Opinion: ‘Editorial: It is important to engage with art (pg. 6)
The Case The CaseWestern WesternReserve Reserve
Observer
Friday, August 28, 2026 Volume LVIII, Issue 2 Est. 1969
NEWS
Ohio lawmakers draft a bill to regulate Flock cameras in Ohio
Olivia Wen Copy Editor In response to privacy concerns regarding Flock camera data, Ohio State Senator Al Cutrona and Ohio State Representative Levi Dean are drafting two bills to regulate Flock cameras. Flock cameras are known for their role as automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), which record vehicle sightings with a specific place and time. These details include license plates and vehicle characteristics and, when combined with AI, they can be used to track patterns. This becomes a significant privacy concern. Data is saved for up to seven days, unless otherwise necessary for an investigation or if requested by the customer. Customers include law enforcement, college campuses and residential homeowner associations (HOAs). According to Flock, customers “own their data and control how it is used under their policies and applicable law.” These cameras are located throughout the Case Western Reserve University campus, notably along Adelbert Road and Euclid Avenue. In an interview with WOSU Public Media, Dean spoke about his work with the Legislative Service Commission on drafting a bill for stricter usage, particularly banning the use of Flock cameras from use by governmental entities and police
departments unless permitted by a warrant. “The legislation will prohibit any governmental entity collecting Flock camera data from sharing it with a third party or for personal use,” said Cutrona. With this bill, improperly using the data from Flock may result in a fourth-degree felony charge. This bill is currently pending introduction. The bills aim to establish stronger regulation of the use of Flock cameras. The CWRU Ohio Student Association’s (OSA) core mission is to represent and fight for what students believe in. Their current focus happens to be Flock surveillance issues. When asked about the primary concern that students should be aware of regarding Flock cameras, OSA President Moses Fleischman pointed to data sharing. Despite restrictions and regulations, contracts are breached, and third parties still obtain information. Fleischman specifies that the use of this data includes stalking or surveilling people across the country due to its accessibility. What is CWRU OSA’s solution? “I think the best regulation is to uproot them entirely from campus,” Fleischman stated. “One thing I want to make sure students know is that the student contract ends in 2027. We, the CWRU OSA, do not want this contract to continue, and we have a feeling that a lot of students would feel the same way if they knew.”
Jana Ashour/The Observer
News
The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, August 28, 2026 observer.case.edu Volume LVIII, Issue 2
CMSD students return to the classroom amid major district changes Alyssa Wang
News Editor Ethan Park
Staff Writer
Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) students are returning to classrooms this fall under sweeping changes that have closed 18 school buildings, consolidated 39 schools and eliminated hundreds of jobs as the district works to address its financial problems as a result of CMSD’s new Building Brighter Futures (BBF) plan. The “Building Brighter Futures” plan reduced the district from 88 schools to 59. The plan was approved in December 2025 for the following school year. Under the consolidation plan, CMSD will relocate 13 high schools and 16 elementary schools across different buildings, closing 18 facilities and five leased spaces overall. CMSD expects the restructuring to save about $30 million each year through reduced operating and personnel costs. The financial problems facing the district have developed over years of declining enrollment and increasing costs. In 2004, CMSD had about 70,000 students but faced around a 50% decrease in enrollment and saw only around 34,000 students in 2024. The decline left the district operating more buildings than needed for its current student population, forcing them to dip into their savings to pay the bills. In fact, in 2018, CMSD was spending millions more each year than it was receiving. In 2020, the district projected it could face a $90 million deficit without additional funding. The state then charged them to create a recovery plan where CMSD would close
Following years of budget deficits and declining student enrollment, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District created Building Brighter Futures (BBF) plan. Courtesy of Ryan Loew via Ideastream Public Media schools, reduce programming and cut the workforce. The proposed plan would save the district’s crisis at the cost of campuses and personnel. For a while, federal COVID-19 relief funding and a voter-approved levy provided temporary financial relief, but the funding expired as the district continued to face declining enrollment and changes in state education funding. As a result, the district saw substantial staff cuts. In April 2026, CMSD announced that 410 employees would lose their jobs, including 146 teachers and another 120 team members. With these cuts, fewer counselors, librarians and other support staff will be serving the district’s students as schools merge and staff positions are eliminated. Signal Cleveland reported that CMSD
