Life: Back to School Bash caps off the first week of classes perfectly (pg. 3)
The Case Western Reserve
NEWS
Friday, September 5, 2025
Volume LVII, Issue 3 Est. 1969
Shelter-in-place issued on CWRU campus
Alyssa Wang News Editor
At 5:35 p.m. on Aug. 27, Case Western Reserve University students, faculty and parents received a notification about an emergency. CWRU’s Division of Public Safety announced a shelter-in-place order for everyone on campus due to a “possible shooting” in the 2100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Drive near Lot One and the Case Quad. According to Cleveland 19 News, after the 18-year-old and 19-year-old armed suspects refused to pull over, they tried to escape a traffic stop and entered the campus near Crawford Hall. In an effort to subdue the suspects after they tried to hijack a car, the police shot the 18-year-old in the leg and later detained the 19-year-old on MLK Drive. The 18-year-old was then taken to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center for treatment. No CWRU student or faculty member was injured.
Certain campus staff ensured student safety by clearing visible areas, such as Thwing Atrium. Law enforcement increased the police and helicopter presence around the Quad and made buildings accessible only with a CWRU ID card. At 6:11 p.m., CWRU announced an all-clear, reporting that law enforcement apprehended the suspects. Despite the all-clear report, portions of MLK Drive were shut down, areas surrounding Crawford and Tomlinson Hall were taped off and police presence remained around the campus to ensure the
safety of the CWRU community. An Ohio State Highway Patrol vehicle was also stationed on the intersection between Adelbert Road and Euclid Avenue.
This shelter-in-place order is not the first one this year. On April 11, CWRU issued another shelter-inplace when an armed individual followed a student into Michelson House in the South Residential Village on campus. Minutes prior to the individual’s entry, four armed juveniles fled from a stolen car in the area, though a gun was never found and no one was injured. According to CWRU alerts, the intruder was not affiliated with the university and was detained after a thorough investigation using infrared drone cameras and security footage.
“I think security responded very well both times,” second-year student Ethan Park said. “I wasn’t near the location during either of the alerts, but it was still comforting to see that the police response was so quick.”
Similar to last semester’s emergency, CWRU and Cleveland Heights police acted quickly in response to the incident and sent out frequent updates to inform the CWRU community. At 9:56 p.m., President Kaler also sent out an email to the CWRU community with updates, resources on counseling services and a reminder to review emergency plans. The Observer reached out to Public Safety for more information. At that time, they stated they were providing the media with the same alerts and messages the CWRU community
Following the incident, University Circle was in a traffic jam for multiple hours.
An Ohio State Highway Patrol vehicle was stationed on Adelbert Road to ensure the safety of students. All photos courtesy of Tyler Sun/The Observer
The teenager involved in the shooting was taken to University Hospitals after being apprehended by the police. was receiving.
The CWRU Newsroom has replaced The Daily’s website
Hannah Johnson Director of Print
This year, the Case Western Reserve University Marketing and Communications Team unveiled their newest platform, the CWRU Newsroom. The new website has replaced The Daily’s site with an updated, streamlined service and appearance.
The Daily, formerly the university’s prime location for pertinent campus-related news, has been described as CWRU’s “internal communications outlet, distributed every weekday via an e-newsletter to all faculty, staff and students.”
The transition to this new platform, the CWRU Newsroom, was made to centralize information — from stories in the university’s magazines to news from different campus departments and the school’s website. Before this change, there had “never been a single source of news at the university,” Emily Mayock, senior associate vice president for marketing communications strategy in the department of University Marketing and Communications said. Along with the information fragmentation of many campus materials on the site, Mayock also cited duplicated content as a shortcoming with the previous system of The Daily. This repeated content affected staff workloads while also impacting search optimization efforts, making
it harder to locate news and stories. With the CWRU Newsroom, there is now a “central location for [the university] to create and distribute content [with] a more streamlined, intuitive experience for [its] visitors.” The new platform is also meant to serve as a channel of communication for those on and outside of the university so that audiences can learn about CWRU’s impact. By merging faculty and me-
News-in-Brief
CAMPUS
On Sept. 3, President Eric Kaler sent an email to the CWRU community with updates to the university’s Freedom of Expression Policy. President Kaler stated that small demonstrations can host up to 100 students rather than 20; demonstrations can occur anytime between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and individuals can now contact the committee to hold larger demonstrations in loca-
NATIONAL
Federal Judge Allison D. Burroughs ruled that the Trump Administration’s funding cuts to Harvard University were illegal, citing First Amendment protections. Judge Burroughs opined that there were difficulties in using antisemitism as a reason to conceal an attack on free speech and university research–including critical medical findings.
tions other than the Kelvin Smith Library Oval, Van Horn Field or the Case Quad. The Demonstration Request Review Committee has now replaced the Freedom of Expression Policy Committee, and their membership contains students from the Faculty Senate, Graduate Student Council, Postdoctoral Association, Staff Advisory Committee and Undergraduate Student Government
dia, the platform aims to achieve an improved and ideal distribution of information.
Currently, the site is designed to complement the university’s newest branding update. The header features CWRU’s newest logo and a vast collection of tabs for navigation on the home page. This setup reflects the expansion to categorize and cover news from each of CWRU’s schools.
The genesis of this new platform, though, does not mean that The Daily will phase out completely. It will remain the university’s main internal communications channel, but it is now an e-newsletter containing content from the CWRU Newsroom rather than a newsletter and standalone website. Additional reporting contributed by Executive Editor Darcy Chew.
COMMUNITY
The Cleveland National Air Show hosted the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as headliners for their annual Labor Day weekend tradition. The show was held over Lake Erie, with jets flying over and around University Circle. Throughout the week prior to the event, members of the CWRU and surrounding community could hear the pilots practicing their performances and stunts.
INTERNATIONAL
The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) predicted that the Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education will lose an estimated $3.2 billion, pushing an additional six million children out of schools by 2026. UN News stated 28 countries may lose “at least a quarter of the education aid they rely on.” This is due to aid reduc-
tions from donor countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, shifting priorities toward crisis response and decreased funding for international organizations. Not only will this affect children’s education, this will also lead to cuts in necessary school food programs and transportation and a decrease in support for women’s education.
Elizabeth McHugh/The Observer
Alyssa Wang News Editor
Sabrina Feldberg News Editor
Freedom of expression policy changes
Cleveland gathers for Labor Day weekend air show
Phillip Kornberg/The Observer
Courtesy of Shivangi Nanda
“Your Dry Delight” is a surprising treat
Mariana Parilli-Castillo Copy Editor
Content warning: minor spoilers ahead.
The medium of the visual novel, much like the romantic comedy genre it is often associated with, is one that, in popular culture. is mostly treated as a punchline, rather than a piece of art in its own right. Deconstructions can escape from this burden, as seen by the public reception on entries such as Team Salvato’s “Doki Doki Literature Club!” and Sassy Chap Games’ “Date Everything!” Often their reputations can survive on the assumption that these games are not really visual novels, or they are treated as acceptable in the public eye so long as they are not taken seriously. Rarely is a visual novel allowed to simply be a visual novel and still be good.
This perception, however, needs to change because “Your Dry Delight” is both of those things.
Released on Aug. 17, 2018, by Argent Games, “Your Dry Delight”
is a simple visual novel, following August Richter, a junior partner at the Cleveland Detective Agency, as he attempts to close in on a bootlegging scheme in 1920s Cleveland. The two main routes follow the alternate paths (and love interests) that you can take to his mission— either working closely with your airheaded senior partner, Leslie Clark, or collaborating with the pragmatic Jewish mafia boss, Meyer Eastman. While I found both romantic storylines quite sweet, with both routes showing different facets to each of their characters and their motivations to get the Prohibition-era policies under control, in my personal opinion, the game truly shines through its practice of historical and cultural research.
