The Observer, Volume LVII, Issue 4 9/12/2025

The Case Western Reserve

Observer

Friday, September 12, 2025 Volume LVII, Issue 4 Est. 1969

NEWS

USG President Zelene Desire highlights the need for student voices Darcy Chew Executive Editor Following last year’s uncontested race for Case Western Reserve University’s Undergraduate Student Government president, fourth-year Zelene Desire takes the helm of one of the university’s largest umbrella organizations.

“I always liked being a leader,” Desire said. “I like being a voice for the people because I, myself, am introverted. I felt like I was a pretty good candidate because I understand how it might be scary to speak up, but it’s necessary. I did that in high school, and then when I was applying to Case, they added a note [saying] ‘You should join USG.’ I came on campus, and that was the first thing I did. I applied, and it was a pretty easy process, but the reason I stayed is because I felt like I was doing good work.”

USG is “a group of elected leaders who advocate for the student body and aspire to continuously improve the CWRU undergraduate experience.” Beyond being the overseer for most clubs on campus, a large part of USG centers around creating beneficial change on campus through its four committees for academic affairs, di-

versity and inclusion, finance and student life. Their main work focuses on making changes students want to see on campus.

“It can be as simple as changing the food in the dining halls, or something I did, which is [adding] the airport shuttles,” Desire said. “It is just something where you wish that could be added to campus. We talk to the administration and [work to make] it happen.”

Desire hopes that by increasing engagement with the student body, USG would better serve the CWRU community.

“I want students to know that we’re here because that is a way that we can gather information,” she said. “We have events. We make small talk with people [and] understand what they want to change on campus.”

Desire further elaborates on how she will expand outreach, beginning with increasing their presence on online platforms.

“We’ll make sure we are posting consistently, so that we can boost our engagement there,” she said. “Second, we want to have more events. I want to have at least two more events, including one or two more events this semester. An idea I had is to add an additional newsletter, one for clubs and the other for initiatives. I’m trying to

talk to our vice president of communication because I know that it’s a lot of work to have two newsletters, but I think it could be worthwhile.”

However, beyond external communications, Desire also has plans to improve the internal community of USG. By integrating the subcommittees in a

more cohesive way, Desire hopes that they will be able to make more efficient and educated decisions. She expresses that this is especially important when discussing policy changes and potential uncertainty in higher education brought on by the current presidential administration.

SPORTS

Women’s soccer continues domination with three consecutive shutout wins Abhishek Nambiar Copy Editor Over this past week, the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team continued their domination on the field as they defeated a trio of opponents on the road: John Carroll University (6-0), Grove City College (6-0), and Heidelberg University (1-0).

With the conclusion of these three matches, CWRU’s record for the 2025 season improves to 5-0-0, extending a non-conference regular season unbeaten streak that has remained intact since 2018.

“I am very proud of the team and our performance the first couple games,” fourth-year forward Maggie Farra said.

“When we are up by 3 or 4 goals, it is easy to lose intensity offensively and lose focus defensively. In these situations, offensively we have kept pushing ourselves to score more and defensively we have not conceded any goals so far, which is a huge accomplishment. During games, I think we have adapted well to our opponents and understanding what has been working or not working for us in that game.”

The Spartans opened their threegame stretch with a short trip to University Heights, Ohio, to take on John Carroll on Sept. 3. The matchup carried extra weight, as the teams’ last meeting came in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where JCU eliminated CWRU 1-0 on DiSanto Field.

As the game kicked off, the squad

wasted no time getting into action.

Within the first two minutes of the match, they already had a point on the scoreboard courtesy of Farra. Following several attempted shots by both sides for the next several minutes, the second goal of the game would come from fourth-year midfielder Ceci Dapino in the 16th minute of the period, putting the score up to 2-0.

Fourth-year midfielder/forward Molly Shamah scored the third point of the game for the Spartans nearly 23 minutes into the period, while Farra scored again six minutes later. CWRU continued to dominate during the second half, scoring an additional two shots during the period to set the final

score for the game at 6-0. The first of these came from fourth-year midfielder and co-captain Mackenzie Mueller during the 51st minute while the second would come from Farra yet again less than four minutes later.

Farra would accomplish a hat trick with this third shot, marking her second in three consecutive games and making her the first player in CWRU women’s soccer history to record multiple hat tricks in their career, let alone a single season.

On Sept. 6, the Spartans traveled to Grove City, Pennsylvania, to take on the Wolverines. As the game commenced, the Spartans attempted multiple shots which were saved by Grove City’s goal-

CWRU’s women’s soccer team dominated their games with John Carroll University (6-0), Grove City College (6-0), and Heidelberg University (1-0), continuing an undefeated 5-0 streak of non-conference games. Philip Kornberg/The Observer

keeper. Nearly 20 minutes in, fourthyear forward and co-captain Alexis Sassower broke through with the opening goal, followed by Farra, who added a goal of her own five minutes later. At the 38:17 mark, first-year forward/midfielder Izzy Probst found the back of the net—the second of her collegiate career.

This was further succeeded by a header goal three minutes later by second-year midfielder Abby Welker, marking her first collegiate goal.

The squad’s momentum would not slow down during the second half, as their fifth goal of the match would come five minutes into the period from Shamah. A strong defensive effort throughout the game by the Spartans prevented the Wolverines from attempting many shots—with those that were attempted being blocked by second-year goalkeeper Ellie Palaian. CWRU’s final goal of the game would come in the 69th minute courtesy of fourth-year midfielder/ forward Andrea Silva, setting the final score of the game at 6-0.

At the start of this week, the Spartans made the trip to Tiffin, Ohio on Sept. 9 to face off against Heidelberg University. Although CWRU outshot Heidelberg 22-1, the game was defined by strong defensive play on both sides. The lone goal came in the 15th minute, when Dapino capitalized on a loose cross in the box and headed it in for the 12th goal of her career. Nonetheless, this was enough for the Spartans to come out on top, keeping their yearslong non-conference undefeated streak alive.

News

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, September 12, 2025 observer.case.edu Volume LVII, Issue 4

CWRU updates housing facilities for students’ convenience Alyssa Wang News Editor Ethan Park Contributing Writer Changes have slowly been implemented across Case Western Reserve University’s North and South Residential Villages in order to provide an improved residential experience for both upperclassmen and underclassmen as new students swarm in for the 202526 school year.

During the summer of 2024, CWRU’s Office of University Housing upgraded the laundry machines for all housing units in Northside and Southside residential communities. Then, on Northside, they refurbished Clarke Tower’s common area and installed new bedroom furniture in every suite.

This past summer, in preparation for the incoming first-years, the office approved a full renovation of Norton House, modernizing the bathrooms, adding new piping and ventilation and upgrading the common areas.

Norton’s first-floor common area now includes group study rooms with TVs to match, multiple enclosed individual study pods and a kitchen area in the back. The kitchen is paired with a seating area and another TV. Seeing the success of Norton’s remodeling, the office plans to similarly remodel Sherman and Tyler House over the summer of 2026.

Several transitions have already taken place in both the Southside residential community and upperclassman housing. Some of these include quality-of-life adjustments such as new art installations and an appliance deal that provided the Southside community with new microwaves and fridges.

Meanwhile, other changes serve larger purposes such as the recently-opened Noyes Health Clinic and Top of the Hill laundry machines.

Additionally, less spots are being

New renovations to dormitories in CWRU’s Northside and Southside communities attempt to improve the quality of life of the student population. Tyler Sun/The Observer used in Triangle Towers, which traditionally houses graduate students, due to the recent opening of the Noyes-Fayette Community. However, because of the record number of enrollment this year, some slots in Triangle Tower were allocated for a select number of undergraduate students.

“The updates were guided by student convenience and long-term planning,” Vern Rogers, executive director of University Housing, said. “New bedroom furniture completed a multi-year refresh of first-year halls, while the added refrigerators made campus living easier and more comfortable.”

The office has stated that across the process, every change was purposeful and reviewed using student feedback.

While there have been admitted setbacks throughout parts of the process such as supply chain delays and high demand for certain items, ultimately,

the office managed to schedule the construction and shipping in a timely manner. Despite working through complications during the process, every effort was done to accomplish the job quickly, with the brunt of the work being undertaken during the summer to limit student disruption.

“Thanks to careful planning, there weren’t unexpected challenges,” Rogers said. “Our goal is to focus on steady, well-planned progress to provide the best possible service to students.”