will have 31 guidance counselors this school year, down from 39, while 12 librarians will serve nearly 60 schools. Community reaction to the restructuring has been mixed. Some families and residents have questioned whether consolidating schools will ultimately benefit students, while district officials have argued that maintaining fewer, more efficiently used buildings will allow CMSD to put more resources toward academics, career programs and extracurricular opportunities. Waverly Willis, a CMSD grandparent, told News 5 Cleveland that students and teachers are feeling the effects of the changes. “The kids are stressed out,” he said. “We have several teachers that come to us. The teachers are stressed out. Some agree with it, some don’t, but the deci-
sion has been made.” Despite the uncertainty, Willis said community members can still support students during the changes. On Aug. 23, he helped organize an event that provided CMSD students with free food, toys and haircuts. “We just wanna be part of the fabric of the community,” Willis said. “We just let them know that we’re proud of them. We wanna love on them and just give them words of encouragement.” CMSD has maintained that the restructuring is necessary to address both its finances and declining enrollment. District leaders have also said the changes are intended to provide students with more academic and career opportunities by concentrating resources in fewer school buildings. Some parents agree with the decision, citing the district’s own figures about financial deficit and sustainability. However, the cuts have not come without resistance. Teachers, families and community members have raised concerns about losing staff, closing neighborhood schools and changing long-standing school communities. The district’s financial challenges also are not expected to end with the BBF plan. CMSD is still facing longterm budget pressures, meaning this year’s school closures and layoffs could be only one part of a larger effort to reduce spending. For students entering the 2026-27 school year, the changes mean navigating new buildings, new school communities and, in some cases, fewer familiar staff members. For faculty, there is hope for a slow, gradual recovery, as 31 former educators have been rehired to date. For CMSD, the restructuring is an attempt to address their financial issues and potentially strengthen its foundation for the years ahead.
Discover Week 2026 Esha Bagora
Social Media Editor This past week, Case Western Reserve University welcomed its newest cohort of Spartans. As the Class of 2030 finished up Discover Week—the university’s signature orientation program—first-years began one of the most exciting chapters of their lives: college. Over the course of the week, incoming students moved into their residence halls, met roommates and floormates and connected with academic advisors ahead of the fall semester. Trusted orientation leaders introduced students to campus resources, including the library, health services and the career center. Many explored University Circle, Cleveland’s cultural and academic hub. Others ventured farther off-campus to explore Cleveland on their Discover CLE trips. Students also took part in a long-standing campus tradition, aptly named Tradition, joined organizations from the club fair, gambled at Casino night and made new connections that will shape their next four years. “Think beyond the possible” remains the university’s rallying cry as it welcomes home its newest class of Spartans.
Top row courtesy of James Hsieh. Bottom row, from left courtesty of Davis Dai, Reva Kolhe, Davis Dai.
Life
The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, August 28, 2026 observer.case.edu Volume LVIII, Issue 2
Good girl, dark turn: ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ Season 2 Riya Kulkarni
Life Editor
Spoilers ahead for “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.” What do floral gardening gloves, a microphone, headphones and a board of clues have in common? Season 2 of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” finally made its entry on streaming on May 27, inspired by the events of “Good Girl, Bad Blood,” the second book in Holly Jackson’s series. It’s safe to say that Season 1, which was released almost two years prior, was lacking. The Pippa Fitz-Amobi (Emma Myers) we meet seems like a shadow of her book counterpart, and the clues are almost handed to her with no real challenge to her intellect— something readers fell in love with in the books. The major plot points dutifully followed the pacing of the book and the show was easy to understand, but the complexity, the imperfect characters and the consistent need to point the finger of blame at five people at once was gone. However, there was one change that made viewers much more optimistic about Season 2. Jackson had joined the team of writers. What followed was a season filled with easter eggs, a darker tone, wonderfully messy storylines and the same punch that reliably delivers in every Jackson novel. Season 2 revolves around several main storylines that intersect at many points throughout the story, picking up immedi-