At the beginning of the game, the player is provided with a glossary of terms and historical events that the narrative will intermittently reference, whether that be Cleveland’s cassata cake—which becomes an important plot point in the Eastman route—or an in-depth explanation of the Volstead Act. It is clear that “Your Dry Delight” cares deeply for its historical aspects,
and major research went into the specifics of Prohibition-era mafia infighting in Cleveland. It brings to mind the possibilities inherent in the disciplines studied here at Case Western Reserve University. Oftentimes, it is presumed that once you enter higher education, it is necessary to abandon one’s creative endeavors in the name of stability and seriousness. Unless you are studying it, creating art is not presented as a viable career anymore. And yet, games such as “Your Dry Delight” remind us that this is not the case. The game’s soul rests on its attention to historical accuracy and record-keeping. The team had a passion for history—a fact made all the more apparent by Argent Games’ latest release: a historical romance set in the Wild West. The level of dedication and attention that Argent Games put into making “Your Dry Delight,” is made clear throughout the game, making it a very enjoyable, fluffy experience. This is not to say that “Your Dry Delight” is completely flawless. The art style, which is reminiscent of early 2000s Shōjo manga, may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
It can be a major put-off if you’re unaccustomed to it, seeing as how the game is primarily based on a combination of the art style and its dialogue. I found it charming, but others I know have found it jarring. Additionally, while the game’s dialogue is stellar, it can fall into the trap of cheesiness, often conventional in the romantic comedy genre. Finally, while “Your Dry Delight” wears its research chops proudly on its sleeve, it does have some minor gaffes, such as mentioning a “Federal Bureau of Investigations” which was simply called the “Bureau of Investigations” in the 1920s. One last key point is that the game itself is rather short, with both main routes and an additional true ending route coming in at around three hours of leisurely playtime. And yet, in my opinion, this brevity is only a side effect of one of the greatest bonuses of “Your Dry Delight”: It is completely free. For someone first experiencing the visual genre medium, or even a broke college student who may want to keep exploring the genre, its nonexistent price tag makes the game incredibly accessible.
Back to School Bash caps off the first week of classes perfectly
Esha Bagora Social Media Editor
Case Western Reserve University’s East Bell Commons transformed into a vibrant carnival this past Friday evening as hundreds of students gathered for the annual Back to School Bash, featuring rising indie-pop artist Malcolm Todd and an array of activities that successfully launched the fall semester with community spirit and excitement.
The University Program Board’s 5th annual flagship back-to-campus event delivered its signature blend of free food, attractions and live music, creating the welcoming atmosphere that has made the Bash a beloved tradition for students across all class years. As the late August sun began its descent, students flooded into East Bell Commons with an energy that was immediately infectious. First year students in orientation gear mixed seamlessly with returning upperclassmen, all eager to dive into the festivities that mark the unofficial start of the academic year.
The diverse food offerings fostered a festival atmosphere that catered to every dietary preference. Irie Jamaican Kitchen drew long lines with their jerk and curry chicken options, while others gravitated towards Buddha veggies with rice and beans combinations. TY FUN Thai Bistro’s pad see ew and basil fried rice provided aromatic alternatives, and The Proper Pig Smokehouse's BBQ offerings filled the air with savory scents. Later in the evening, Piada Italian Street Food’s pasta stations and Ohio City Burrito's customizable wraps kept energy levels high, while Pho and Rice's Asian fusion options provided lighter alternatives. The snowcone station remained a con-
stant favorite throughout the night, with flavors ranging from classic cherry and blue raspberry to more adventurous options like tiger's blood and root bear. The dessert stations provided the perfect sweet ending to the culinary experience. Lizzie's Bakery Nut Free offered an assortment of mini cupcakes and cookies, with vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options, ensuring no one missed out on the treats. The combination of savory meals and dessert options created a complete dining experience that rivaled any off-campus festival.
The physical attractions drew steady crowds throughout the evening as well, with the trampoline area becoming an unexpected highlight. Students bounced en-
thusiastically while attempting increasingly ambitious tricks. The rock climbing wall attracted a mix of experienced climbers showing off their skills and nervous first-timers being cheered on by supportive crowds below. Perhaps the most unique attraction was the petting zoo, featuring an unusual but fascinating collection of reptiles. Students gathered around terrariums housing various snakes, lizards and turtles, with many overcoming their initial hesitation to interact with the scaly residents. The reptile experience proved surprisingly popular, drawing curious crowds throughout the event.
As evening approached and stage lights illuminated the performance area, anticipation grew for
the main musical event. Malcolm Todd, making his debut at a CWRU event, brought exactly the kind of contemporary sound that resonated with the student crowd. Todd opened with mellow, guitar-driven tracks that drew students closer to the stage, his warm vocals creating an intimate atmosphere despite the outdoor setting. The crowd swayed collectively, many already familiar with his songs from streaming platforms. His indie-pop melodies blended seamlessly with the evening air, creating a soundtrack that perfectly complemented the transition from daylight festivities to nighttime entertainment. As the set progressed, his energy intensified, transforming the gathering from casual listening into a full concert experience. As Todd's voice soared over delicate guitar work, East Bell Commons fell into an almost reverent hush before erupting in enthusiastic applause. Todd's stage presence proved equally impressive, with casual conversation between songs that made the large venue feel surprisingly intimate. He shared anecdotes about his songwriting process and expressed genuine appreciation for the warm Cleveland welcome, further endearing himself to the captivated audience. Todd’s obvious enthusiasm was infectious, creating call-and-response moments that bound performer and audience together in shared energy. For first-year students, the evening provided an ideal introduction to the campus community, while returning students appreciated the familiar traditions combined with fresh entertainment. The Back to School Bash once again proved its value as the perfect semester kickoff—combining nostalgic fun with contemporary culture to create lasting memories and new friendships that will carry through the academic year ahead.
Indie artist Malcolm Todd performed for the 5th annual Back to School Bash. Tyler Sun/ The Observer
"Honey Don't" rush to see this film
Penelope Cloonan Life Editor
Content warning: discussions of sexual content, violence and major spoilers for “Honey Don’t!”
“Honey Don’t!” is Director Ethan Coen (“Drive-Away Dolls,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Fargo”) and Screenwriter Tricia Cooke’s (“Drive-Away Dolls”) latest foray into the world of dark comedies. Serving as the spiritual sequel to “Drive-Away Dolls” (2024), the pair’s “lesbian B-movie trilogy” continues to be strangely off-putting and almost camp. The film follows small town private investigator Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) as she attempts to solve a string of mysterious murders plaguing Bakersfield, California. Along the way, she finds an ally and lover in cop MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza), while drawing the attention of the evangelist sex cult leader Reverend Drew (Chris Evans) and a hitwoman named Chère (Lera Abova), suggesting the string of murders may go deeper than she thinks. This exciting new release had audiences waiting with bated breaths for what seemed to be something truly new and inventive: a stylized, smarmy detective story with a compellingly laughable villain, a sapphic subplot and a retro feel. This film promised a lot, and it saddens me to say it could not deliver.
On the surface, “Honey Don’t!” is a beautiful film. The film opens with a stylized long credit roll, making use of their big-budget cast names by throwing them up onto various town landmarks. Taking time on the opening credits is an art so lost to time that I can really only recall “Deadpool” (2016) doing so in the modern age. Slowly immersing the audience into the world shows a care for style that a lot of films lack these
All of
days. Showing more care for stylistic consistency, “Honey Don’t!” has a consistently warm color pallette, leaning hard to its retro feel. The costuming further grounds the pseudo-retro feel of the film, with characters dressed in the attire of the 1960s to 1970s even as the film takes place post-COVID. The only hints to the actual time period are the sparing use of cell phones and a line from Billy Eichner’s character about COVID-19-related concerns. The point of this line is seemingly only to date the film. Considering “Honey Don’t!” was otherwise not heavy-handed with exposition—instead allowing the audience to experience the plot and most revelations with Honey—the addition was jarring but allowable.
The homey, small town costuming coupled with the warmth strikes a beautiful contrast to the unsettling nature of the film, leaving the audience stuck between comfort and oddity. Strangely enough, the warm color palette also makes the blood and guts in the extremely violent scenes pop even more, both from a color and tonal standpoint. The visual effects in these shots are masterfully done. Intense burns, gaping wounds and slashes are all done practically and the audience can tell in the best way possible. While “Honey Don’t!” is a let down in many ways, it succeeds in creating a cohesive and uneasily beautiful world.