To ensure students’ comfort and convenience, the university prioritized incorporating student feedback during housing updates. According to Rogers, students’ requests for refrigerators resulted in new units being added to every room, and the input on the laundry facilities prompted the university to change vendors. Even during the Norton House renovations, architects

directly met with students during the design process to guarantee the space reflected students’ needs and preferences.

However, the improvements didn’t just end with the housing units. After listening to student concerns and meeting with the Residence Hall Associations, the university improved the package distribution process in Wade Commons and added a new game room in Leutner commons, which now includes two ping pong tables, a pool table and arcade machines.

“We hope these updates provide a comfortable, enjoyable environment for students,” Rogers said. “Whether it’s reliable laundry facilities, modern spaces or small conveniences like a refrigerator in every room, our aim is to create residential environments that help students learn and thrive.”

Local Cleveland dessert shop, Mango Mango, closes Darcy Chew Executive Editor Sabrina Feldberg News Editor On Aug. 31, Mango Mango, a dessert shop in Cleveland’s AsiaTown, had their last day of business before officially closing.

A New York-based brand, the shop offered a variety of Asian-inspired sweets, including mango mochi, mille crepe cake and boba tea. The Cleveland shop first opened its doors in 2022 and soon became a popular and well-loved staple in the area.

According to The South Shore Press, earlier this year, Mango Franchise USA, LLC, filed a lawsuit against Z&C Group, LLC, owned by Bin Bin Zheng, who operated the Mango Mango branch in Cleveland.

The lawsuit claims the franchisee broke the franchise agreement, disregarding corporate operating procedures and menu specifications, as well as allegedly intending to open a similar business nearby.

A nearby dessert spot, Mango Mango was often frequented by

Case Western Reserve University students, and many have expressed their disappointment in its closing.

“I worked in an office in AsiaTown this summer, and whenever I asked coworkers for local recommendations, Mango Mango always came up.

It’s a staple of AsiaTown, and it really surprised me that it’s closing so suddenly! The interior is very pleasant and cute, the menu is unique and the staff are extremely nice. It was also nice to have a place in Cleveland that reminded me of the dessert cafes in East Asia. I will miss Mango Mango!” fourth-year Eliana Musser said.

Another student shared their thoughts after trying to patron the now-closed shop.

“I’m so sad I’m gonna cry. I loved Mango Mango. I wanted to get a tea or perhaps a dessert dish, and I walked there and was met with a deserted store,” third-year Erin Fredin said.

On the other hand, fourth-year Lucas Yang expressed satisfaction with Mango Mango’s closing.

“I’m honestly happy that Mango Mango closed, because I feel like it kind of represented the commodification of Asian culture in a way,” he

Kristina Guo/The Observer said. “It was extremely overpriced, and I never really saw any of the employees look really happy, because

it probably was kind of miserable. I actually have been praying on their downfall for the last few years.”

News 3

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USG President from page 1 “We’re just doing our due diligence to stay informed. I’ve always been an informed person, and I want to make sure that at least my Exec is being aware of [current events],” she said. “I think this administration is very unpredictable, so it’s hard to be proactive, but I want to try and be.

We’re going to continue having those conversations. Being close with ad-

ministration means they’re usually going to inform us about things a little quicker. Once we get that information from them, I want us to do our due diligence and brainstorm how we can make sure that we’re still able to plan out our missions effectively despite everything that’s happening.”

“I want to encourage not only my members, but also all the student

body to know that there’s power in being a student,” she said. “Most change that has happened in this country was started by students. I would like to continue to have people use their voices. I think that’s what we do best as students, and that’s what differentiates us from administration.”

As a final message to the student body, Desire stresses the impor-

tance of communicating with USG. “Please interact with us as much as you can. [USG is] here as a resource,” Desire said. “Don’t be afraid to come to the general assembly or any committee meetings.

Email me. Email Exec. It’s a really fun opportunity to be able to talk for the students, but it’s hard to do that without speaking to students.”

Alyssa Wang

News-in-Brief

News Editor Sabrina Feldberg

News Editor

NATIONAL

CAMPUS

Supreme Court allows ICE to question individuals on LA streets

Stein appointed to CDC’s Immunization Advisory Committee

On Sept. 8, the Supreme Court overturned a federal judge’s order, thus allowing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Los Angeles to continue questioning individuals about their immigration status. In July, Los Angeles Federal Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ruled to halt ICE agents from stopping people based solely on apparent race or ethnicity, accent, presence at a particular location or type of work they do. Despite Frimpong ruling these factors as an unconstitutional reason to question and detain individuals, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of grant-

Catherine Stein, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine’s Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, is one of the seven new members appointed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). In June, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the ACIP, claiming that the ACIP “had been plagued with persistent

ing an emergency request from the Trump Administration to temporarily halt Judge Frimpong’s court order. ICE agents and Border Patrol can now stop people on the streets without fear that they may be accused of violating a court order.

Although this order is not a final ruling, it will likely have major impacts across the country, as immigration agents are expanding their operations in Chicago and Boston.

Following the decision of this case, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded that they will continue fighting and resisting these attacks on Californians.

conflicts of interest.” Stein is an epidemiology professor and tuberculosis researcher, and according to the New York Times, has been critical of vaccines, “[calling] for an end to vaccine mandates at universities.” As part of the ACIP, Stein will help develop recommendations on how to use vaccines to control diseases in the United States, considering the safety of the vaccine when given at specific ages, the severity of the disease and overall effectiveness.

INTERNATIONAL New French prime minister takes office, country in disarray French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou resigned following a lost confidence vote in the National Assembly. He had been attempting to enact cost-cutting measures to amend France’s immense debt.

President Emmanuel Macron appointed the new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, on Tuesday. Hundreds of protests across the country

rose up, expressing their distrust of the French government and what they perceived as measures favoring the wealthy. About 80,000 police officers across France greeted them and detained more than 330 of the protestors. Lecornu faces a fragmented parliamentary system and must create a government that can pass a budget by the year’s end.

Courtesy of DHSgov via Wikimedia Commons

COMMUNITY Cuyahoga becomes first Ohio county to ban conversion therapy On Sept. 9, Cuyahoga County became the first county in Ohio to ban conversion therapy on minors and vulnerable adults. Conversion therapy, a practice that attempts to alter an individual’s gender identity or sexual orientation using methods such as electric shocks and nauseainduced drugs. The County Council, made of ten Democrats and one Republican, unanimously passed the

ban sponsored by Councilman Robert E. Schleper, the council’s first openly gay member. Schleper said, “Our role as a council and as county leadership is to first and foremost protect our residents…as we move forward, my message to any young person that has not been accepted as they are is this: we see you, we believe in you, and you are always welcome in this community.”

Courtesy of US Secretary of Defense via Wikimedia Commons

Life

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, September 12, 2025 observer.case.edu Volume LVII, Issue 4

"Swallow the Knife" will cut you deep Penelope Cloonan

Life Editor

Let me take you back to early 2022, to a TikTok trend that had us all asking what type of “it girl” we were. Friend groups would post photos of each other under a trending supercut of various songs that mention women’s names, ascribing different “it girl” personas to each other. A canon of their personalities formed before our very eyes, with each girl taking on an unspoken but consistently agreed upon vibe. These girls included: Rosemary (“Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” - Edison Lighthouse), Jessie’s girl (“Jessie’s Girl” - Rick Springfield), Heather (“Heather” - Conan Gray), Stacy’s mom (“Stacy’s Mom” - Fountains of Wayne), Delilah (“Hey There Delilah” - Plain White T’s), Roxanne (“Roxanne” - The Police), Michelle (“Michelle” - Sir Chloe), Lucy (“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” - The Beatles), Ophelia (“Ophelia” - The Lumineers), Olivia (“Olivia” - One Direction) and Eileen (“Come On Eileen” - Dexy’s Midnight Runners). This list boasts a decently even mix of well known songs and songs brought to the modern zeitgeist by TikTok. One of these newcomers was “Michelle” by Sir Chloe. Stereotyped as a weird and slightly gothic but ultimately intriguing “it girl,” “Michelle” invited questioning about both her fictional character and the band who created her. Not every TikTok band is a breakout hit, but sometimes, it is worth searching for hidden gems.

Sir Chloe is decidedly one of those gems. Roughly 3 years later, Sir Chloe remains worth paying attention to.

Sir Chloe is a deeply confusing piece of performance art. Is this a band or is this a solo act? Is the frontman’s name Chloe? Is she even a woman at all? I can only answer one of these questions: the frontman’s name is Dana Foote.

The (maybe) group chose “Chloe” as a representation of the feminine and “sir” as a representation of the masculine. Sir Chloe is an experiment in music, gender and just how weird someone can be on their Instagram stories.