ately after the conclusion of Season 1. First, there’s the fallout of the previous season. We see Cara Ward (Asha Banks) cope with the sudden attention brought about by her father’s arrest, and Max Hastings (Henry Ashton) is put on trial. In the midst of all of this, Jamie Reynolds (Eden H. Davies), the older brother of Pip’s friend Connor (Jude Morgan Collie), goes missing. So begins the frantic search to locate him, all while wondering who could be involved. Pip as a character has far evolved from the innocent student trying to finish her senior project, and in this season we watch her mature and grow into the witty but assertive detective reminiscent of the books. She’s seen the delivery of justice first hand, and watched law enforcement fail at their job, which only encourages her urge to remain a vigilante. Despite the danger she had put herself through in the last season, she reluctantly agrees to spearhead the search, and we watch as she gets absorbed into the investigation, absorbing some of the darkness with it. She also becomes incredibly invested in the Max Hastings case, worsening her dynamic with him. This stress and her desire to bring forth justice causes her to deteriorate, which only intensifies in those final devastating moments. Myers conveys this transition beautifully, allowing the audience to clearly see Pip’s internal conflicts and struggles, a major part of the novel that is otherwise impossible to display on screen. Then there’s the chemistry be-
tween our Sherlock and Watson, that is to say Pip and Ravi (Zain Iqbal), which only strengthens with the events of the season. Their relationship has been given time to mature and they stand as lifelines throughout the events of the season. Part of the plot surrounds their attempt to define their relationship amidst the chaos which allows viewers to receive a small piece of happy romance floating through the darkness. Max Hastings’ trial had a great effect on all of the events of the story, but it also sent a clear message about the law and how it can be evaded. Myers shows this driven side of Pip once again as she attempts to bring him to justice. Ashton perfectly conveys the dark and twisted nature of Hastings, making each trick he plays to evade the guilty verdict all the more horrible. We enter his home, and realize where he gets it from—access to a well-paid lawyer ready to prove him innocent and a father flush with cash that just wants everything to blow over— and that to the law, he feels untouchable. The proceedings that take place throughout the season are heartbreaking to see, yet just as important to reality’s twisted sense of justice. The soundtrack needs to have its own honorable mention, as it is a work of art within itself. If the many emotionally packed scenes were not enough, every single song choice made viewers all the more invested in what was happening, from pure feminine rage to suspense and apprehension. The soundtrack featured many
notable artists, from Billie Eilish to Hozier to Lizzy McAlpine, as well as an original song made by Davies’ band: “So Long Silver.” At the same time, many changes have been made from the book’s original plotline, and much of it was intended to bring the story closer together. Jamie’s disappearance is more closely tied into the Max Hastings trial, and the trial itself is much more at the forefront of the story than before. Stanley Forbes, the once antagonistic journalist and obstacle in Pip’s investigations, was reduced to a security guard after being nonexistent in Season 1. Pip and Ravi first meet him at the golf club to try and prove Max Hastings guilty, and he continues to pop up in places he shouldn’t be. While it would have been better had we have met Stanley sooner, his character gives the exact payoff readers were looking for. Readers and fans of the novels will know what is waiting for them in Season 3, and it is the time for us to begin the appropriate emotional preparations. If this season was not clear about how dark this story could get, Season 3 will be the one to show it. What’s even better is that we may not have to wait that long. Mere weeks after the release of Season 2, Jackson announced that Season 3 is ready to be released, a tight season with only four episodes rather than six, with no increase in episode length. Myers has also joined the team of executive producers. What awaits us in this concluding season? It will take a sleuth worthy of Pip herself to solve that mystery.
