collegiate career.
Reflecting on the two matches, Dharmarajan notes his reaffirmed confidence in the team to perform well this season.
“I thought we played well on Saturday and handled business the way we needed to. I feel confident in our abilities going forward,” Dharmarajan said. “I’m really happy with how we played Tuesday at Behrend. That was a great win on the road and definitely taught us a lot about what we’re made of.”
On the women’s team, similar optimistic sentiments were expressed by third-year guard Mya Hartjes in regards to the team’s performance this season. In spite of the team’s overall struggles last season, Hartjes proved herself enough to receive an All-UAA Second Team selection, emerging as one of the top players in the entire UAA.
“I’m feeling really excited going into the season. It’s great to be competing in more games now that we are about a month in, and I think all of our hard work is going to go a long way,” Hartjes said.
While the women’s team roster is not as shaken up as the men’s roster, there are still several differences to be seen. Four first-years will be making their debut with CWRU this season: forward Clara Swanson and guards Christen Banks, Abby Sirois and Ava Jordan. Many of the team’s most notable players from last season are returning for the new campaign, while two players who missed the previous season due to injury—fourth-year guard Maya Roberts and third-year forward Biz Watson—will be returning to the court and looking to make an impact.
“This season, I feel like we are continuing to grow from last year,” Hartjes said. “Everyone came in ready to work and focus on improving every day to the next level.”
This collective enthusiasm from the team was on full display this past weekend as the squad emerged victorious in the MSOE STEM TipOff Tournament in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their run in the tournament began with a blowout 81-33 win over the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Friday, Nov.
7, a game that saw several achievements for numerous members of the squad. Fourth-year guard/forward Emily Plachta, for one, scored a career-high 24 points during the match, breaking her previous record of 22.
The momentum continued into the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 8 that saw CWRU overcome Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges 58-51 to win the tournament. Hartjes reached a major milestone by scoring her 500th career point during the game, finishing with 23 points. Plachta added 19 points to her name and earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award, and Watson came off the bench to achieve a career-high eight rebounds.
“[Winning this tournament] is really exciting,” Hartjes said. “It’s a really strong start and a great way to open the season. There are a lot of great things to take away from it, and watching film will help us keep improving as we move forward.”
For both the men’s and women’s teams, the end goal is the same: be the best team they can be, putting in the work and effort to make this a reality. With both teams starting the season on a high note after opening-weekend victories, the focus now shifts from celebration to continuation. The early results are promising, but both squads know that lasting success comes from what happens next: staying hungry, holding each other accountable and turning one good weekend into a season-long standard.
The men’s team will be traveling to Waynesburg, Pennsylvania this weekend for the Omni Ink Waynesburg Tip-Off Tournament, taking on host team Waynesburg University on Friday, Nov. 14 and either the University of Mount Union or Muhlenberg College on Sunday Nov. 16. Meanwhile, the women’s team will be returning to Cleveland for their home opener, taking on Adrian College inside Horsburgh Gymnasium on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Both basketball teams at CWRU have made strong
season. Phillip Kornberg/The Observer
CWRU Athletics shine with impressive weekend performances
touchdown sealed the result.
at Carnegie Mellon (11/8) T 1-1
Women’s Soccer Football vs Grove City (11/8) L 14-28
Volleyball
at Wooster (11/8) W 3-0
Swim and Dive vs Gannon (11/8)
Men’s Team W 171-117
Women’s Team W 176-118
Cross Country
Wooster Twilight 5K Challenge (11/7) No Team Scoring
Upcoming Games
Wrestling at Adrian 11/15
Women’s Soccer
NCAA Championship vs Rose Hulman 11/15, 5:30 p.m. DiSanto Field, Round 1
Ellie Palaian Sports Editor
Cross country
The Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s cross country teams delivered strong performances at the Wooster Twilight 5K Challenge on Friday night at John P. Papp Stadium in Wooster, Ohio. The meet featured an uncommon format, with runners competing on the track rather than a traditional cross country course. CWRU faced competition from Cleveland State University, The College of Wooster and Oberlin College.
For the women, second-year Becca Liaw led the Spartan women with a standout performance, finishing third overall and as the top Division III runner with a time of 18:39.5. First-year Aditi Mukundhan followed close behind in fourth place at 18:54.1. Fellow first-years Maya DiPasquale (10th, 19:57.7), Kasey Thomas (13th, 20:47.1) and Hannah Nevius (15th, 21:07.6) rounded out CWRU’s lineup. The race was won by Cleveland State’s Ana Crangle, who clocked 17:11.6.
On the men’s side, second-year Adam Joseph won the 34-runner race in 15:34.4, capturing the overall victory. CWRU dominated the top of the leaderboard, with first-years Devin Montileone placing second (15:42.5), Tyler Ginther finishing fourth (15:53.2) and Thijs Doot close behind in fifth (15:53.5). The Spartans also placed four more runners in the top 10: first-year Lowell Copps (6th, 15:58.0), fourth-year Nathan Webb (8th, 16:14.7) and first-year Caleb Guarino (9th, 16:18.8), showcasing the team’s depth. Second-years Paul Salah (12th, 16:38.9) and George Wood-Leness (14th, 16:49.5) also contributed solid efforts.
Both Spartan squads entered the meet ranked fourth in the Great Lakes Region. The competition marked the first time Liaw and Joseph finished as their teams’ top performers.
CWRU will return to action next weekend as the top-seven runners from each team travel to Louisville, Kentucky for the 2025 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship at Tom Sawyer State Park. The Spartans will look to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships or bolster their case for an at-large selection.
The Spartans will close out the 2025 season next Saturday, Nov. 15, hosting Geneva College at 1 p.m. The game will also serve as Senior Day, honoring 26 graduating players.