My point in saying this is that beyond the 5 second sound bite, Sir Chloe has a truly strange take on music and performance that is worth watching. If

anything in this oddity sounds intriguing, check out their sophomore album released Aug. 22, “Swallow the Knife.”

Part of Sir Chloe’s charm is how haunting they sound. Despite the act’s fairly young age—formed in 2017 while its members were in college—the group perfectly captures the essence of 90’s grunge. Performances are messy and offputting, the vocals are raw and, most importantly, sometimes you feel like you are having a heart attack because of their bass lines. Some of these things do not translate to studio albums, but Sir Chloe pulls most of it off, more so in their albums “Swallow the Knife” and “I am the Dog” than their breakout EP “Party Favors.” In a music scene that requires constant reinvention to chase soundbites on TikTok, it is wonderfully ironic that Sir Chloe has been able to develop a cohesively morose sound after their initial internet success. They have truly moved on, and while that does mean they haven’t achieved megastardom through the algorithm, it shows a commitment to the honesty of their music. Sir Chloe does not disappoint their fans; fans will leave their album upset but vindicated.

The main body of “Swallow the Knife” tracks Foote’s journey leaving and dealing with the fallout of an

abusive relationship. This theme really shines through in their second single, “Passenger.” Backed up by classic grunge guitar and wailing vocals, Foote mourns her time in the relationship, referring to her former partner as a “passenger,” or a part of her life that she carried around and got used to.

Now, without them, the singer struggles to find their place in the world. In a similarly somber vein follows “Holy,” a shoegaze track about idolizing one’s partner. In classic God and worshiper imagery, the singer is set up as a “holy man” that is enthralled by their partner. The production on this track was a stand out for me. When the holy man states their role, their voice is backed by a soft chorus that gives a trance-like feel. It is deeply menacing and beautiful. At the same time, the lyrics ask the listener to question the benevolence of the singer's god in repeating that they can “take a sacrifice” and generally get their way with the singer. It is a nice twist on a Shakespearean romantic dynamic. Love is all consuming and holy, but when one cannot tell where they begin and their partner ends, it is a bad sign. “Passenger” and “Holy” combine to show how deep the impact of the abusive relationship was on the singer.

They are fundamentally changed by it

Sir Chloe's second studio album, "Swallow the Knife", delves into the complicated emotions of an abusive relationship, complimented by heavy grunge and somber lyrics.

Courtesy of sirchloemusic

and in attempting to document their feelings, they dig up deep anger.

The album starts to lose some rage in the back half with “Eyes” and “Too Much (Not Enough).” These two tracks take a hard left turn into mournful ballads that are beautiful but ultimately out of place. Arguably, this hard tonal shift represents conflicting emotions about leaving the relationship, being both vengefully angry and crushed.

While a nice artistic statement, at barely over half an hour, the album does not have legs to stand on for this shift. The strong start does not feed into a mellow end; instead, it gives into a disappointing drop off. Again, this may have been intentional to capture the feeling of having the rug pulled out from under you in an abusive relationship, but it doesn't quite work. Admittedly, “Too Much (Not Enough)” is up there as one of my favorite Sir Chloe tracks. The deeply personal lament about how tiring the downfall of a relationship can be makes it a perfect song to listen to and just feel. “Too Much (Not Enough)” can hold its own on a break up playlist, not just this album.

The album closes on “Candy,” an odd tonal choice, but a nice note to end on in the context of their discography.

Furthering that haunting feel that Sir Chloe is known for, “Candy” has two very short verses and prechoruses, before devolving into sad repetitive “Doodoo-doo-ah.” It becomes very clear that the singer is not handling their breakup well and invites the reader into that sadness. The spiteful angry person the listener was introduced to at the start of the album is now just tired and lonely. “Candy” really solidifies the fact that the harsh shift at the center of the album was probably intentional. “Swallow the Knife” has a deliberately unresolved end for an album about something people really may never get over.

I had the pleasure of going to one of their shows a few years ago, and it was a great experience. They keep their tickets under $30 before fees and tend to play smaller, more intimate venues, so I’ve never paid more than $45 to see them. If you want to catch them in person, Sir Chloe will be performing in Cleveland over fall break on Oct. 19 at the Globe Iron. Go be sad, angry and probably freaked out.

“Man’s Best Friend” will not kneel, at least not to your expectations Fiona Brooks

Contributing Writer On Aug. 29, pop icon Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh studio album, “Man’s Best Friend,” just a year after her 2024 certified 3x Platinum album “Short n’ Sweet.”

Last year, the release of Carpenter’s album catapulted her into superstardom, graduating from opening for Taylor Swift to selling out her own stadiums, due in no small part to her hit song “Espresso.” That is to say that “Man’s Best Friend” had a lot to live up to, and while it had some great songs, it ultimately failed to live up to its pop powerhouse of a predecessor. In Carpenter’s own words, “how special to make something out of pure inspiration and zero pressure. I don’t think I’ve had greater memories

making something before.” “Man’s Best Friend” was never about living up to the impossible standards of “Short n’ Sweet,” but instead creating something fun and catchy— which it definitely accomplished.

“Man’s Best Friend” was hit with its first wave of controversy when Carpenter released the album cover. On the original cover, the singer is on her hands and knees for a faceless man who is pulling her by the hair. The backlash prompted Carpenter to release an alternative cover that was “approved by God,” perhaps in reference to her 2024 controversy with the Catholic Church, but that’s a story for another day. While some see this album cover as demeaning or sexist, I cannot help but see Carpenter as a young woman, 25, who is taking charge of her own image through cheeky humor. Carpenter is no

stranger to sexual humor in her songs. The 2024 hit “Juno” invited the man of Carpenter’s affections to “make me Juno” in reference to the 2007 movie of the same name about a pregnant high schooler.

The second single from “Man’s Best Friend,” “Tears” references how the singer has “tears run down [her] thighs” when a man shows the bare minimum of respect towards her.

At the end of the day, Carpenter’s music is a celebration of young womanhood. Again, in Carpenter’s words: “It’s laughing at yourself and your poor choices as everything is falling apart, it’s wondering how loyalty and love always get you back to third wheeling, spoken sarcastically like a true 25 year old!”

Arguably, the best songs from “Man’s Best Friend” are the ones that don’t take themselves too seriously. Carpenter’s playful humor combined with a Dolly Parton-esque

country feel and ABBA-like synths create an atmosphere of pure fun.

“Manchild,” the lead single, is the ultimate amalgamation of country, pop and disco, making it a great representation of what’s to follow. Here, Carpenter sings about the types of immature men she continuously chooses to be in relationships with.

This style is in contrast to “Tears,” which leans more heavily into the disco-feel than country, but lyrically shows Carpenter shifting away from her manchild-exes and towards men with a sliver of decency.

After “Tears,” however, the album loses a considerable amount of momentum. “My Man on Willpower,” “Sugar Talking,” and “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” bleed into each other, all of them having a breathy soft-pop production with none of the songs being particularly offensive nor noteworthy. “Nobody’s Son” gains momentum through a catchier melody but still fails to live up to the heights of “Manchild” or even “Tears” and is largely unremarkable.

Life 5

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"Man’s Best Friend" from page 4 It’s on the last third of the album that Carpenter gets back on track. “Go Go Juice” is a pop country banger with an incredibly catchy chorus. The song takes the listener through the journey of the singer getting drunk—on her go go juice—and dialling her exes. These exes, “could be John or Larry, gosh who’s to say? / Or the one that rhymes with ‘villain’ if I’m feelin’ that way,” possibly in a sly reference to Carpenter’s famous exes Shawn Mendes (“Taste,” “Coincidence,”) Barry Keoghan (“Bed Chem,”) Joshua Basset (“because i liked a boy”) and Dylan O’Brien respectively.

Though my favorite part of the song has to be the bridge where Carpenter simulates what those drunk dials would sound like through rolling “bada-das” and somewhat nonsense lyrics such as “Bye, it’s me, hows mm call? Do you me still love?”

If “Go Go Juice” is the ultimate country song of this album, “House Tour” is its standout synth-pop theme, making this the best song in the album to just dance to. In the song, Carpenter makes a “promise none of this is a metaphor,” with “this” being references to waxing the floors, eating pineapple and inviting her guest to come inside. After listening, I can definitely agree that none of the song is a metaphor, and there is definitely no double meaning to any of the lyrics implying anything

sexual in nature. “House Tour” is yet another example of Carpenter’s cheeky lyricism.

The album ends with t h e

ter and her team throughout the whole album, this song sounds the most like a tribute to ABBA, especially at the chorus.