With Holly Jackson joining the writing team, Season 2 for A Good Girl's Guide to Murder delivers a darker, more accurate book adaptation which was far more appreciated by viewers compared to the season before. Lead actress Emma Myers captures Pip's complexity and deteroiating mental state as she sets out to find Connor's older brother Jamie. Courtesy of Netflix
Life 4
observer.case.edu
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’: a complete story Kiera Ng
Director of Design Three years after “GUTS,” Olivia Rodrigo has given us yet another sneak peek into the complicated world of being in love. Her third album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” brings listeners through the motions of a relationship. This album tells a complete story, from being utterly enchanted during the early honeymoon phase to the gut wrenching heartbreak and self realization that comes after a breakup. Starting with “drop dead,” listeners walk through the giddy feeling of meeting someone you have an instant connection with. Rodrigo’s next four tracks, “stupid song,” “honeybee,” “maggots for brains” and “u + me = <3,” give listeners insight into the rose-colored life of being in love. With a mix of slow, sweet piano ballads and upbeat jangle pop songs, these four tracks describe the vulnerability and excitement of a blossoming relationship. Her next two tracks, “my way” and “purple,” show the cracks in a relationship starting to appear. In “my way” Rodrigo describes the need to prove her relationship’s stability to another girl, claiming in the song’s bridge, “that’s it, I win!” Beginning as a sweet love song, “purple” describes the descent into codependency. By the end of the song, she cannot tell the difference between her blue self and red partner- together they are a confusing blend of purple. At the
Courtesy of Kim Erlandsen via Flickr same time, the song hints at the start of a toxic relationship, where the couple begins to fight over who they hang out with and let go of their dreams to remain with each other. The song questions how attached is too attached in a relationship, through the lyrics of this alleged love song. The theme of “purple” alone showcases Rodrigo’s maturity as a songwriter and individual. The next four tracks of the album, “the cure,” “begged,” “what’s wrong with me” and “less,” bring listeners
through a reflection at the end of a relationship. The realizations that the relationship can no longer save her in “the cure” and that love will never feel enough if you have to constantly ask for it in “begged” give listeners insight into the sinking feeling of a relationship on the verge of ending. “what’s wrong with me” and “less” bring listeners through the aching confirmation that ending the relationship is the right thing to do. Rodrigo’s collaboration with Robert Smith, lead singer of the English band “The
Cure,” on “what’s wrong with me” adds an interesting twist because of their vastly contrasting vocals. The duality of their voices brings emotion and rawness to the track that otherwise wouldn’t have been portrayed as well. The last two tracks of the album, “expectations” and “cigarette smoke,” serve as the resolution of the overall narrative. “expectations” shows the learning process after the heartbreak and how her standards have changed. “cigarette smoke” is the final reflection of the relationship and the regret felt after it ended. Rodrigo’s “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” begins with a girl in love and ends with the realization that not all love is the right love for her. This story showcases Rodrigo’s growth as a storyteller. Her lyrics incorporate the many layers of love, with anxiety, joy and fear all folded in. “SOUR” and “GUTS” did bring to life this raw teenage angst that created chart-topping songs, but they failed to appeal to older audiences. Both of these albums had strong themes of young adult self discovery and being hurt by relationships, but “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” highlights the happy sides to being in love as well as the pain that comes with its demise. Rather than leaving listeners on a hateful note, her new album leaves them with a feeling of serenity. So, it doesn’t matter if you want to scream or cry because you’re in love (or not). Olivia Rodrigo’s newest album will bring you through all the motions in just 51 minutes.
Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ strays the course from Homer’s epic Smera Arkalgud
Contributing Writer Spoilers ahead for “The Odyssey.” At the Regal Movie Theater at the Irvine Spectrum where my best friend snapped a photo of my wildly confused face as Odysseus and his men went to face the Lastrygonians in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” (2026). I couldn’t help squinting my eyes as if to clarify the perfectly crystal clear scene playing out right in front of me. My vision was perfectly fine. My ability to identify a Lastrygonian was not. I am all for a Greek mythology retelling. Why, I religiously consume Jorge Rivera-Herrans’s
“EPIC: The Musical,” making it into his top 0.04% listeners on my Spotify Wrapped and have read every “Percy Jackson” and “Heroes of Olympus” novel. I have voiced my critiques on the extremely lackluster retelling of the “The Iliad,” otherwise known as “The Song of Achilles,” by Madeline Miller—although I do admit “Circe” was quite an interesting read. “The Odyssey,” Homer’s epic, is a story which has been close to me ever since I can remember. To me, it was never just a story of a Greek hero fighting monsters, braving the unknown and reuniting with his love after twenty long years. In fact, when reading Emily Wilson’s wonderful translation of “The Odyssey” (2017)—which I have read at least twice in this lifetime—I found that
