The Observer, September 19, 2008
Volume XLI, Issue 4
Case Western an ideal campus for students
To the Editor:
I am writing in response to Alex Cooke's "Complaining about Case without action won't change anything" (Sept. 12). I agree with the premise of Cooke's argument: that Case is what you make of it and complaining about its shortcomings isn't going to better your experience here. I'll take it a step further.
Cooke conceded, "Case's social scene isn't stellar, but fully functional." I disagree. I think the social scene at Case is stellar. Beside the overwhelming number of student organizations on campus that service a wide range of interests, there are so many things to get into both on campus and in the surrounding area, but students either don't take advantage of them or take them for granted.
Examples? There are 4000 students here, but you'd be hard pressed to find 400 of them at a Case soccer or football game. Wednesdays at The Spot – dollar beers and live music? That's just sweet. The bar scene for those that are 21 and over is great. Coventry Road, just a Greenie ride away, has six or seven bars and whether you want to go watch a game (Winking Lizard), sing karaoke (Thursdays at B-Side), or dance the night away, one of those places will hit the spot. In fact, when I took my dad to Coventry for dinner a couple weeks ago, he said, "Man, I wish I had had a place like this near my college campus."
Don't forget The Euclid Tavern and Mi Pueblo – just a hop, skip, and a jump from The Village. Tired of those places? Downtown Cleveland is a 20-minute train ride away. Under 21? Go catch an indie flick at the Cedar Lee Theater, visit the Cleveland Heights Recreation Center for public ice skating, jump on the Rapid and catch an Indians game on college ID night, grab some friends and get milkshakes at the diner, or take a walk down to Little Italy and have a bite, but for God's sake, don't complain that there isn't anything to do because that's just not true.
Perhaps Cooke put it best when he said, "you can create your own experience here, rather than waiting for that experience to be handed to you." I will see Cooke and raise him one: I can't think of many places where I would rather create my own unique college experience.
Mark Wrobleski
Undergraduate student