Even the piano glissando present at the

aptly titled song “Goodbye.”

While disco has clearly been a huge inspiration for Carpen-

Courtesy of Island Records three minute mark feels like a reference to “Dancing Queen.”

Naming the song “Goodbye” is a great way to end an album. After all, once you finish listening to these twelve songs, you are saying goodbye to “Man’s Best Friend.”

Given the cacophony of instruments present in “Goodbye,” especially compared to the rest of the album, there’s gravitas to the song that adds a sense of finality. And, of course, it brings together the narrative of the album. Carpenter’s done being pulled around in this relationship, being broken up with, and getting back together again and he’s “losing me forever.”

“Man’s Best Friend” is an album that celebrates Carpenter’s silly, humorous side, but does not quite stick the landing with the more emotional ballads. When interviewed about this album versus “Short n’ Sweet,” Carpenter mentioned how the latter was formulated to be a perfect pop album over the course of almost three years, whereas “Man’s Best Friend” was more of an expression of the singer.

“Man’s Best Friend” is definitely not a perfect album, but few albums are. If you’re looking for a good time, maybe you want to hang out with friends and hear about 21st century dating woes, “Man’s Best Friend” is the perfect album for you. It’s fun in all the right places, full of catchy choruses and bridges, and whatever secret sauce Jack Antonoff, a producer on this album, adds to continually make hit pop songs. And if you’re hungry for more Sabrina Carpenter, she’s featured on Taylor Swift’s next album in the titular song “The Life of a Showgirl.”

Playlist of the week: Night Walks Maria Burns

Contributing Writer After experiencing the hot, stormy summers of Maryland, Cleveland’s windy 60 degree nights have felt like a breath of fresh air.

My roommate and I have started a tradition of going on nightly walks around campus. These walks started out as a method to explore the new world around us, but now they feel like an integral part of my nightly routine. Hopefully, you can take advantage of the nice weather and try this playlist on a walk of your own.

“Night Drive” - Part Time I always imagined that moving to college would mean missing my bedroom. Instead, I find myself thinking about those late night rides in my friend's truck with the music blasting and the windows rolled down. In this song, Part Time captures the intimacy of a late-night car ride: the excitement of having feelings for someone new and hoping for a real romance out of it. In the third verse, the lyrics say, “But can you give me a chance,” and “I say I want romance,” indicating that the singer is interested in having a relationship beyond what the other person is thinking. This night drive is the protagonist’s last chance to express how they feel.

The chill, dreamy vibe of this song makes me feel like I’m stepping back in time to the summer when there was nothing to stress about.

“Say It” - Maggie Rogers I have a personal connection to Maggie Rogers after having watched her grow as an artist since her debut album was released. This track was written with two of her friends shortly after they graduated from New York University. The song starts with a slow build but intensifies during the chorus, ending in a grand finale. Throughout the song, she talks about holding herself back from falling in love with a crush because she knows her feelings might not be reciprocated. In the chorus, she repeats, “I couldn’t say it to myself,” which shows the sparks she feels after experiencing an intimate moment with this person. However, she remains hesitant to make a move because she is not ready to develop such a deep connection so quickly. The electronic dance production style mixed with the synth beats feels like the perfect fit for a night-time walk.

“Robbers” - The 1975 According to the band's frontman, Matty Healy, “‘Robbers’ was originally inspired by [his] love of the Quentin Tarantino film True Romance.” The film has a Bonnie and Clyde style narrative in which the characters immediately fall in love and run away from the law together. Similarly, the song follows a couple so intoxicated by each other that they are unaware of the damage they do to one another. They destroy themselves because they make each other feel like the center of the universe. The chorus repeats

the idea of trying to make the relationship work despite knowing that it is about to fall apart. The bridge is the most distinct part of the song in which Healy sings, “It’s much harder now the police have come.”

Here, the police symbolize enforcers of reality and real life problems, causing the relationship to finally fall apart for the last time. They can both admit to each other that everything's gone wrong and they should not continue, however, their love is so strong that they will do anything the other person asks. My favorite lyric of the song is “Now everybody’s dead.” At this point, the couple has realized that they have caused so much destruction that things will never be the same. The band’s entire debut album carries the same emotionally apocalyptic, movie-like feel and while I do encourage you to listen to the entire album, my personal highlights include: “The City,” “Chocolate” and “Pressure.”

“Falling” - Julee Cruise This summer, after the passing of David Lynch, I fell down a rabbit hole of watching “Twin Peaks”— the show he created, produced, and directed—which follows an FBI detective investigating a murder in northern Washington. Lynch uses this same song multiple times throughout one episode to evoke a psychedelic feeling for the viewer.

Cruise’s slow, dreamy vocals paired with an electric guitar melody creates an ethereal sound that simultaneously feels tranquil yet ominous.

Everytime this song comes on as I walk around Wade Lagoon, I feel transported back to the creepy, mystical town of Twin Peaks.

“Iris” - Goo Goo Dolls With over 2 billion streams, this track has been heard globally, but few people know that it was written for the film “City of Angels” starring Nicolas Cage. In the film, Cage’s character Seth, who is an angel, becomes human and throws away immortality to be with the girl he loves.

John Rzeznik (the band’s frontman and guitarist) said, “What an amazing thing it must be like to love someone so much that you give up everything to be with them.” In the song he sings, “You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be” to signify that he feels closer to divinity when he's with her than when he was actually living in heaven. The most famous line of the song is “When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am,” to say that even though he knows that relationships are impermanent, he is still desperate to be with her. In the end, this song makes the world feel a little slower and your thoughts seem slightly clearer.

Honorable mentions: Halah (Mazzy Star); Dizzy On the Comedown (Turnover); Falling Apart (Slow Pulp); Me & My Dog (boygenius); Marseille (Oracle Sisters); Roy’s Tune (Fontaines D.C.); Only Ones Who Know (Arctic Monkeys); Chances (The Strokes); Forget Her (Jeff Buckley).

Fun The Athenian won't leave you alone Auden Koetters

Director of Digital Media History has given us some legendary battles: Greeks vs. Trojans, Hamilton vs. Burr, Hillary vs. Trump and then… there's The Observer vs. The Athenian.

Except, plot twist: only one side knows this is happening. This is less “rivalry” and more “guy on the street screaming at pigeons.”

The Athenian, Case Western Reserve University’s self-proclaimed “satirical” magazine, has decided that every issue must contain at least three jokes about The Observer. To be clear, we’re not talking clever satire, we’re talking penis enlargement, penis ensmallment and, in one inspired moment, a penis that remained tragically average-sized.

Shakespeare wept.

Their pièce de résistance? That one issue where they literally stole our page designs, fonts and layouts, basically cosplaying as The Observer, then changed all the bylines to the names of our editorial board. Coincidence? We think not.

Meanwhile, we’re over here writing news stories, reviews and yes, a few comedy pieces dashed off in an hour that still end up funnier than their whole semester’s effort. I never asked to be funny, but someone had to fill the gap they left behind. Call it charity.

And yet, they won’t stop. The Observer is just a student walking down Adelbert and The Athenian is the Euclid Preacher ready to sermonize at unsuspecting victims. Please. We’re begging. How do we gently tell them we’re not in this relationship? We’re not even in the same genre. We put out a newspaper every week; they put out a cry for help stapled together with penis jokes. It’s almost sweet, like watching a little sibling swing their fists in the air, convinced they’re winning. Out of their league? Definitely, but it’s cute they’re trying.

Because, in the end, The Athenian isn’t our rival, they’re our opening joke.

Letter taped to the ceiling above my bed the night I accidently left my window cracked open Dear Auden, We hear your cries for peace, but alas— we cannot stop. For without you, who are we? Just another magazine stapled together with inside jokes no one understands?

Perish the thought. You are the Batman to our Joker, the Frodo to our Gollum, the unsuspecting Starbucks barista to our UH nurse on a floor-wide coffee run.

Every mention of you is a victory.

Every penis joke, a love letter. You are our muse, our nemesis, our reluctant costar. Without you, we would be forced to satirize, god forbid, actual things happening on campus.

Sincerely, Evan Durkee, The Athenian Editor-in-Chief

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, September 12, 2025 observer.case.edu Volume LVII, Issue 4

PERFORMATIVE CALLING ALL!

09/17/2025

M E N

THE OBSERVER WILL BE HOSTING A COMPETITION TO SEE WHO CAN BE CWRU‘S MOST PERFORMATIVE MAN. EMAIL OBSERVER@CASE.EDU YOUR RESUME FOR CONSIDERATION. ASSEMBLE IN KSL OVAL @ 5PM.