Courtesy of Universal Pictures
it is an incredibly dark, twisted tale, a story of tragedy, manipulation, ruthlessness and a repertoire of many more depressing synonyms. At the same time, the beauty of this epic is the battle between all forms of love, loyalty and perseverance. In adapting a seemingly infinite poem with many themes, Nolan did one thing correctly: He decided to highlight one. To our misfortune as the consumer, the consequence was to repeatedly hear about Zeus’ law at least once every twenty minutes. The preferred Greek term for this is “Xenia,” which I personally feel was wrongly re-written into the modern day golden rule we are introduced to in our elementary school classrooms. I believe it is more accurate to focus on the guest-host relationship—upholding certain moral, ethical and religious obligations to one another. Watering it down to simply treating others how you want to be treated does not do this Ancient Greek concept justice, and it opposes the very nature of most moments it’s used in the film. While my critiques of this film are endless, I do think the manner in which Nolan represented the deities of this poem was agreeable— to a certain extent. In terms of Zeus and Posiedon, representing them through nature’s consequences rather than portraying—for lack of a better phrase—some guy, made the heroes’ struggles seem much more divine and cruel. However, my qualms begin with the portrayal of Athena. This goddess of war, or rather a “Warrior of the Mind” (“EPIC” fans, I summon you all) was stripped down to a fig-
ment of a man’s guilt. One of the three principal virgin goddesses was nothing more than a hallucination of a past war, a past life, a past regret. This contrasts with her portrayal in Wilson’s translation as a mentor, a friend, someone who recognizes herself as a mere human. She’s prideful, mischievous, perhaps even shifty. To be honest, I was more upset that Zendaya was not given a larger role as Athena. Even with the varied representation of the gods, the Cyclops scene was almost done perfectly. I appreciated the thought put into the design of this beast without the usage of CGI, from the use of animatronics and puppetry to the use of a real medical condition, cyclopia, in the making of the design. In that scene, I truly felt like I was inside that cave as one of Odysseus’s unsuspecting men, with a significantly low chance of surviving another day. With all of this, I fear I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the various issues I have with the film. In all honesty, I admit the cinematography was outstanding, the acting was brilliant and the flow of the story was incredible. But as someone who has these myths and legends tattooed into her memory, the disappointment of this overly hyped release had me, well, floored. This odyssey wasn’t a journey I wholeheartedly enjoyed. Then again, I suppose Odysseus didn’t enjoy it much either. Yet, this movie didn’t transport me to the rocky shores of Ithaca, nor was I touched by the twenty-year-long journey a man took to reunite with his fam-
Fun
The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, August 28, 2026 observer.case.edu Volume LVIII, Issue 2
How to use 50 meal swipes in a week Anonymous
Hungry Observer
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Utilize Spartie Mart/FujiSan and BRB Cafe. Not only can you choose to get small portions, but you can use up to four swipes a day and 15 swipes a week at these locations combined. (PLUS free containers!)
Unlimited meal swipes are never unlimited if you put your mind to it. A lesser known fact about the Universal Meal Plan is that it is not truly universal—you are limited to 50 meal swipes per week. The only logical thing to do is use as many swipes as possible to truly capitalize on that meal plan. Here are Anonymous Hungry Observer’s top tips on how to use 50 meal swipes in one week.
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Kelvin Smith Library BagIt and Cafe on the Quad are great sources of extra snacks that you don’t need to eat immediately. Use them twice a day, every day, until you hit the max of 14 swipes a week.
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The dining halls are your best friend. Even better than your bestie from kindergarten. You can keep going back with no daily or weekly limit, and the variety changes often enough that your palate won’t get too tired.
4
Abuse your fridge. Fun fact: the fridges in the first-year dorm rooms are bigger than those in Noyes or Fayette. At the start of the semester, they will be empty, but after a week of swiping, the door might barely be able to close.
Make sure your friends are hungry. Even following the first four tips, using all 50 swipes is still a horribly daunting task alone. If you ask me, a sign of true friendship is when your friends will sit with you for every 10-minute meal swipe cooldown, multiple times a day. I can guarantee you that using all 50 swipes in a week is indeed possible, I’ve done it before. The key is to tell everyone you’re going to do it, the peer pressure will get you through the week. Above all else, have faith in yourself, your stomach and your stopwatch. I believe in you.
Jana Ashour/The Observer
How locked-in are you? Smarty McPants Contributing Writer It’s the second week of school, and there’s no better time to figure out the fate of your entire semester. Feeling intimidated? Not sure what to base these important grade predictions on? Never fear, The Observer is here to help you divine the next 15 weeks of your future at CWRU. Just answer these easy dining queries and experience the satisfaction of academic assurance.