I will admit that “Honey Don’t!” did nail one element of neo-noir: the femme fatale. The femme fatale is a noir stock character who, through villainous mystery, seduces men (and occasionally women) to achieve her vile and unpredictable whims. In the neo-noir genre, she may be deconstructed through a feminist lense, but some choose to keep the character as-is. The hitwoman Chère is the archetypal femme fatale, and she is every-
Conan Gray’s
thing. Chère’s nonchalance contrasts beautifully with the other dark comedy elements in the film. Her air of mystery is so strong that she remains unnamed until the final scene, in which she flirts with the main character Honey. Considering how heavily stylized this film is and how many genres it attempts to dip into, having a grounded noir genre staple is a great benefit to this movie.
The only element of the film that breaks this beautiful vision is the use of gratuitous sex scenes. Often, discussions of whether or not sex scenes are warranted circle back to the male gaze. To put a very complicated topic simply, the male gaze is a feminist theory term used to describe the way men tend to depict women as nothing more than sexual objects. In contrast to that, some internet feminists have proposed the idea of a female gaze—a more emotional, less sexual view of women. The existence of this gaze is hotly debated. I do not believe in it. I think it can be useful to point out where the oppressive male gaze influences a film, but I do not believe in the existence of the female gaze. A film being written by a woman— as this film is—does not mean it is feminist, it does not mean it exemplifies the female gaze. The point of the male gaze is not to point out that a man wrote it; the point of the male gaze is to show oppression. Reverend Drew runs a sex cult, so in those contexts, the sex scenes make sense. However, the cult, romantic and miscellaneous sex scenes really just seem like they are there to pad an already short runtime. That is all to say that this film is neither feminist nor a striking example of the male gaze; the sex scenes simply make no sense. The style of the film does lend itself to shock value, but the gratuitous sex scenes don’t add to the film in that sense either. The greatest fault of this film is
the run time. “Honey Don’t!” is a tight 90 minutes. It truly attempts to capture the spirit of a B-movie; you’re in, you’re out and you have a good time. “Honey Don’t!” desperately needs more than 90 minutes. The first half of the film takes its time to perfectly capture the energy of a detective film. It is a classic trope of detective fiction of the past: something is wrong, and gosh darn, our heroine will figure out what that is. The audience gets to experience the clues with the detective, or, in this case, the private investigator. Honey seems out of her depth, and so is the audience. That is fine, but a good detective or mystery film will have some means for the audience to solve the mystery alongside the investigator. Sadly, “Honey Don’t!” falls into an ever-present modern problem: the plot twist. In the end, it is revealed that MG is the serial killer. She monologues like a nemesis in a classic old-timey film, it should be extremely compelling. I did not care. Upon a second watch, there were no “A-Ha!” moments; I could not track any foreshadowing. There was no set up for this and there is nothing in MG’s characterization that suggests she is hiding something or has a sinister secret life. The ending just occurs without any of the middle to make it make sense.
Overall, “Honey Don’t!” is confused. Genres billed in it include neo-noir, dark comedy, detective, crime, mystery and thriller. As previously mentioned, there is also a romantic subplot. For a film that is marketed so clearly as what it is, the film doesn’t know what to focus on or for how long. As college students, we need to be wise about our time and our money. Maybe skip seeing “Honey Don’t!” in theaters this time around, but 90 minutes once it comes on streaming won’t kill you. If it does, you may end up one of Honey’s cold cases.
“Wishbone” deserves your attention, not just first-listen
Anlin Wei Contributing Writer
“Wishbone” is Conan Gray’s fourth studio album, released on Aug. 15. Over the course of twelve songs, Gray opens up about past relationships that won’t seem to stay in the past, the rush that comes with a crush, unrequited love and the continued reverberations of childhood trauma. With a range of sounds, from the bombastic “Nauseous” to the introspective “Class Clown,” Gray’s newest release has something for anyone who’s ever broken off the short end of the wishbone.
“Wishbone” was initially written by Gray for himself and his friends, but over the course of two years of private creation, he realized he wanted to share the music with the public. Despite how personal and involved the genesis of this album was, upon the first listen, a few songs fall short of the emotional impact they should have had, with just one or two elements detracting from their ability to connect with the listener. The vocal processing in the lead single “This Song” makes Gray’s performance feel overly compressed and reminiscent of the sound quality of tinny laptop speakers. The second single, “Vodka Cranberry,” has an engaging final chorus,
but includes one too many yodel-like runs. “My World” has a catchy verse, but a chorus that veers into “Mystical Magical” territory with the excessive falsetto. The repetition of a drawn-out “me” in the chorus of “Sunset Tower” is another example. All of these little choices in production or performance turn first impressions away from the great lyrics—one of Gray’s enduring strengths. He writes about budding love (“This Song”), a relationship falling apart (“Vodka Cranberry”), reclaiming your energy after wasting it on pleasing other people (“My World”) and being hung up on someone who seems to have moved on (“Sunset Tower”). While the subjects may seem overplayed, there is something fresh here. Gray’s confessional style makes his niche, personal experiences feel relatable. After reading the lyrics, I played through the album again and connected to songs I had dismissed before, so I urge anyone with an apprehensive gut reaction to give it a second listen.
On the other hand, there are songs on this album that don’t need more than one chance to prove themselves, namely “Romeo,” “Class Clown,” “Nauseous,” and “Connell.” “Romeo,” the fourth song on the album, is a pop rock jam that captures the feeling of utter freedom that strikes after leav-
ing behind a relationship that did you wrong. This song has it all: trumpet fanfare, gang vocals full of teenage angst, groovy bass lines and cheeky references to Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The jubilant sound and decisive lyrics will get anyone who spent the “summer in love, then … went and got dumped” singing along.
“Class Clown,” sixth on the album and a stand-out track, turns away from yearning for love and towards yearning for freedom from the past. Gray sings about using humor to conceal his unstable upbringing as a mixedrace kid in Texas with an abusive father. He plays on the character of the class clown: making his persona so visible that he can render the “unworthy” parts of himself invisible. When he’s making people laugh, “there’s this beautiful moment in it where [he] can sorta just vanish,” implying that he’s not only hiding his trauma from others, but also himself. He’s singing softly, telling us his secret in a chromatic melody backed by fidgety, eerie guitar playing unresolved chords. Through every element of the vocal performance, writing and production, Gray invites the listener to take part in his jittery marionette dance.
“Nauseous” is the seventh track and uses its dramatic production to mimic Gray’s anxiety that the stable,
favorites
loving relationship his partner provides will come crashing down. As he sings the word “nauseous,” the music swells and heaves, evoking the eponymous feeling. This motif, along with the heavy drums, lead to a visceral depiction of love tinged with the heartpumping, blood-rushing, stomachturning fear that it might all be ripped away. At the same time, Gray maintains his pop sensibilities and turns that intensity into a song that still gets the listener humming along.
“Connell,” the ninth track, takes on a less expansive sound than the rest of the album. Gray’s forlorn vocals and a solo guitar take center stage, occasionally supported by strings and sustained bass notes that punch the listener in the gut. He laments about the time he wasted with a partner, presumably a man, who would hide him away and go on to date girls. The song ends with Gray repeating the name “Connell” with increasing distortion on the vocal, drums and bass to drive home the feeling of screaming into the void, a relatable experience to any listener who has desperately held onto a relationship that they knew could never work.
Continue reading on page 5
Conan Gray from page 4
Like the rest of the pop genre, Gray’s discography can be misrepresented as simple, canned music with no purpose but to fill radio time or the minds of vapid teenagers. But behind these earworms are a deep level
of insight into the damage life can do on a person through love, trauma and loss. “Wishbone” is an album best experienced multiple times, with each successive listen revealing new perspectives and provoking different
emotions and memories in every listener.