Fun 7

observer.case.edu

Weekly Horoscope

sexanddating

What performative man trait are you?

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Drinking matcha

Wearing light wash baggy jeans

Tote bag (Trader Joes)

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Carrying a book 24/7

Wearing a Labubu on your belt.

Wearing loafers with athletic socks

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Constantly talking Wire frame glasses Disposable camera about the how hard on slightly tattered it is for women lanyard (cut-off a girl to do it)

Capricorn Studying a social science

Aquarius Listening to Pheobe Bridgers and Clario

Maze

Pisces Reading All About Love by Bell Hooks

Are you dating a performative man?

Aphrodite

Greek Goddess of Love Dating in the time of performative men: At Case Western Reserve University, dating has always been a circus, but lately there’s a new clown on campus: The performative man.

He’s got “ally” in his bio and “mansplaining” in his blood. He’s not just a guy; he’s a walking PR campaign. You’ve seen one. You’ve swiped left on one. And, tragically, you may be dating one.

So, grab a pen, tally your points and brace yourself for the results you already suspect.

1. His profile vibe is: A) Self-deprecating height jokes and “dog dad” energy B) A paragraph about social justice that somehow mentions Nietzsche C) “Adventurous” (he owns a Patagonia) D) Thoughtful one-liners that sound suspiciously…generated 2. His coffee order : A) Oat milk vanilla latte B) Black Coffee C) Fair-trade Matcha D) Doesn’t drink coffee, but can recite Starbucks’ entire menu back to you 3. His major: A) Anthropology B) English C) Feminist Studies D) Computer science 4. A “romantic” date means: A) Sitting outside Tink while pretending to study B) Watching his improv performance C) Reading poetry at the Cleveland Art Museum while he teaches you about Monet D) A series of activities perfectly tailored to your interests 5. His love language is: A) Poetic quotes B) Love bombing C) Soft-launching you on Instagram (a photo of the shadow of your holding hands) D) Responding instantly to every text with three versions of the same answer 6. His key outfit component: A) Wired headphones B) Wire frame glasses he doesn’t actually need C) A tote bag with a mysterious stain D) A perfectly tailored fit that seems to materialize the moment you talk about it Results: Mostly A’s : You’re dating a Performative Man. Harmless, oat-milk powered but exhausting. Like The Covenant Church bells, makes a lot of noise but rarely delivers.

Mostly B’s : You’re dating the Hypocrisy Enthusiast. Talks big, does small. He’s your boyfriend and a one-man podcast that no one asked to subscribe to.

Mostly C’s : You’re dating the Final Boss Performative Man. A LinkedIn profile with hair gel. Posts like an unpaid intern for Teen Vogue and somehow convinces everyone he’s profound. Run before he makes you a part of his “personal growth journey.”

Mostly D’s : Surprise! You’re not dating a man at all. You’re dating ChatGPT. Instantly responsive, endlessly supportive, no bed frame required.

Opinion

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, September 12, 2025 observer.case.edu Volume LVII, Issue 4

What we lose when we “romanticize our life” Katharina Staehr

Staff Writer

Recently, I’ve found myself scrolling through Instagram Reels featuring candle-lit bedrooms and cute coffee shops, meticulously and perfectly edited to the soft tunes of indie music.

Each video offers a brief, beautiful glimpse into what social media calls “romanticizing your life.”

For a moment, I was captivated. It felt like an invitation to find joy in the mundane—to appreciate the simple events that make up our day. That morning coffee. An afternoon walk.

The evening wind down. Yet, my excitement for the trend was short-lived.

To me, the very “small things” we were meant to celebrate have not only lost their meaning, but have changed who we are.

The initial appeal of the trend, which started amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, seemed reasonable. In the trenches of social isolation, we were encouraged to shift our focus to, say, a springtime venture into nature or the warmth of a home-cooked meal. The intent: to rekindle the positivity that had escaped us and channel our so-called “main character energy.” “You are the star in your own movie that is the story of your life,” goes the mantra.

Soon, however, social media began elevating the banal moments to absurd aestheticism. Matcha lattes photographed from every angle imaginable (also, when did we stop drink-

ing regular coffee?); documentaries of whimsical libraries; meticulous skin care routines receiving narrative arcs; Sunday meal-prep turning into nutrition class. These romanticized scenes, albeit beautiful, are no longer about finding joy as much as they are about buying a lifestyle. It’s not enough to enjoy a simple cup of coffee, but to enjoy it out of an elegant glass mug is the implied message. Scented candles, all-natural bath salts or extravagant drinks—they are no more than commercialized props held to unrealistic beauty standards in a highly curated performance. It seems the small rituals are not so small after all. They are actually a big deal.

Beyond vanishing into a wave of consumerism, it seems the (over-) glorification of everyday life is out-oftouch with reality. Perhaps the idea of distracting ourselves from the bigger issues out of our control has been taken too far. Amidst the current serious political, societal and environmental concerns, snapshots of an aesthetic water bottle filling at the sink or neatly organized wardrobes appear ridiculous.

There is something to be said about that fine line: not taking common everyday experiences for granted, but not artificially inflating their importance, so much so, that we lose sight of the bigger picture. When we started seeking ways to romanticize our lives, the intention was to worship the parts immediately around us in order to regain appreciation for the real world that lay beyond—not to disconnect from it.

Problematic, too, are those promoting and living the romanticized lifestyle. One Instagram feed mirrors the next—the same shots of sunrise walks followed by ocean dips, the same grocery hauls, the same lazy afternoon aesthetic, the same life. Influencers have defined their personalities as a collection of aesthetically pleasing habits, and their facelessness is a testament to their unwavering conformity to the trend. It is unfortunate, in a world so diverse, complex and exciting, that their spontaneity and individuality has seemed to vanish entirely.

Frankly, there is nothing wrong with

taking a step back to honor the rituals of our daily lives that usually go unnoticed. In fact, there is a good intention behind it. Still, the warning should not go unstated that it becomes dangerous when we hyperfixate on these things for that all too familiar reason—because everyone is doing it. Your life is not measured in terms of perfectly curated snapshots or expensive accessories. It is defined by your passions, work, relationships and those authentic, spontaneous events. There is no need for a script to how we live. After all, we are not characters in a movie— this is real life.

Lucas Yang/The Observer

EDITORIAL

The Advance Ohio Higher Education Act makes schools vulnerable Editorial Board On June 27, Senate Bill 1 (SB1), the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, came into effect. Now that it is here and universities are starting the academic year, the destructive consequences of the law are becoming apparent. From closures of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices, to the cancellation of scholarships and to the degradation of educational quality and freedom—

this law is an insult to students in Ohio.

While it was passing through the legislature, SB1 saw intense opposition from the public. It received over 1,700 opponent testimonies from students, faculty and community members compared to 20 proponent testimonies, some from out of state. The Ohio Student Association (OSA) at The Ohio State University led a 1,000-person-strong march to the statehouse against the bill. OSA was a leader of the student opposition to the bill, ensuring

Lucas Yang/The Observer

that all students knew how dangerous it is, and amplifying the voices of those most hurt by it. Despite the massive opposition, it passed.

The law, affecting public universities in Ohio, has prohibited “any orientation or training course regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion” as well as the existence of any DEI scholarships or offices. At CWRU, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Engagement office was dissolved, and the Office of Campus Enrichment and Engagement was created. In an email, President Eric Kaler cited the fact that the “executive orders (issued Jan. 20 and Jan. 21) to eliminate [DEI] programs in organizations receiving federal funding make clear that there are consequences for those who do not comply.” As a result, the dissolution of the previous office led to multiple CWRU staff members employed in the DEI office and the Office of Multicultural Affairs being terminated or leaving. Across the state, public universities lost more: The Ohio State University lost their Pride Center and the University of Cincinnati lost their African American Cultural and Research Center, among other losses.

The law targets any topics that can be viewed as “controversial,” and we are watching as history is re-written on campuses across Ohio. Scholarships administered through these offices had to be cancelled or revised to comply with SB1, as they feared punishment from legislation.

Lawmakers have signaled that they intend to force SB1 onto private institutions like our own. In the State Senate’s proposal for the fiscal year 2026-2027, the Governor’s Merit Scholarship was

changed to make a school’s funding for the scholarship dependent on compliance with SB1. Thus, all universities awarding the scholarship would be required to comply with the terms of SB1, even if they are private. The scholarship is given out to students from Ohio who meet a certain GPA requirement, encouraging Ohioans to attend Ohio colleges. While this provision did not pass, the message is clear: private universities will be targeted as well.