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What type of food consumption method do you partake in? (a) Dining hall food! (b) Tinkham Veale University Center food (c) Other How do you primarily order your food? (a) Mobile order (b) In-person (c) I don’t trust others to make my food. What kind of beans do you get at Chipotle? (a) Black beans (b) Pinto beans (c) I don’t get beans/don’t go to Chipotle. What’s your favorite Euclid dessert spot that accepts CashCash? (a) Insomnia Cookies (b) Mitchell’s (c) Chat Tea How many times a week do you eat Choolaah? (a) 2 times (b) 4 times (c) 7 times Which meal swipe change affected you the most? (a) The Den lockers (b) Knight Bytes returning to full mobile orders. (c) Loss of the Dunkin Donuts grab-and-go.
Results: Tally the amount of each letter that you answered, and your semester prediction will be told below. Mostly A’s: You’re locked in (for now). Don’t worry, just keep swimming and everything will be fine. But watch your back, because a sudden slip-up could cause your whole semester to come crashing down. Mostly B’s: I can’t lie, you’re in a teetery-tottery grey area here. Keep working hard (and making the correct food choices), and things could look way up. On the flip side, make the wrong choices, and things are going straight down. Mostly C’s: If locked in was a closed door, you are outside that door, and the door is the only thing that is locked. Keep studying and maybe next semester will be yours to lock.
Overheard CWRU
Compilation of out-of-pocket things heard across campus
“It's the frickin bird. It’s the frickin bird.” “We do publish yuri more than the average magazine.” “I'm a cat, I’m gay and I'm autistic.” “They're eating the spoons, they're eating the forks” “You can crack anybody” “If I have a stroke, tell my parents six-seven.”
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Opinion
The Case Western Reserve Observer Friday, August 28, 2026 observer.case.edu Volume LVIII, Issue 2
EDITORIAL
It is important to engage with art Editorial Board
Every summer has something that defines it. For some, it might be the summer before moving into college or starting a new job. Although summers are often defined by personal moments, they can also be remembered through the art that was popular at the time. Take “Brat Summer,” for example, which is the affectionate nickname for the summer of 2024. “Brat Summer” is a term stemming from British singer and songwriter Charli XCX’s hit electric pop album, “Brat.” Everything about the album, from its lime green background all the way to the messy party girl lifestyle it evoked, set the tone for that summer. This summer, though not as dominated by one singular art piece, still saw many releases. From various music albums such as Olivia Rodrigo’s “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” to movies like “The Odyssey” (2026), there is no doubt that there was more than enough media to go around. Even against a political backdrop of increasing criticism contrary to the arts and the humanities, many successful artists were still able to shine through. It can be observed that for most people, consuming art is more commonplace than creating art. It is much more common to see someone listening to music on Spotify or watching a TV show rather than playing an instrument or making origami. Perhaps this is because consuming art is perceived to be more passive, and creating art to be more active. And creating art may seem daunting for many because of social pressure and perfectionism. This results in many people stopping themselves before they even begin, letting social and internal pressures get the best of them. However, there is nothing inaccessible about art—consider all of the four-year-olds who do not hesitate before
grabbing a red crayon and drawing on their bedroom walls. In other words, the only obstacle to creation is the pressure to succeed. Case Western Reserve University is of course, as we have heard time and time again, a heavily STEMfocused college. It is no secret that most CWRU students are majoring in the STEM field. In the midst of the grueling journey toward graduation, we often forget about the other avenues we can explore, namely, the humanities. Whether it be an introduction to poetry, dance or creative writing course, there is much to learn, even if it doesn’t contribute to your major. Because, no matter the specificity or rigor of the courses taken in college, the end goal is as much the content within each course as it is the lessons on how to think, learn and engage in discourse. Five years from now, you probably aren’t going to remember all of the chemistry formulas from your first-year introductory class. But, for example, you may continue to critically read and analyze text as learned from an English course. Except, in the future, it won’t be a passage from an archaic reading, but perhaps a memo that has arrived on your desk, or the manuscript of a research paper. Of course, the value of humanities stands strong on its own, even apart from its relation to a career track or from within the STEM field. In the field of science, it seems we are interested in things that did not come from us: plants, atoms, rocks and gravity, to name a few. In the humanities, we can explore what has come out of us: literature, music or dance. Especially with the majority of CWRU students pursuing pre-health, it should be emphasized that the exercise of peering into a human figuratively is as important as peering into a human literally. Engagement with the humani-