Women’s soccer
The sixth-ranked Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team wrapped up its regular season with a 1-1 draw against No. 18 Carnegie Mellon University on Saturday night in Pittsburgh. The Spartans finished the regular season 13-2-3 overall and 3-22 in UAA play.
After a scoreless first half in which CWRU outshot CMU 11-1, fourthyear midfielder Ceci Dapino broke the deadlock in the 56th minute with her 10th goal of the season, a skillful strike after weaving through three defenders. The Tartans answered just two minutes later to level the match. Despite dominating possession and holding a 15-2 advantage in total shots and 5-1 edge in shots on goal, the Spartans couldn’t find a late winner.
Dapino led the Spartans with four shots, while fourth-year Alexis Sassower added three in the regular-season finale. Wrapping up an impressive campaign, Case Western Reserve University scored 57 goals in 18 games— the most in a single regular season in program history.
CWRU finished third in the University Athletic Association, marking its fourth winning conference record in five years.
The Spartans’ season will continue into the postseason as they host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, opening against RoseHulman Institute of Technology on Saturday, Nov. 15, with game time still to be announced.
Volleyball
The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team finished the regular season strong with a 3-0 victory over Wooster (25-16, 25-12, 25-18) on Saturday at Timken Gymnasium. The win improves CWRU to 15-13 on the season, while Wooster ends 2025 at 5-21.
start to finish, building early leads in each set and closing out with strong service runs, including an 8-0 run in the third set sparked by first-year setter Kaitlyn Harris.
In the match, Ngo surpassed 100 total blocks for the second consecutive season, finishing with 102, Datto reached 500 digs on the year, ending the match with 501 and 14 players saw court time in the win.
Next, CWRU will compete in the UAA Championship at Brandeis University on Nov. 15-16. The fifth-seeded Spartans will face fourth-seeded Carnegie Mellon University in the quarterfinal on Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by a semifinal matchup against either top-seeded University of Chicago or eighth-seeded University of Rochester later that day.
Wrestling
The Case Western Reserve University wrestling team had a strong showing at the Bob Del Rosa Open on Sunday at the Veale Convocation, Recreation, and Athletic Center, highlighted by fourth-years Art Martinez and Thomas Wagner winning their respective brackets.
Martinez went 3-0 to capture the 133-pound open bracket, winning his first two matches by technical fall and the final by a 13-8 decision. He improved to 6-1 this season and 110-33 for his career, tying for eighth in program history for career wins. Wagner also went 3-0 to win the 157-pound open bracket, earning two technical fall victories and a 3-1 decision in the final. Wagner is now 7-1 for the season and 65-43 career.
Other standout Spartans included fourth-years Aidan Gassel (2nd, 197 lbs, 2-1) and E.J. Alizio (3rd, 125 lbs, 2-1), second-year Chase Crutchley (3rd, 174 lbs, 2-1) and first-years Hunter Keane (3rd, 141 lbs, 4-1) and Alexander Goldman (5th, 197 lbs, 2-1).
Other notable performances came from first-year Christopher Bezzeg— who pinned three opponents, extending his team lead to five pins. First-year Kodi Pfeiffer earned his first career pin and technical fall.
Football
vs Geneva College (Pa.) 11/15, 1 p.m. DiSanto Field
Volleyball Football
UAA Volleyball Championship vs Carnegie Mellon 11/15 vs UChicago or Rochester 11/15
The Case Western Reserve University football team battled hard but came up short against Grove City College, falling 28-14 on Saturday afternoon at DiSanto Field. Despite outgaining the Wolverines 338-259, the Spartans were undone by five turnovers that led to 14 Grove City points.
Fourth-year and co-captain Amanda Ngo led the Spartans with 12 kills on a .400 hitting percentage and added four blocks. Fourth-year co-captain and outside hitter Kalli Wall contributed six kills, five digs, two blocks and an assist. Second-year setter Elena Esquivel paced the squad with 32 assists, 13 digs, five kills and four blocks, while second-year defensive specialist Sophia Datto led defensively with 14 digs.
CWRU controlled the match from
In the Open, over 600 matches were contested among wrestlers from 18 colleges and five clubs. CWRU scored 85.5 points in the open division and 43.0 in the first-year/sophomore division. Wagner captured his first career bracket win, while Martinez claimed his first victory of the season with his fifth career bracket title.
The Spartans will next travel to Adrian, Michigan to face No. 23rdranked Adrian College in a dual meet on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
Cross Country 11/15
NCAA Great Lakes Regional
Men’s Basketball
Omni Ink Waynesburg Tip-Off at Waynesburg 11/14 vs Mt. Union or Muhlenberg 11/15
Women’s Basketball
Third-year quarterback Sam DeTillio led the offense with 209 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 71 yards on the ground. Fourthyear wide receiver Dylan Cave caught six passes for 76 yards and a score and second-year wide receiver Will Stack added 73 yards on five receptions. Defensively, fourth-year defensive back Osi Chukwuocha tallied eight tackles, while fellow fourth-year defensive lineman Joseph Swarm recorded three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
Wrestling vs Bob Del Rosa Open (11/8) No Team Scoring Men’s Basketball vs Houghton (11/8) W 99-79 at Penn State Behrend (11/11) W 71-68 Following their 3-0 win against Wooster, the CWRU volleyball team will compete in the UAA Volleyball Championships this weekend at Brandeis. Phillip Kornberg/The
vs Adrian 11/15, 6 p.m. Horsburgh Gymnasium at Capital 11/19
The Spartans tied the game early in the third quarter on a touchdown pass from DeTillio to third-year wide receiver Beau Wolf, but Grove City capitalized on special teams plays—including two blocked punts—to regain control. DeTillio’s late connection with Cave pulled CWRU within a score, but a final interception and a Wolverine