In a comment to The Observer, a university spokesperson said, “While we will comply with any federal and state laws, our priority remains ensuring an environment that fosters academic and research excellence, free inquiry and student success.” SB1 does not require private universities to follow its provisions, but CWRU students have already lost significant university support with the absence of the DEI office and several of its resource-filled website pages. It would be harmful to lose more due to pressure from the state. All students benefit from a commitment to diversity, and the destruction of this core commitment is sure to be dangerous. SB1’s restrictions would be disastrous for our school.

CWRU has a reputation as an institution with high quality education and research, yet SB1’s implementation threatens everything. The school administration has planned to no longer rely on the Governor’s Merit Scholarship fund, and we, as concerned students, must hold them to this decision. We cannot allow our university leaders to be coerced into degrading the quality of education that we receive.

Opinion 9

observer.case.edu

Educational tool or toll: AI prevalence redefines the future of education Milo Vetter

Staff Writer Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere now. Notably, its presence has created a tech bubble that’s looming over the national economy, but it has a similarly looming presence over education. AI has become a common topic of conversation among students, and most classes have an AI policy on their syllabus. The reason for this, of course, is the AI cheating epidemic in education. This is what started the whole conversation: Before we had Case Western Reserve University AI and AIgenerated education modules, we had students circumventing writing assignments by just pasting the problem statement into ChatGPT. And make no mistake, this problem doesn’t just affect the lazy and entitled. Clay Shirky, a vice provost at NYU, wrote passionately in a New York Times guest essay about the harm that AI is causing in colleges. Describing the shift among students in the past few years, he writes that “This was a theme I’d hear over and over, listening to faculty members across disciplines at the end of the semester; even some of the students who obviously cared about the material and seemed to like the classes were no longer doing the hard work of figuring out what they wanted to say.”

We just have to accept these risks because of how important AI will be in the coming years. Some pro-AI users have the belief that students aren’t being properly prepared for the real world if they are not taught how to use AI to their advantage. I don’t buy it for two reasons.

First, I’ll admit that refining prompts given to AI generators requires some effort and background knowledge. But the phrase “prompt engineering” is just such a laughably pretentious term that I can hardly believe that people say it with a straight face. The reality is that structuring AI prompts is really easy and does not require a college education. It’s a waste of our time to be taught how to use AI because it’s designed for a universal audience. After all, it wouldn’t be good for the AI market share if AI was a tool only accessible to those who have received training and education in its use. Perhaps, that type of AI would be better for society at large, but that’s simply not the type we currently have.

Second, as most professionals who have experience with AI will tell you, the most important skill to have is the ability to be critical of its output.

If it hallucinates facts, makes false assumptions or invents a fake equation, you need to be able to recognize that.

But that’s just applying your own preexisting knowledge and critical think-

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From doing repetitive assignments to assisting professors, AI in classrooms is a reality we must accept, a reality that both helps and challenges students and educators.

Courtesy of Martin Vorel via Creative Commons ing to AI. Critical thinking has been taught at colleges for centuries now, and I’d argue that using AI as a crutch during our education erodes our ability to doubt the answers it gives us.

So, what can we do? I believe that being able to facilitate your assignments with AI easily means that it wasn’t a good assignment to begin with. I think that I speak for most students when I say that repetitive 200-word weekly discussion board posts don’t do a particularly good job of helping us learn course material. But, when representatives from tech companies, desperately trying to increase their market share, suggest that the solution is to design our curriculum with the assumption that AI use will be universal, who says that we have to accept that premise?

There’s a better solution: increasing the grade weight of exams and making all exams blind, in-person and closed-note. Some readers may be hor-

rified at this suggestion. Personally, the most I’ve ever handwritten in one sitting is four pages, and I won’t pretend it wasn’t brutal. But, we don’t need to return to the Stone Age in order to fix this problem. Chromebooks, or other similar laptops, work perfectly well for high school students, so why wouldn’t they work for us?

CWRU’s AI policy is functional for the time being. Currently, it provides multiple frameworks for professors to allow varying levels of AI use in classrooms. I think it’s good to allow professors the freedom to embrace or reject AI in their classrooms. To those professors who accept AI usage, do you really think that your classes are improved by the use of AI? Do you really think that Large Language Model (LLM) AI has any future in the classroom beyond as a novelty? Is it really worth all the trouble of possible foul play among students? If we all recognize the prob-

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lems and risks of college students using AI, and we also (maybe) agree that the supposed benefits are paper-thin, then why are we still allowing it? The typical answer is because it’s difficult to stop.

Lots of laypeople have reacted to the shocking rise in cheating with fatalism — what’s the point of trying if you can pass with just a few prompts? What’s the point of going to college if no actual learning is happening anymore? Once again, I don’t buy it.

AI in education isn’t just bad because of its effects on decreased critical analysis and thinking. It’s also bad because of what it represents. That being, education is replaceable and has short cuts. To some, AI isn’t a tool to help you learn more or become a better

academic, it’s a tool that we’ll simply have to use because soon, it’ll be how everyone else makes money in the real world. The commodification of education didn’t start here; rising tuition rates and a growing trend of anti-intellectualism have reached a fever pitch, especially considering recent actions from the recent Trump administrative shakedowns of Columbia University and Harvard University. We can’t control many of these trends, but with a little effort, we can control whether or not we want to allow AI to redefine education itself. Will the ideas of the future be thought up by our sharpest, most critical minds? Or will we allow those ideas to be generated by tech companies, instead?

10 Opinion

Friday, September 12, 2025

They’re mean because they care Catherine Choi

Staff Writer

We’ve all disobeyed our parents in one way or another. As kids, it was so hard for us to grasp why our parents refused to understand our reasoning when they were once our age, too.

However, as we get older and gain more life experience, we’ve grown to understand that everything they did was in our best interest. We shouldn’t take our parents for granted because, in the end, they want what’s best for us.

The monetary challenges of raising a human into adulthood can be overwhelming, even for high-income parents. This weight is especially prevalent for parents who have low-income jobs, are single parents or have children who are ill or need special attention. For this reason, many parents sacrifice their wants and needs, taking extra jobs so that their children do not experience the distress of poverty and are provided with everything they need. Some parents even sacrifice their career aspirations—either by leaving their job or settling for jobs that are less desirable but more accommodating to child care. Even if both parents keep working, they are more likely to tolerate jobs that are overbearing and stressful so they can keep providing for their children rather than simply resigning or taking long respite periods.

Children demand the fulfillment of many different needs at various points in their lives. This can take a toll on parents, too. For example, infants and toddlers require more assistance to stay alive than we do now— though that may be debatable. When we, as children, get older, we start to clash with our parents as we discover more autonomy and individuality.

The pressure is put on our parents to quickly adapt to changes with little room for mistakes, as it can impact how we turn out. Meanwhile, they are navigating their own life with no prior experience, which can be very difficult.

Another reason to be grateful for our parents is that they willingly took the role of a villain by establishing boundaries that we once tested. As children, it seems like our parents nag at us because they want to make us miserable or want control. Especially in certain situations where one parent takes the responsibility of disciplining alone, we are likely to prefer the parent that is more easy-going. Even so, they are willing to accept the fact that they will not be liked by their children at certain moments in time and will even receive criticism from them as long as they can ensure their children will be ultimately happy and healthy.

When our parents discipline us for certain behaviors, they do so because they care and want what’s best for us. We’ve all been called lazy at some point in our lives or been told to get off

Sophie Shimeall/The Observer our phones. At the moment, we may feel angry and misunderstood. But, in our parent’s eyes, they are correcting our bad habits. Adults are able to see the long term effects of things. As kids, we were, and still are, short-minded at times. Which may also be why we don’t see the value in their discipline.

In regards to decision making, we are prone to being annoyed that our parents want to hold power over us in areas like school, careers, buying a house or car or having an opinion in marriage. However, if we listen closely to what they say and give them a chance to speak instead of shutting them down, we may realize that they

have a point. It is crucial that we feel grateful that our parents risked being the villain and being hated to protect us, even if it is hard for them.

Of course, this excludes parents who are abusive, negligent or think of their children as a resource to take advantage of. But, it is also crucial that we show our parents more generosity.

This is their first time being parents, and they are bound to make mistakes and do hurtful things, even if they did not have ill-intentions. Though it is our right to be provided for by our parents and it is their responsibility to raise us, it should never be taken for granted.