Ultimately, however, there is only so much one can get out of streaming music from their device. Luckily, Conan Gray is going on tour! The
Wishbone Pajama Show is an 18-stop tour beginning on Sept. 11 at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, with opener hemlocke springs. Tickets are still available as of the time this was written.
Playlist of the week: Millennial indie for main characters
Margaret Ozar Contributing Writer
Fall is the perfect time for pretty much everything. The weather isn’t too hot or too cold, the leaves are turning, Halloween is on its way and there’s a specific smell in the air I can never quite put my finger on. I don’t know if it is the way that sunlight looks in late September or the anticipation of winter that gives me this feeling of being in a different time. I always want to explain it and never can. Maybe, you can relate. If so, you should grab your earbuds. What better to go with a hyper-specific feeling than a hyper-specific playlist? I want to take us back to a special time in indie music, when the lyrics made no sense but the vibes were impossible to replicate. “Girls” on HBO, “Elementary” on CBS, “Wizards of Waverly Place” on the Disney Channel. We’re all rocking striped shirts, infinity scarves, lace-patterned tops and a side part. Tumblr is thriving, Pinterest is teaching us how to DIY a chevron phone case for our iPhone 4s (maybe a 5 if you’re fancy) and Instagram is a competition to see who can put the thickest white border on our warmtoned photos. Grab your red lipstick and a statement necklace because we’re going back to the early 2010s.
“Rill Rill” - Sleigh Bells
The floaty vocals and jingly (like the name, get it?) guitars combine for a distinctive sound from this Brooklyn alt-pop staple. The band’s debut album, “Treats,” is so full of interesting music, I had a hard time picking just one for this playlist. Try “Infinity Guitars” for a heavier sound.
“A-Punk” - Vampire Weekend
It is impossible to talk about indie rock or pop without Vampire Week-
end. The upbeat punk drum beat of this song goes well with lyrics that kind of don’t make sense, but we all dance to anyway. I remember my hipster parents playing this when I was a kid, so I can confirm that it is the best song to dance to in the kitchen using a random spatula as a microphone.
“1901” - Phoenix
A true indie sleaze banger, this song from French band Phoenix captures a particular vibe perfectly. The synth creates a unique atmosphere, and I really feel like I should be wearing gray tights and ballet flats to the club.
“Boom Clap” - Charli xcx
If you were anywhere near the internet, a bookstore or a movie theater between 2012 and 2014, you know “The Fault in Our Stars.” The coming of age novel and later movie that made us all cry and want to go to Amsterdam also had us listening to this song on repeat. Charli’s impressive talent for pop music never misses.
“Greek Tragedy” - The Wombats I feel like the main character when this shows up in my shuffle play. The sharp synth turns the energy up while the lyrics referencing tarot cards and tragedy add to the feeling of wanting someone who isn’t in your destiny.
“Diane Young” - Vampire Weekend
This fast-paced rock single from the band’s third studio album uses voice effects and impressive guitar riffs to create an out-of-control feeling that is a sharp turn from the band’s earlier collegiate aesthetic. The nonsensical music video features other prominent artists of that genre and time, such as Santigold and Sky Ferreira (we’re get-
ting to them don’t worry).
‘Don’t Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)” - Regina Spektor Regina Spektor strikes a balance between twee and modern pop. Her isolated voice supported by her ear for interesting melodies and instrument pairings make all her songs fun to listen to. I also recommend her entire “Soviet Kitsch” album.
“Lost in My Bedroom” - Sky Ferreira
As the former It-Girl of Tumblr, Sky Ferreira has style like no other. From her pastel hair to her synthheavy vocally driven music, she had everyone on the internet in a chokehold. I would be remiss to not include her on a playlist based on that exact aesthetic.
“L.E.S. Artistes” - Santigold
Strong bass, poetic lyrics, captivating voice, iconic artist, my favorite on the playlist. Need I say more? As implied in the Diane Young music video, Santigold was a pivotal artist to this era, with her poetic lyrics and layered music helping to establish genre conventions.
“Helena Beat”- Foster The People Foster The People is an artist who does not shy away from writing about dark subjects. I am sure you have heard “Pumped Up Kicks,” from the same album. The emotional lyrics related to self-destruction and “poison” are in direct conflict with the upbeat, pop sound. That is why I like this song so much. The conflict makes it so interesting to listen to.
“Hawaiian Air” - Friendly Fires
A bit of a deeper cut, this is another
track that my parents would play that stuck with me. I really enjoy the lead singer’s voice and the pop-rock guitar sound in many of their songs. If you like this song I highly recommend checking out more of Friendly Fires.
“Came Out of a Lady” - Rubblebucket
The fun lyrics tell the story of finding someone who makes you feel purposeful. This band puts on a great show and was just at the Beachland Ballroom this past January. And yes, that is a trumpet and a cowbell you hear.
“Hang Me Up To Dry” - Cold War Kids
The swift change of monotone to scratchy, unfiltered vocals contribute to the laundry-themed lyrics that convey the feeling of being tightly linked with someone. The discordant piano and slight speeding up of the melody is very fun to listen to; it makes you feel like the music is on a spin cycle.
“Sleepyhead” - Passion Pit
I have heard this song more times than I can count, and it never gets old. I couldn’t really tell you what the lyrics mean. Is it a double entendre? Is he really just that sleepy? Either way, the sampling and mixing on this track gives me the urge to cut my bangs even shorter and lace up my Doc Martens.
Other songs to add to your iPod shuffle:
“This Modern Love” - Bloc Party
“Giving up the Gun” - Vampire Weekend
“Two Weeks” - Grizzly Bear
“Lisztomania” - Phoenix
“Disparate Youth” - Santigold
“Will Do” - TV on the Radio
“Help I’m Alive” - Metric
Image courtesy of Stuart Savastos via Wikimedia Commons.
Image courtesy of Casa Thomas Jefferson via Creative Commons.
The fall semester
Auden
Koetters Director of Digital Media
Ah, here we find ourselves again. The first week of September at CWRU. That magical time when professors promise the semester will be "manageable" and you might still believe you can get 8 hours of sleep. Welcome to this week’s Worst Case Scenario: the fall semester at CWRU. Never fear, we here at the Observer have made the perfect plan for you to survive.
The Syllabus Scroll: Every Canvas class begins with a syllabus longer than War and Peace. You’ll skim the grading policy, notice participation is 20% of your grade, and promptly forget everything else. Pro tip: Professors LOVE hiding quiz and exam dates in size-8 footnotes.
Textbook Tax: Nothing says “higher education” like paying $300 for a “required” textbook you’ll never open because the professor posts the slideshows with the entire textbook copy and pasted onto their slides.
The Quad Gauntlet: The first few weeks turn the Binary walkway into a carnival of sprinting freshman, slightly melted Insomnia cookies, greasy hair, a declining will to live and 40 engineering clubs promising a “low time commitment.” Resist the urge to sign up for all of them… they’re not. Or don’t and enjoy 500000 emails every week until graduation.
The Freshman Fumble: You meet someone at a frat party, bond over your mutual hatred of Leutner food and make out next to the pong table. By Monday, you realize they’re in your 8:30 a.m. chem recitation. Now, every group activity is sponsored by crippling eye contact avoidance.
The Weather Betrayal: Many of us were forced to learn this lesson the hard way on the first day of classes. You leave your dorm in shorts because it’s sunny at 9 a.m., but by noon it’s pouring rain, the ground is freezing over and you’re left questioning why you ever bothered pursuing a degree anyway. Welcome to Cleveland.
The Free T-shirt Cult: You sign up for 19 orgs at the club fair just for the free shirts. By October, you’re getting 72 emails a day and you somehow got roped into being treasurer of the Underwater Basket Weaving Society (true story).
The First Exam Fake-out: The professor announces a “light quiz” in week two, which turns out to be 40% of your grade and written in hieroglyphics. It’s fine, Canvas says the class average was 42%. Curve incoming. Alternatively, you may ace your first exam and start thinking you might actually be cut out for this whole college thing. Don’t believe it. You’ll enter your second exam with the confidence of Albert Einstein only to receive a 30% and have to withdraw from the course.