Anna Trusova/The Observer
ties doesn’t just end at the university courses. CWRU resides in a cultural cornerstone, priding University Circle as the nation’s most culturally dense square mile. Take a free guided tour at the Cleveland Museum of Art and then go drawing at the Wade Lagoon. Write poetry just because and don’t worry about how it sounds. Join The Observer, which is full of art, from the weekly articles to the eye-catching front covers. Look into CWRU’s theater MFA program, which, according to the Hollywood Reporter, consistently ranks within the top 25 in the world, and go watch a show at the Cleveland Playhouse. Even our long-used academic buildings such as the Kelvin Smith Library
or Millis Schmidt hold interesting architectural facets when you take the time to notice. For example, take a second to observe the glass ceiling that spans across Hovorka Atrium the next time you’re passing by. Active engagement with any type of humanities is worth the investment and should not be viewed as a distraction or even detraction from your current path. As students, it is very easy to use your academic pursuits as an excuse to not try anything new. However, as everyday consumers of great art, we should also be willing to try our own hand at it.
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Penelope Cloonan Executive Editor & Publisher PRINT Aleksandra Majewski Director of Print Ellie Palaian Director of Print Maria Burrus News Editor Alyssa Wang News Editor Riya Kulkarni Life Editor Lily Zhang Opinion Editor Abhishek Nambiar Sports Editor Abby Shazivari Copy Editor We’ve all been there, trying to Kashvi Madhwani Copy Editor study or finish that last assignWen ment when all we want toOlivia do is … Copy Editor Oviya Gowder anything else. Maybe we’re over- Copy Editor whelmed with the work we have to do, or maybe we feel the pressures DESIGN of perfectionism and don’t want to Kiera Ng Director of Design start. We push ourselves to “lock Jana Ashour Director of Design in,” but call it quits too often, feelHelen Cai Layout Designer ing guilty each time we pick up our Ghosh phones to doomscroll Aditi again andLayout Designer again. Doing anything but theKolhe workLayout Designer Reva we have piled up alwaysTalia seems to Jun Graphic Designer feel better than actually getting Kristina Guo things done, but the sinking feel-Graphic Designer Anna Trusova ing in our stomach knowing we’veGraphic Designer wasted time is much worse. Can we really consider these pausesDIGITAL to be MEDIA “breaks” if we feel worse after tak-Director of Digital Media Moses Fleischman ing them? Matthew Stall Video Editor We may trap ourselves in a cycle Aditi Darodkar Video Editor Assitant of counterproductivity and double Obafami Tidjani Web Editor the time it takes to complete a task. Kornberg In this “popcorn brain” Phillip mindset, we Photo Editor work and get little done, then Komanduri stop Neelanjana Photo Editor working and thinkRebekha about how Reppwe Social Media Manager could be working. By the time we Bagora Social Media Editor resume our work, we Esha feel ashamed, Social Media Editor not refreshed, and we Ben stayKang up late in attempts to catch up. A break is not shameful, BUSINESS not when it has the potential act as aof Business Operations Anya LintoDirector tool that makes productivity Riya Dixit Admuch and Partnership Manager more efficient. We just need to Divya Kurma Accounts Manager know how to use them. Just as an athlete wouldn’t do The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case 150 Western consecutive bicep curls while Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer reports strength trainingstudents at the gym, as news affecting and provides an editorial forum for the university students we must take meaningcommunity. Unsigned editorials are typically written by the opinion editor but reflect the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. Opinion columns are the views of their writers and not necessarily of The Observer staff. For advertising information, contact via e-mail at observer@case.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be e-mailed to observer@case.edu or submitted on our website at observer.case.edu. Letters can be mailed to Thwing Center 11111 Euclid Avenue, Suite 01, Cleveland, Ohio 44106. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter. The Observer is a proud member of CWRU’s University Media Board. Follow The Observer on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @cwruobserver.