If it happened, it wouldn’t have solved problems: Trump’s recent inactivity raised questions about his health Mariana Parilli-Castillo

Copy Editor

I am by no means an optimist. In fact, if you were to ask most people who know me what my general outlook towards the ultimate fate of humanity looks like, you would find that their answers would range from “dour” to “depressing.” This is not to say that good things never happen— in fact, they happen more often than most people notice. My general frame of mind is that while good things happen, bad things happen just as often, and even as a consequence of good things.

This does not mean that I wasn’t at least a bit giddy for a second there when it looked like it was going to happen.

For once, it looked like most of my stresses regarding the state of US

politics were going to be alleviated.

For a week or so, I wouldn’t have to worry about the growing xenophobia abounding the streets, the normalized racism in normal speech, the millions of deaths caused by anti-vaxers and red-pillers, the borderline-fascist movement of book bans or the sheer intellectual loss of research budget cuts. I believed that I could breathe easily for a bit, and then I could continue worrying.

And then it didn’t happen.

President Donald Trump is alive and as healthy as a 79-year-old man whose diet seems to consist almost exclusively of bigotry and McDonald’s. In health reports, he shows an almost stellar degree of well-being, with the worst aspects in his medical history being a now-controlled high cholesterol and some relatively easygoing gastrointestinal disorders. He also didn’t show his face for six days,

Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

with the only sign of his consciousness being some half-hearted Truth Social posts and faux photo leaks from months prior. For each of those six days, social media became exultant in anticipation, eagerly awaiting the inevitable to occur, most of them believing, like I did for that brief second, that most of their sociopolitical woes would be solved when he got solved. The fact is, I don’t begrudge these people, but, unfortunately, that glee only lasted for a second for me, and that is for one key reason: even if it did happen, the fallout has to be dealt with.

If it happened, the next president in the line of succession would’ve been Vice President JD Vance who, other than being hilariously uncharismatic and the object of mockery of both the left and the right, also spends his time spewing hate and being boosted by megalomaniacal technocrat Peter Thiel—of hypervigilant Big Brother corporation Palantir fame. The extent of surveillance that Thiel, and by extension Vance, promise is an AI-backed, ultra-repressive all-seeing eye on each of the inhabitants of the United States.

In fact, we have already gotten the first taste of Palantir’s brand of panopticon by way of ImmigrationOS, a software created by Palantir for the explicit purpose of tracking immigrants and visitors to the United States, which the software can then report to ICE. There is also the matter that JD Vance has repeatedly shown himself to be one of the biggest backers of Trump’s economic policies, from the devastating Big Beautiful Bill to the bizarre shifts to trade and tariff policy. JD Vance may be liked by no one, respected by no one and recognized as a serious politician by no one, and thus unlikely to become the succeeding leader of cult MAGA, but if it hap-

pened, little would matter, because he would default as president.

Additionally, the presumption that, if it happened, the entirety of the extreme-right would wake up as if from a trance and revert (or convert) into some semblance of human decency after years of Trump-era politics, where it has become fair game to normalize or justify lynchings, city takeovers and school shootings, is naive at best and blind at worst. Cults of personality and mob mentalities are quite the drug, but so is human cruelty and fascism. These last ten years of Trumpian pomp and circumstance have unmasked vile hatred and made the most downtrodden of us accept it at face value. It has made us fear that any baby or immunocompromised child could get a deadly, preventable disease because some find death more palatable than a fabricated paranoia. It has made us lose hundreds and thousands of neighbours, coworkers, friends and family members to an immigration system that does not care for anything except for American white supremacy. It has made us lose countless trade relationships, diplomatic understandings and made us fund through our tax dollars some of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history. The soul of American politics had never been spotless, but these last ten years have left an indelible stain that will never be made up for.

So, yes, when it does happen—as it inevitably will, as death comes for us all—I will be happy. I will celebrate.

I will pop a bottle of champagne, as I did with Kissinger, Fujimori and Anita Bryant. But, I will be conscious that the death of a man with so many sins weighing his soul does not mean that those sins have not left repercussions that will last for generations.

Sports

The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, September 12, 2025 observer.case.edu Volume LVII, Issue 4

Is FloSports beneficial or harmful to UAA athletics?

Ellie Palaian

Sports Editor For the past three weeks FloSports, a digital media company, has streamed UAA athletic games on their sub-platform, FloCollege, after the two announced an exclusive 5-year media rights agreement in June.

The agreement sparked controversy among athletes and their families, largely because FloSports requires a paid subscription. Previously, fans could stream Case Western Reserve University athletics at no cost. CWRU’s Associate Athletic Director for Communications & Media Relations, Jon Schwartz, acknowledged that the new expense may be difficult for some to accept but argued that the enhanced coverage and services FloSports provides will ultimately benefit viewers.

“I don’t think it’s priced exorbitantly, but I also understand that anything compared to free is a lot more than you were paying last night,” Schwartz said. “But I think when people tune in to the broadcast, they’ll be pleasantly surprised at some of the improvements in the production quality that we put together.”

Schwartz, who was part of the decision-making process, said discussions about outsourcing UAA media had been underway for nearly a year.

He added that improving CWRU’s media presence had long been a priority, and after weighing options: including continuing with BoxCast and MediaVision, developing a new platform from scratch, or partnering with FloSports, the university determined FloSports was the best fit.

“Partnering with a media rights company, such as FloSports, had the benefit of improving the branding, getting that nationwide network, plus having a partner that, unlike the previous version, would be invested in promoting that network as well,” Schwartz said.

One advantage of the UAA’s partnership with FloSports is that 100% of revenue goes back into UAA member schools. When the deal was announced, however, athletes and parents immediately questioned how that money would be used, expressing hopes that the funds would be reinvested into athletic departments.

FloSports is not directing how the UAA schools spend the funds from the partnership. Instead, the company has set standards to ensure consistent streaming quality across its network, allowing each school to allocate the money as they see fit, provided these standards are met.

“There are minimum standards that are built into the FloSports contract that you have a year to meet,” Schwartz said. “We are meeting all of those immediately. That’s not neces-

sarily every school, but that was a big push for us…because, again, we’re now charging for something that was free last year. We don’t want to offer the same free thing and tell people you have to pay for it.”

With CWRU controlling how it allocates the funds from FloSports, the university has the flexibility to explore new media initiatives.

“Probably within the last six months, we’ve spent close to $10,000 upgrading our equipment,” Schwartz said. “We’re hoping to add things in the future, and that might be sideline reporting and interviews during games. It might mean instant replay that we’re able to get longterm. Things to continue to improve this broadcast that are expensive but might not have been an option before, [because] any budget we had [before] was towards just maintaining a basic webcast, not necessarily building on some of that.”

When the deal was first announced, families and athletes expressed concern over subscription costs. FloSports currently charges $19.99 per month or $107.88 annually, a significant change for a program that was previously free. Rachel Winter, mother of fourth-year men’s soccer goalkeeper Bradley Winter, admitted the cost was initially frustrating but said she’s willing to pay to watch her son play.

“I’ll pay it because my priority is I want to see him play and this is his last year, so it’s important for us to watch him if we can’t be there live,” Winter said. “I think a lot of people at

Case Western don’t live in Cleveland, so they may utilize this to watch their games since they are coming from far away and they can’t come to all the games.”

Schwartz acknowledged the controversy over the program’s cost, noting that CWRU was able to secure a 15 percent discount for its athletes through August, a deal he believes no other conference has offered.

“It’s a little tricky, because once it’s up on the platform, it’s kind of FloSports’s decision,” Schwartz said. “But it is certainly a concern. I also think we are still very early in this process…

I think we’re going to go through a year and get a lot of feedback. And if we’re starting to hear from people that these subscriptions are an issue, I’m sure the question will be asked, what can we do about that?”

Although initially reluctant to pay, Winter said that after using the platform, she found the subscription to be well worth the cost.

“You get what you pay for,” Winter said. “In the past there were definitely issues where it would freeze, there were glitches and I did sometimes get frustrated in the past because of those issues. Even though initially I was like ‘gosh, I can’t believe we have to pay,’ based on this past weekend, it’s well worth the money.”

Winter said the platform was worthwhile for her because it made streaming to the TV easy and offered high-quality sound, picture and commentary.

“To put it this way, if Bradley was a junior this year and I’d only used the

subscription for a weekend I would pay for the senior year for sure,” Winter said.

Another concern for CWRU athletes was whether the high subscription prices of the new streaming service would hurt already low viewership. Despite this, Schwartz believes the benefits of the deal clearly outweigh the drawbacks.

“I’m not sure our general student body was ever fully tuned in to our webcast when it was free,” Schwartz said. “I think their primary mode of watching our games was showing up in person. That being said…we’ve now taken our broadcast and made them less accessible to the public than they were before, and that’s a huge issue.