The Pre-Med Party Trick: Every conversation starter - “Yeah, I’m premed.” Every party trick - trauma dumping about organic chemistry and then challenging strangers to quiz you on glycolysis.
The Existential Crisis: Two weeks in, you realize you’ve missed three lectures, your situationship ghosted you, you spent all your book money at TOLI and you’re still on the waitlist for yoga. Congratulations, you’ve officially survived the add/drop period.
Pro Tip: If it all feels overwhelming, just remember: CWRU’s official motto is “Think Beyond the Possible."
Aries
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
Taurus
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly
Cancer
James Cameron and Linda Hamilton
Madonna and Guy Ritchie
Libra
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
Capricorn
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Scorpio
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman
Aquarius
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Donald Trump and Ivana Trump
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom
Sagittarius
Bill and Melinda Gates
Pisces
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas
Dani California
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tyler Vu
Kerosene!
Yves Tumor
Elizabeth McHugh
Why Is She Still Here?
Renee Rapp
Alyssa Wang
Von Dutch
Charli XCX
Mariana Parilli-Castillo
Bittersweet
Wonwoo, Mingyu ft.
Lee Hi
Darcy Chew
Climbing Up the Walls
Deceptacon Le Tigre
Auden Koetters
Who's Your Money On? (Plastic House)
Inhaler
Moses Fleischman
Tears
Sabrina Carpenter
Matthew Stall
Dating at CWRU
Aphrodite Greek Goddess of Love
We are an ambitious group. As CWRU freshmen, everyone arrives with stars in their eyes and résumés already three pages long. We will be doctors, authors and maybe even Nobel Laureates. Girls make self-effacing jokes about pursuing their “M.R.S. degree,” while secretly double majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering on the pre-med track with thirty minors. The social scene is sluggish and the dating scene is virtually nonexistent, but at first we hold out hope, imagining the idealistic “college dating experience” tucked somewhere between lectures, late-night study sessions and free Thwing pizza.
As the years pass and ambition fades into a haze of midterms and burnout, most students quietly abandon the idea of a traditional “college relationship.” The fantasy of sparks flying in chemistry lab fizzles out after three failed attempts in CHEM 113, CHEM 233 and CHEM 234. From there, people tend to split into two distinct groups: those who fully embrace their inner “campus sl*t,” treating Hazel Drive like an all-you-can-eat buffet, and those who harden into the most cynical creatures imaginable, yet still can’t resist watching Instagram reels about their summer 2024 situationship the night before it ended.
After their first semester, many freshmen turn to the virtual dating scene. The engineers flood Hinge with bios like “I can integrate your function ;)” or “I can be the dy to your dx.” Premeds apologize for being too busy for anything serious, which is fair as they’re already in a long term relationship with their Anki decks. Computer science majors attempt to brag on their profile with photos of themselves at hackathons (little to their knowledge you can barely tell where their pale face ends and where the drywall begins.) Art students show up with perfect eyeliner and mystery, only to vanish halfway through the semester like a limited-edition exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
When it comes to actual dates, the bar is low. Like KSL, Jolly Scholar low. Nothing screams “romance” like sticky floors, stale popcorn and watching your TA do karaoke. For those looking to "elevate" things, Mitchell’s Ice Cream offers a date night with a lactose intolerance gamble built in. Others opt for cuddling on the Tink steps, an experience made especially intimate by the 200 other students silently judging your situationship while pretending to do homework below.
If, against all odds, a relationship takes root, it grows in stages that feel eerily predictable. First, you meet in a weed-out course, bonding by mutual suffering. Then comes the “study date,” which usually involves one of you actually solving problems and the other staring longingly, hoping the solution to the quadratic is love. Next you mistake shared trauma for love, because nothing bonds people like crying over a project. Then comes the Instagram soft launch (two NRV starbucks cups, no tags but everyone knows.) This is the peak of public commitment at CWRU. The inevitable breakup follows, complete with years of awkward silence, freshman year group schisms and the occasional stolen, tragic glance across the KSL third floor.
And so the cycle continues. Fraternity basement hook-ups (romantic if you consider the scent of beer and aftertaste of vomit a love language.) A fling with someone dressed as a mitochondria at a themed party. The one mistake where you make out with someone in your UGER class and then have to perform Romeo and Juliet the next morning. It’s less The Notebook and the twenty first century cliche of “choosing yourself.”
So here’s my advice for anyone trying to date at CWRU: lower your standards, raise your caffeine intake and remember that “study date” is just CWRU code for hooking up in the Tink single stall bathroom. If someone offers to walk you to NRV Starbucks in the middle of a snow storm, marry them. If someone shares their Quizlet with you, treasure them. And above all, never forget, Kelvin (of Kelvin Smith Library) will always be your most reliable partner.
Accepting failure: Audra Winter’s The Age of Scorpius teaches us an important lesson
Mariana Parilli-Castillo Copy Editor
On June 30, Audra Winter released her highly-anticipated indie debut novel, The Age of Scorpius. The book had been a passion project of the 22-year-old author for 10 years and was, in truth, part of a muchlarger series of zodiac-themed fantasy novels. Winter had publicized her writing process since 2021 on her TikTok page called “The World of Guardian LLC.” Through the years, she steadily gained supporters of her literary endeavors, and her view count drastically increased in January 2025 following the creation of a Kickstarter campaign. As one follows her playlist titled, “My
Publication, in Order,” one can see her videos rising from the tens of thousands, to the hundreds of thousands, and then to the millions of views. The Kickstarter would shortly be shut down at the end of February due to Winter moving her publishing date from October to May. By the date of release, Winter had sold more than 6,400 preorder copies which, as an indie debut author, was an astronomical number for her to ever have achieved.
Upon the release of The Age of Scorpius, many of her excited readers were outraged by the lack of quality and rushed nature of the novel. In a day, Winter went from a beloved figure in indie BookTok (the literary-oriented niche of TikTok) to last year’s news. Winter, in
turn, lashed out at the reaction; she first dismissed her readers’ reactions only to then promise that she would release a new and improved version of The Age of Scorpius in October—with her prospective readers now having to pay even more for a publishable-quality version of a book that should have always been at that standard, according to some. Her beloved book idea has become both her rusted knight’s armor and her rolling windmills, having become blinded by a mirage of literary success. Her relentless optimism ends up reading as self-delusion and her lack of acknowledgement to her objective failure, as seen by her 2.0 Goodreads rating, hubris.
We often have things we love doing, things we have cultivated and
Fitness, fame or fixation
Afshan Ara Staff Writer
Social media is full of diverse communities, audiences and trends. A trend that has taken off not too long ago, but with great power, is the “What I Eat in a Day” trend, filmed by a wide audience of people not limited to fitness influencers. Gym influencers are becoming increasingly common across several platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, though. There is a difference between diet culture and embracing a healthier routine, but many influencers promote unhealthy and sometimes unachievable lifestyles. Based on personal experience, these videos can even infiltrate unrelated feeds from time to time. I came across an Instagram video of a middle-aged man who claimed that rice and potatoes were unhealthy to consume as part of daily meals. With no credibility, he expected viewers to take his point seriously and apply it to their daily life. TikTok, in particular, has become a platform where influencers are using their power to impart their fitness or dietary advice. It is
an influencer’s job to influence their audience, whether that be with their lifestyle, products or services. The most impressionable audience is adolescents, so it is critical to be weary of the content being put into the world. During the late adolescent period of someone’s life, selfesteem can be challenged. A trend on TikTok emerged in which people bragged about their physique, more popularly known as “body checking.” Comments expressing the great dissatisfaction some people have with their own bodies or physical appearance are a common response to such videos. Often, the viewers of these videos praise the creator and demonstrate a desire to look the way the poster does. The “What I Eat in a Day” videos can become particularly disturbing. Many people have responded to the trend by uploading more realistic eating habits throughout the day, which brings me a considerable amount of hope. However, content creators with a history of “body checking” are bound to pop up in our feed every now and then. Spotting creators like this is most evident through their eating habits—eating merely an apple for breakfast, a granola
crumb for lunch and a hard-boiled egg for dinner is completely absurd and unrealistic. It is important to be able to distinguish between a healthy diet and an unhealthy one. Unfortunately, younger viewers are more impressionable and likely more prone to internalizing this content and projecting it onto their daily lives.
Another potentially negative influence on social media platforms would be those centered around fitness influencers, as some tend to trigger unhealthy habits. These content creators usually film their gym routines for the sole purpose of producing content but sometimes gain an immense amount of attention for their unusual fitness habits. Several creators try to curate the perfect routine to get a certain look and convince viewers to do the same. Every person’s needs are different, though. Many of them push for perfection and even encourage their audiences to take specific supplements or buy products they advertise through sponsorships. However, these sponsorships can be misleading, and that is intentional. Influencers are employed by brands and services to promote an
polished to the best of our ability. When the time comes to unveil these efforts to the public, we expect that the world will love our creations as much as us. In Winter’s case, she likely expected just that.
As college students, we are familiar with the rejection of internships, job applications and academic failures. These rejections come in many forms, whether preemptively through prohibitive job qualifications or actively through emotionless letters expressing that another, mysterious candidate was their final choice after six rounds of interviews. But the important thing is how we deal with that failure.
Everyone has always been a bit of an Audra Winter. Whether that comes through a bombed exam, an embarrassing presentation or the three-hundredth rejected job application, we have all felt that our efforts have gone to waste and reflexively believe that, if we continue the same exact steps, we will fix our mistakes. At a time where rejection feels inevitable, it is important not to fall into the trap of fighting or ignoring these realities. Rather, it is key to embrace failure, accept rejection and move on from defeat. Only then can you change, grow and try again. Take a break, take your time, shift your perspective. Do not abandon the things you love creating. Rather, accept that not everyone will love what you love and either live with that reality or evolve so that more people can love it. Do not sink into the hole of endless job applications. Instead, realize that your ultimate worth does not lie within whatever job you inevitably get after college, but rather inside you—your ability to take life’s punches and keep fighting. Accept failure, even embrace it, and the next time it won’t be as harsh as it was before.
uptick in sales and are incentivized to lie. Furthermore, many influencers have cosmetic goals in mind and may hide the fact that they achieved certain physical results through surgery, body modification or much more personalized plans made by trainers. The lack of transparency can create mistrust among viewers and introduce toxic ideas about challenging oneself, giving people the notion that such content is normalized when it is quite the opposite. When fitness content creators fail to disclose this information, they are misleading their viewers who might go to extreme measures to get the results they see.
This is all to say that fitness and lifestyle content on social media can be highly variable. There are some gym influencers who make sure to reveal the true condition of their bodies and how closely they follow certain routines and eating habits. It is easy to fall down a rabbit hole of content that is harmful and misleading. Being aware of who is posting the content can save a lot of time and frustration that is so familiar when someone is trying to get into healthier eating and exercising habits.
Anna Trusova/The Observer
History repeating itself: Public Safety fails to keep us informed, again
Editorial Board
“Shelter in place immediately” flashed across our phone screens last Wednesday around 5:35 p.m. The cause? Case Western Reserve University staff and students were later briefed about a potential shooting on campus, suspected in Lot 1 and the Case Quad. According to President Eric W. Kaler’s followup communication, CWRU’s Division of Public Safety received reports of the shooting around 5:34 p.m. In those first 10 minutes, some students speculated that a student on campus was shot by the suspect, however, later news reports revealed that it was the police department who shot the suspect in the leg—information that was not included in the follow-up email or the Public Safety announcements.
This situation was not unlike an event on April 11, in which a shelterin-place order was issued for unknown reasons at 8:21 p.m. Nearly 20 minutes after this message the
campus was informed that “one intruder, who is unaffiliated with the university, has been detained.” Though helpful information, we were still left in the dark about the situation at hand at the moment. Why was this individual detained? Where were they found by the police department? Were they armed? All these questions, and more, floated in the air as countless conspiracies were at the drawing board of many students’ text message chains. Around 9:04 p.m., the Division of Public Safety made the announcement that the detainee was an armed intruder located by the South Residential Village—after 40 minutes of pure confusion and distress. We did not receive an adequate response or follow-up to the situation afterwards.
CWRU has been witness to events like this in the past—with one in particular ending in tragedy.
On May 9, 2003, the School of Management Building at CWRU, known better as the Peter B. Lewis Building, was under attack by a former
MBA graduate at CWRU who shot and killed first year MBA student Norman Wallace and injured two professors in a hostage situation that lasted seven hours. Three years later, the CWRU Police Department was founded, and, since then, the administration has changed its response to safety threats on campus.
However, given today’s technology and access, there has to be a better way to administer safety notices in 2025.
In a 2023 report, it was recorded that Cleveland has a violent crime rate of 16.82 per 1,000 residents, in
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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.
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comparison to the national average of 4 per 1,000 residents. The inhabitants of Cleveland are far more likely to be at risk of crime than in other cities, so that makes having an efficient safety protocol that much more of a priority.
The vagueness of the warning gave room for students and staff to assume the worst, especially with the shelter-in-place order coming just hours after the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting. Earlier that day, in Minnesota, two children were killed by open fire and many more were injured. This trag-
edy was on many students’ minds when the shelter-in-place order was issued, which could easily have fed into the panic felt at the time. While some students may have felt on edge already due to this national news, others may not have taken the warning seriously due to an insufficient amount of details.
Students were not made aware of the facts of the situation soon enough. Although it is obvious that dispensing warnings without concrete evidence would not be preferred to the current system, not knowing enough information can
create space for rumors. These rumors could cause a greater hysteria. We deserve transparency, at least in an appropriate manner, and the Division of Public Safety should be kept in the loop as much as the CWRU Police Department is. As students, we can be more aware for ourselves and others, too. Word of mouth can spread quickly.
The delivery and content of information is critical, especially on a city-based campus. A picture is worth a thousand words, and so are speculations that can arise from a lack of information.
Ashour/The Observer
Withstanding peer pressure: know when and how to say no
Catherine Choi Staff Writer
Sometimes, it’s easy to give in to peer pressure because of fear of being left out. As we get older, take on more responsibilities and become more involved in our surroundings, saying yes to everything is an unhealthy attitude. Of course, the person who tries to take advantage of their peers’ lack of assertiveness and vulnerability should be blamed. It is also important to know how to stand up for oneself, though.
It is important to say no in dangerous situations and to prevent yourself from doing something you’ll regret. There are some malicious people out there, and it is important to be weary of that. For example, you may remember at least one time you were a bystander to a bullying incident. Sometimes, bullies peer pressure others into ganging up on someone. In incidents like these, people may choose to succumb to the pressure and participate, either actively or passively, in the bullying from fear of retaliation. However, participation in such an incident could lead to serious consequences if caught, including disciplinary actions like suspension and expulsion. It may be hard, but it is important to have the capability to stand up for your moral standards and reject the pressure. Our parents do not have an omniscient perspective over our lives at this point. In college, we are our own advocates.
Not every decision or action is a one-size-fits-all. People have different needs and responsibilities that are to be met in various ways. It is crucial to be able to distinguish between your wants and needs. Especially in college, which is a time of self discovery and freedom. You might
want to go out with friends, but you need to study for that chemistry exam on Monday. It is also important to choose your friends wisely, as, sometimes, people are capable of gaslighting their friends while thinking it is in their own best interests. Not knowing how to form your own opinions and understanding your needs will bring struggle down the road, even being prone to being a victim of manipulation or abuse.
Even online, we are constantly exposed to infinite content from diverse
perspectives. It is a common experience to digest content that highlights specific viewpoints that we might not agree with, but see boatloads of positive responses under the content. It is vital to stay true to yourself, and to not hop on the bandwagon for illreasoned intentions. Perhaps, being introduced to a new perspective that allows you to see a topic in another light may cause you to reflect on your own opposing views, but agreeing for the sake of agreeing is not a healthy habit.