[But] a couple things you’ll see from us that may actually be more beneficial is more of a presence on social media, more highlight clips and our games will all be archived on the FloSports network.”

Schwartz is confident that, over time, the benefits of this deal will become clear and that it will greatly benefit both CWRU Athletics and the UAA. “I think in the long run, I do think people will see some of the positives of this deal,” Schwartz said. “So while I understand there’s some hesitancy to sign up for a monthly account, I do think people will see some benefits from this deal that will help our student athletes. That’s going to help the department. That’s gonna certainly help the production value of the webcast. I think people will see some value in that.”

CWRU has partnered with FloSports to stream athletic games, with users highlighting both benefits and drawbacks that they have observed after using the website for a few weeks now.

Courtesy of CWRU Athletics Website

Women’s soccer from page 1 Abhishek Nambiar

Copy Editor

Farra, who scored four goals over the week, earned multiple honors: UAA Athlete of the Week (Sept. 8), Spartan Club Athlete of the Week (Sept. 8) and NCAA D3 Women’s

Player of the Week from Top Drawer Soccer for the week of Aug. 29. She now leads the nation with eight goals in just four games.

Reflecting on these past three games, Farra noted the importance of the team maintaining the momentum they have carried so far.

“Moving forward, it will be impor-

tant for us to keep the momentum we have gained during our first couple of weeks,” Farra said. “Our games ahead are very strong opponents, which will be a great challenge for us that we are excited for. [We] have to carry the same focus and intensity from our first games into the next ones.”

Indeed, the squad will be up for a

challenge soon, as on Friday Sept. 12 they will be traveling to Delaware, Ohio to take on third-ranked Christopher Newport University. A win would give CWRU a statement victory over a national powerhouse, while a loss would bring an end to their longrunning non-conference unbeaten streak.

12 Sports

Friday, September 12, 2025

Russia returns to the ice after Olympic scandal, Milano Cortina is anyone’s game

Weekly Scores Men’s Soccer vs Penn St.-Behrend (9/6) vs Oberlin (9/10)

W 1-0 W 3-0

Women’s Soccer at John Carroll (9/3) at Grove City (9/6) at Heidelberg (9/9)

W 6-0 W 6-0 W 1-0

Football at Rowan University (9/6)

T 17-17

Volleyball

CWRU Quad 2025 vs Heidelberg (9/5) vs Earlham (9/6) vs Westminster (9/6)

L 1-3 W 3-0 W 3-1

at Baldwin Wallace (9/10)

L 1-3

Upcoming Games Men’s Soccer vs Wooster vs Allegheny

at Marietta

9/13, 1 p.m.

DiSanto Field 9/14, 1 p.m.

DiSanto Field 9/17

Women’s Soccer at Christopher Newport at Ohio Northern

9/12 9/14

Football at Wabash College

9/13

Volleyball Muskie Invitational vs Muskingum vs Mount St. Joseph vs Marietta vs Oberlin

9/12 9/13 9/13

9/17, 7 p.m.

Horsburgh Gymnasium

Men’s Tennis at YSU Invitational at Denison Invitational

9/13-14 9/13-14

Women’s Tennis at Kenyon Invitational

9/13-14

Cross Country Alumni Meet

9/13

Lucas Yang

Director of Design Disclaimer: Some of the quotes within this article are translated from Russian to English.

The 2022 Olympic figure skating event remains difficult to recount.

15-year old Kamila Valieva, student of Russia’s most powerful coach, Eteri Tutberidze, failed a doping test, setting off a chain of controversy. The fallout included emotional breakdowns from all three Russian women’s competitors and a tepid reaction from Tutberidze herself that International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach describes as leaving him “very disturbed.” Finally, the Russian invasion of Ukraine marked the nation’s third consecutive violation of the Olympic Truce.

The result: Russia was swiftly banned from international sport.

For the first time since 2022, Russian skaters will compete internationally at the Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier in Beijing, Sept. 17-21. The International Skating Union announced earlier this year that Russia would have the opportunity to nominate two athletes or teams—one primary and one substitute—in each of skating’s four disciplines to be vetted for neutrality and the chance to earn a berth to the Olympic Games. The rules, however, are unforgiving. If any athlete fails the vetting process, they will not be reconsidered, and their substitute is automatically disqualified.

And, if an athlete qualifies at the Beijing event, their substitute can no longer replace them, even in cases of injury.

Russia has long been a skating powerhouse, placing teams atop the Olympic podium for over 40 years and winning 7 of the 13 ice dance events. Lately, Russian women have achieved phenomenal success under Tutberidze, with gold medals at the past three Olympics and placing 1-2 at the last two Games.

These victories come at a cost.

Tutberidze’s training methods prioritize extremely light, prepubescent bodies capable of difficult jump content at the cost of health and longevity. 2018 Olympic silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva recently said she skated at the Games with a leg bone that was “crumbled” and osteoporosis that made her skeleton close to what “elderly women have at 85 years old.” While harsh coaching practices exist across borders, Tutberidze’s methods stand out as both particularly extreme and particularly rewarded, netting her the ISU Coach of the Year award in 2020.

However, in Russia’s recent absence from competition, the women’s and pairs’ fields have seen reduced technical content but a transformed culture at the sport’s elite level.

Alysa Liu, for example, came back from her two-year retirement last season and became the first American woman to win the World Championships in 19 years and the youngest ever US National champion. Liu retired at 16 after the 2022 Games due to burnout, admitting she grew to hate the sport.

“When everyone wants you to win gold and all you want to do is be with your friends and family, it’s really hard because you’re do-

ing something not for yourself,” Liu said in a 2025 interview with CNN Sports.

Liu enrolled in UCLA and took time off to be a normal teenager.

She rediscovered her love of the sport during an impromptu skiing trip. She decided to compete in the 2024-25 season, struggling with stamina early on but pulling it together with a national silver medal that qualified her for the World Championships in Boston. There, Liu delivered two triumphant, transcendent performances set to music

by Laufey and Donna Summer.

Alongside Liu, three-time World champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan took silver in Boston, a trailblazer in her own right. Last March, the 24 year old became the first woman in 56 years to win three consecutive World titles. With some of the most powerful skating skills in any discipline, Sakamoto has stood in stark contrast to the oeuvre of the Russian women’s program since she won Olympic bronze in Beijing with a program aptly titled “I Am a Woman.” A viral clip of Sakamoto and Liu embracing in tears of joy after the latter’s win, too, feels like a repudiation of the 2022 podium.

While Liu and Sakamoto are favorites for the gold in Milano Cortina, the potential Russian qualifier in women’s singles marks a huge unknown. Though Russia’s nominees for pairs and ice dance were disqualified for pro-war activities, Russian national champion Petr Gummenik and Eteri Tutberidze’s latest wunderkind, Adelia Petrosian, were approved to compete as neutral athletes in men’s and women’s respectively.

Coming into the Olympic qualifier, Petrosian has marks both for and against her. She’s got an otherworldly technical arsenal, the only senioreligible skater to land a quadruple

jump and a triple axel in the 20242025 season. Her highest credited base technical score last season was 116.58 (Liu’s World championshipwinning skates, without either element, were valued more than 20 points lower at 95.93).

But Tutberidze’s dominance stretches beyond difficulty. Her camp’s champion-level reputation creates arguably inflated presentation and execution scores. At the Beijing women’s short program, Valieva scored nearly 10 points higher than Japanese skater Wakaba Higuchi despite far inferior technical quality—Valieva stepped out of her triple axel while Higuchi nailed hers.

On the flip side, Petrosian would be the oldest Russian Olympic champion, just four months shy of 19 by Milano Cortina. Due to the age minimum increase brought on after the Valieva controversy, Tutberidze’s camp has had to train athletes to peak at 17 or 18 rather than 15, a feat that might be easier said than done. Elizabet Tursynbaeva is the oldest Tutberidze skater to have won a major international medal, a World silver at 19, but then struggled to recreate that success for two years before retiring due to a nagging back injury.

Petrosian will also have to adapt to both stricter judging and competition pressure, having only entered junior-level events before the ban.

After the Beijing qualifier, the Olympic Winter Games would be only the second senior international competition of Petrosian’s entire life.

In many ways, the upcoming Games feels like a crossroads for the sport, and especially the women’s discipline. The Beijing Olympics was, for better or worse, the embodiment of figure skating’s Russian status quo. Only time will tell what choice is made in Milano Cortina.

Lucas Yang/The Observer