It is indeed hard to be in a position where one has to be the villain or receive unwanted attention by saying no or disagreeing with others. Your needs are important, too, though. As said before, there are people out there who will try to take advantage of one’s vulnerability to fuel their own agenda, and it is important to steer clear of those people. However, as adults, we are responsible for what happens around us and our own well-being and, therefore, have to know how to say no when others are saying yes.
Taylor Swift is just a pop star
Penelope Cloonan Life Editor
On Aug. 26, 2025, every father’s worst nightmare happened: Taylor
Swift announced her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. In the Instagram post captioned, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting
married,” she broke the internet. Amidst the promotion for her 12th studio album and probably 200 vinyl variants, this news continues to keep her on the highest pedestal with a spotlight.
I haven’t been as tuned into the Taylor Swift scene since the end of high school, but trust I was a cardcarrying fan. She was my top artist on Spotify for 4 years and, to this day, my longest playlist is a four hour slog of all my favorites from her first 10 albums (which I still listen to). I could not afford Eras tour tickets, but did see the concert film in theaters 3 times and held multiple watch parties after wide release—I get the obsession. I even got angry with those who hated her, claiming misogyny and that people acted the same towards fans of The Beatles back in the day. I would probably hate myself for writing this now.
After the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,” I fell out of love. It wasn’t new anymore. The album was over-produced and the lyrics seemed like both AI slop and what a first-year philosophy major thinks is deep. While I loved the lyrics in “Evermore,” and do think she is capable of deep thought, sometimes pop is just pop. All that is to say, I turned off post notifications two years ago. I received the news about Taylor from two very
conflicting sources. First, my father sent a text to our family group chat saying, “In accordance with my advanced directives, I will be placed in a medically induced coma between now and three months after Taylor Swift’s wedding. I just don’t want to hear about it.” Immediately after, a group chat of Swifties whom I haven’t heard from since high school was re-kindled to excitedly share the news. To both of them, I say: you need to move on.
Trend cycles exist for a reason, I think it’s finally time for her to fall out of it. Taylor Swift is just a pop star. She is a billionaire with a private jet problem. She also defined the genre of pop for as long as I’ve been alive. Writing a lot of breakup songs is great for your brand and a completely honest expression through art, but yes, it is entirely possible that she did use these relationships for publicity. Taylor is not a masterful lyricist, she is a master of staying in the news.
This relationship is probably completely genuine, but it’s none of our business. I don’t say this in an attempt to save her, I am begging you to find a new pop star to obsess over, there are plenty to choose from in the Life Section. Do not let her win. Please let the story die. Taylor Swift, I loved you, but this is ruining my life.
Lucas Yang/The Observer
Sports
Spartans aim for PAC title after 6-4 finish in the 2024 season
Darcy Chew Executive Editor
During the 2024 season, the Case Western Reserve University football team finished with an overall record of 6-4 and placed fifth in the PAC. This year the Spartans aim to improve with a totally fresh team, following the loss of 14 starters from last year’s roster.
The Spartans will be welcoming many new faces to the field this season after the graduation of several fourth and fifth-years who have been dominating the scene the last few seasons.
Stepping up as CWRU’s starting
quarterback is fourth-year co-captain Aaron Filips, who started for the Spartans during last year’s homecoming game after former quarterback Alex Fromberg was injured.
“Aaron Filips is going to be an awesome quarterback,” Head Coach Greg Debeljak said in CWRU Athletics’ “2025 CWRU Football Season Preview” video, published Aug. 27. “He’s ready to be one of the best in the country in my opinion.”
As a first-year, Filips saw time as the team’s wildcard quarterback before suffering a season-ending injury that put him out of play his second year.
Joining Filips in offensive play
Auden Koetters/The Observer
are fourth-year wide receivers Dylan Cave and Alec Angello, as well as second-year running back Andy Kavcic and third-year running back Mitchell Waite among other players looking to fill vacant starter positions.
Last year, the team had the No. 12-ranked DIII defense and will be looking to maintain their strong hold on the field. The Spartans will see a large turnover of their defensive team with only three of their starting defensive players on this year’s roster.
“This group is different. It’s younger. I think there’s this youthful enthusiasm. I think the willingness to be coached. They’re just really receptive to being coached,” Debeljak said. “We’ve graduated some guys that we’ve been doing things with for two, three years. So I just think the vibe’s different and excited because these guys are finally getting their chance, and coaches, we are having to tweak things that we’ve done in the past. So it makes for a different vibe.”
As one of the captains, Filips commented on the team culture and how it’s been one of the team’s main focuses during the off-season.
“We have like a bunch of new guys that have never gelled together and never played together. So I think bringing the team together, really hammering down culture wise, that everyone has a role, regardless of if you’re a freshman or a senior, or you play 70 plays a game, or you’re on the sideline
cheering on your teammates, everyone has an equal part,” Filips said. “I think bringing that culture where everyone’s committed is one of our bigger focuses this off season. I think we’re resilient, and I think we’re like a brotherhood. We’re really tightly connected.”
Cave is looking forward to his final season as a Spartan, and is excited to get the season rolling.
“The big PAC games we have Week Three, Westminster at home, night game, home opener. I think that’s the one I’m looking forward to the most right now. Especially because it’s the closest,” Cave said. “We really try to keep it one game at a time.”
Filips shared that sentiment and explained their mentality of taking it one game at a time.
“I don’t really like setting goals or expectations.” Filips said. “I’m just focused on what I can do, how I can be the best version of myself and help my team win each week. I think as a team, obviously, we want to win the conference, win a PAC championship, and go to playoffs, that’s obvious, but I think how we do that is just staying focused and grounded each week, only focusing on that opponent, and focusing on how we can get better, controlling things we can control. And then I think all the goals and our expectations will fall in place.”
The Spartans will open their season on Saturday, Sept. 6 as they travel to Glassboro, New Jersey to face Rowan University.
Browns defeat Rams to conclude preseason slate undefeated
Abhishek Nambiar Copy Editor
The Cleveland Browns concluded their preseason slate on Saturday, Aug. 23 as they narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Rams 17-19 in a home game at Huntington Bank Field. With the conclusion of this game, the Browns finish their 2025 preseason with a 3-0 record. The last time the team went undefeated in preseason was in 2021, likewise finishing 3-0.
Following several minutes of backand-forth possession between Cleveland and Los Angeles to start the game, the Browns took possession for a 7-play, 44-yard drive that concluded with quarterback Joe Flacco throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Harold Fannin Jr. to seal the first 6 points of the game, and kicker Dustin Hopkins nailed the extra point to make it 7-0 with 6:33 left in the quarter. No more points would be scored for the remainder of the period, keeping the Browns in the lead.
The second quarter began with the Browns holding possession, though they failed to score any points before an interception by Rams wide receiver Drake Stoops changed possession. However, the drive that followed was not very fruitful as the Rams went for 25 yards in 5 plays before the Browns took back possession and went on to score a field goal following a 15-play, 70-yard drive; This put the score up to 10-0.
The Rams were quick to respond as they pushed an 6-play, 67-yard offensive drive that saw quarterback Dresser Winn throw a short touch-
down pass to Stoops to give the Rams their first score of the game. Following a field goal from kicker Joshua Karty, the score was up to 7-10. The Browns would go on to score a touchdown during the very next play, going 86 yards in 17 plays before wide receiver Gage Larvadain scored a 3-yard pass from rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel to put the score at 16-7 going into halftime.
As the third quarter began both teams continued going back-andforth on possession as each side caught interceptions and maintained a strong defensive line that prevented significant progress for either team. This came to an end with a 11-play drive from the Rams that showcased a balanced attack on all ends. Rookie running back Jordan Waters churned out steady yards on the ground, and Winn converted twice on third down before Karty successfully attempted a 45-yard field goal, putting the score up to 16-10.
The momentum would swing further toward Los Angeles in the fourth quarter. Following several minutes of back-and-forth possession between the Browns and Rams, Winn once again directed a long drive, this time going 82 yards in 13 plays. Waters capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, combining with an extra point from Karty to give the Rams their first lead of the game: 16-17. During this time, the Browns were notably struggling under rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders who was sacked on numerous occasions throughout the game. Upon his entrance to the field to replace Sanders, quarterback Tyler Huntley wasted
no time sparking the offense, finding wide receiver Chase Cota on a 7-yard completion to gain a first down. On the next snap, Huntley drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on a late hit, instantly flipping field position and putting the Browns at the Rams’ 33-yard line. This move set the stage for kicker Andre Szmyt to kick a 37yard field goal within the final two seconds of the game, narrowly putting the Browns on top with a final score of 19-17.
The game wrapped up a 3-0 preseason for Cleveland, along with solidifying confidence in quarterbacks Flacco and Gabriel; Flacco completed 9 of 10 passes for 71 yards while Gabriel completed 12 of 19 passes for 129 yards. The full potential of Sanders remains to be seen, as he was only able to complete 3 of 6 passes for 14
yards and was sacked 5 times during the game.
For Los Angeles, who finished their preseason 2-1, the finale provided valuable reps for young players like Waters despite the narrow loss. Changes in strategy appear to be in play already as numerous players who took part in this game have since been let go or waived by their respective teams ahead of the regular season: This slate includes Hopkins, Stoops, Winn, Waters and Huntley. Both teams now turn their attention to Week 1 of the regular season. On Sunday Sept. 7, the Rams will be playing the Houston Texans at home; The same day, the Browns will be playing the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Huntington Bank Field marking the next “Battle of Ohio” between the two teams.
In spite of losing several starters, the Spartans hope to win the PAC title with a fresh team full of strong recruits.
After a narrow 19-17 victory against the Los Angeles Rams, the Cleveland Browns end their preseason undefeated. Courtesy of Matt Starkey
Spartans launch Fall 2025 season with records and resilience
Ellie Palaian Sports Editor
The Case Western Reserve University Spartans kicked off their 2025 fall athletic season this past weekend, with some teams opening strong and others facing early challenges.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
The CWRU men’s and women’s cross country teams entered the weekend ranked sixth in the Great Lakes Region in the USTFCCCA preseason polls and started their season in commanding fashion at the Bill Sudeck Invitational. Both squads defeated John Carroll University by a decisive 15–50 margin.
For the women, first-year standout Halina Tomkins set the tone by crossing the line in 14:42.39, breaking the previous course record of 14:43.6 set in 2017. She was followed by fourth-year captain Lauren Iagnemma, who clocked a 14:55.56, and five more Spartans before the first JCU runner finished. The victory marked the women’s first Sudeck Invitational title since 2022.
The men’s team matched that success, led by third-year captain Jacob Slater, who won the race with a time of 18:59.45, surpassing the course record of 19:04.6 set in 2022. Close behind were second-years Donovan Crowley (18:59.58) and Brendan Bradish (19:09.90). The Spartans have now produced the top finisher at the Sudeck Invitational in seven of the last 10 years, and this year’s win marked their second straight team title at the event.
CWRU will take a two-week break from intercollegiate competition before hosting their annual Alumni Meet on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the University Farm. The following weekend, the Spartans will compete at the All-Ohio Classic on Sept. 19
and the Pre-National Meet in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Sept. 20.
Men’s Soccer
The CWRU men’s soccer team returned from the road with back-toback victories over Franciscan University of Steubenville and Juniata College this past weekend.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the Spartans earned a 2–0 win against Franciscan, highlighted by goals from third-year midfielder Ohta Kamiya in the 34th minute and second-year forward Amir Awais just before halftime in the 45th. First-year defenders Gavin Trosch and Alex Eby both made their collegiate debuts in the match, with Trosch logging 85 minutes and Eby playing the full 90. The contest also marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
CWRU carried the momentum into Sunday, Aug. 31, defeating Juniata 1–0. Second-year walk-on midfielder Mitchell Fein delivered the game-winner in the 74th minute, while fourth-year co-captain and goalkeeper Bradley Winter tallied 3 saves to secure his second consecutive shutout of the season. With the win, the Spartans improved to 3–0 all-time against Juniata since 2006.
The Spartans will return home to host Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. in DiSanto Field.
Women’s Soccer
The CWRU women’s soccer team delivered a dominant showing this past weekend at DiSanto Field, piling up 13 goals across two shutout victories.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the Spartans rolled past Franciscan 7–0. Fourthyears forward Maggie Farra and co-captain and midfielder Jamie Goldfarb stole the spotlight, each recording a hat trick and combining for six of the team’s goals. They became the first pair of teammates
in CWRU history to score hat tricks in the same match. First-year forward Emily Callanen added the seventh goal, the first of her collegiate career.
The match also featured several long-awaited and first-time appearances. Fourth-year defender Emma Struck and third-year midfielder Angelee Rodriguez, both sidelined by multiple season-ending injuries in previous years, finally made their collegiate debuts. Joining them were first-years Callanen, defender Mia Modrovich and forward/midfielder Izzy Probst.
The Spartans carried their momentum into Sunday, Aug. 31, with
a 6–0 win over Allegheny College. This time, six different players found the back of the net. Fourthyears Ceci Dapino and Goldfarb, along with Probst, scored in the first half, while co-captain Mackenzie Mueller, Farra and Molly Shamah sealed the victory in the second. The defense was equally commanding, holding Allegheny without a single shot over the full 90 minutes.
CWRU now heads into a fivegame road stretch, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 3, with a matchup against John Carroll University at 7:05 p.m.
Volleyball
The CWRU volleyball team opened its 2025 season at the Pacific Coast Classic in Claremont, California, but came away winless after four hard-fought matches.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the Spartans fell in straight sets to both Whittier College and Claremont-MuddScripps. Fourth-year middle blocker Amanda Ngo led the effort across the two matches with 20 kills and 5 blocks, while second-years defense specialist Sophia Datto and setter Avery Basinger stood out defensively and offensively, Datto posting 39 digs and Basinger tallying 33 assists. The loss to Whittier marked the first time CWRU has dropped its season opener since 2019.
The team returned to the court on Saturday, Aug. 30, to take on Chapman University and the University of La Verne. In a tightly contested five-set battle against Chapman, fourth-year outsider hitter Kalli Wall delivered a careerhigh 23 kills, the most by a Spartan since Sept. 13, 2024. However, the Spartans fell just short before later dropping their match against La Verne in three sets.
Disclaimer: Ellie Palaian is a second-year on the women’s soccer team.
Scores and Upcoming Games
Men’s Soccer
CWRU at Franciscan (8/29) - W 2-0
CWRU at Juniata (8/31) - W 1-0
CWRU vs Penn St.-Behrend (9/6, 1 p.m., DiSanto Field)
CWRU vs Oberlin (9/10, 7:30 p.m., DiSanto Field)
Football
CWRU at Rowan University (9/6)
Volleyball
Pacific Coast Classic
CWRU vs Whittier (8/29) - L 0-3
CWRU vs Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (8/29) - L 0-3
CWRU vs Chapman (8/30) - L 2-3
CWRU vs La Verne (8/30) - L 0-3
CWRU at Mount Union - L 0-3
CWRU Quad 2025
CWRU vs Heidelberg (9/5, 5 p.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)
CWRU vs Earlham (9/6, 11 a.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)
CWRU vs Westminster (9/6, 3 p.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)
CWRU at Baldwin Wallace (9/10)
Women’s Tennis
CWRU at Denison Invitational (9/6-7)
Cross Country
Bill Sudek Invitational (8/29) - W 15-50
Women’s Soccer
CWRU vs Franciscan (8/29) - W 7-0
CWRU vs Allegheny (8/31) - W 6-0
CWRU at John Carroll - W 6-0
CWRU at Grove City (9/6)
CWRU at Heidelberg (9/9)
During their first home game of the season, the women’s soccer team defeated Franciscan 7-0.
Phillip Kornberg/The Observer