;~''. :~i 1~j ~M.- rcJ~S ~!\ \\ steJ1D\f\ t:q1 A""- \\. 5'$ Nt /0 -(- 7: \ , • 5petta.i I Pi,1o",,,\ £tAi+,o~ ~OLUME LXXXIX NUMBER 2 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER 19871 What a Wake-Up by Steve Bard The earthquake's epicenter was at Montebello, nine miles away. " I was lying in my bed, half- There were two deaths in the area asleep, dreaming of a place far directly related to the quake. One awav from the first week of class­ girl was killed at Cal State LA es at Caltech. All was idyllic and when a beam from a parking peaceful. B&G was giving it a miss garage fell on her, and aman was this morning, and unnamed people killed north ofPasadena in the col­ had stopped bashing about the lapse of a ten-meter deep utility house in a drunken stupor, playing shaft he was servicing. frisbee golf. The damage around Caltech You all know what happened was unexciting, but should give next, unless you're blind, deaf, on Physical Plant something to do in some very heavy sedatives, or have the wee hours for the next few never been to California before and days. There were several gas leaks don't know what it was. The bed around campus, causing barriers to shook. It swayed a foot out of line be set up in Mudd and Spalding to' as if different parts of the floor be closed. Numerous cracks in the couldn't agree on what level they plaster of many buildings are now liked, and were willing to fight to visible, and a few buildings tried get their way. A rumbling growled to move away from each other. through the air. It felt like some Snake alley in Ricketts pulled playful giant had stubbed his toe on on Fleming and Fleming stayed the house and was busy punishing put, leaving large cracks in the out­ the structure for this wrong by er coatings of the structures. Kel­ slapping it around a bit. logg did the same trick with Sloan, Thus firmly prevented from fur­ buckling the tiling and running a ther sweet musings, I groaned, crack through the building from rolled over, and punched the ground floor to third story and doze button on my alarm clock. underground too. Said one woman The shaking promptly stopped. in passing, "We always said we Everhart, the new president of Caltech thumbs through his agenda one tute. Dr. Everhart comes from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. --.L.- =-==::"I.. ~ wanted the buildings to be separate, -..,--- ~. ~~ I blinked in surprise. but this was not what we had in 'That's a damn powerful alarm.' mind." There is a wide vertical strip on " Bridge facing Millikan where Caltech Welcomes Real Prez •••• •• • • plaster fell off of the wall, as well as other cracks not so impressive. An earthquake ofRichter mag­ Inside West Bridge on the third Thomas Everhart Says Hello nitude 6. 1 hit Caltech Thursday floor stairwell is a massive bulge hopes to do is to be able to utilize morning at 7:42. About twenty in the wall. In many laboratories by David Bruning his previous experience in consult­ by Jeff Tekanic more noticeable tremors also glassware crashed to the floor and Dr. Thomas Everhart arrived ing with others to help the institute Hi kids! On behalf ofeveryone occurred throughout the day. Some chemicals engaged in illicit and on September 1st to take over as go through any changes that may on the ASCIT Board of Directors minor structural damage .was reprehensible mixing. As a result, Caltech President. As a roving occur during his stay here. I welcome you back for another sustained around campus, but there most laboratory classes were reporter for the Tech, I was privi':. When asked for his three fun-filled year in sunny California. were no injuries at Caltech. canceled. leged to be one ofthe first students highest priority goals, Dr. Everhart I would also like to let you all This quake ended an eleven­ In Millikan, the building to talk with the Dr. Everhart. explained his basic philosophy know that the BOD is presently month span without a single shak­ swayed with the shock, knocking The first question I asked was toward change and the president's looking for a few good men (or ing above 4 in Southern California. books off the shelves into the why he decided to leave the Chan­ role in that change. The president women, ofcourse). Actually, a few Each number on the Richter scale aisles, a foot deep in places. This cellorship at the University of Il­ is here to help the institute under­ is an understatement as there are is a factor of ten in power over the raised the business opportunity, at linois Champaign-Urbana after stand and define its goals. He be­ currently nine (count them, nine) last, so that the quake that ruined five dollars an hour, of putting the only two years. He said that lieves that during the next 5-10 positions available in this political Throop Hall in 1971 was about library back in order. Millikan is although this was a difficult deci­ years, the institute should be even machine we caU ASCIT. three times as powerful, at 6.5. continued on page 6 sion, Caltech is at the peak of the better in terms ofthe quality ofthe Due to attrition, miscommuni­ quality scale among universities. students, faculty, and facilities. cation, graduation and a few other He also mentioned the fact that this The president is responsible for s?~did reasons, the following po­ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ job does not become free very facilitating this improvement by SItIons need to be filled in the next often, so he better take while the helping people work together. couple of weeks: (1) Office ofthe opportunity was there. Another When asked for more concrete Director for Social Activities; (2) factor that was mentioned many goals, he came up with 2 ideas. Office ofthe Editor of The Califor­ JTech Meeting In i times during the interview, was the The first is that Caltech needs to nia Tech; (3) Senior Class Presi­ ~ ~ quality ofthe students, faculty, and continue to identifY new ideas and dent; (4) Senior Class the Board ofTrustees, all ofwhom technologies and then to pursue Secretary/Treasurer; (5) Junior Today~ are committed to excellence. them. The second, is the desire to Class President; (6) Junior Class iBaxter Hall My next question addressed his make people's perception of Secretary/Treasurer; (7) California . ~ views on the differences created by Caltech and the students here Tech Business Manager; and (8) ~ The staff ofthe California Tech will meet this after- ~ having an administrator versus a match more closely the reality of Two Co-chairmen for the Student­ ~ ~ phy~icist as president. Although he the situation. Faculty Conference. noon in Room 127 of Baxter Lecture hall at 12: 15PM. felt It was too early to know exact­ While the former goal is mere­ To give an idea of which posi­ ~ All undergradu~tes who are interested in writing, news~ ly what differences there would be. ly the continuation of the life-long tion you would like to hold, here ~ photography, or even editing are invited to attend. ~ he said that Caltech has done just policy of the Institute, the latter is a short job description of each fine without him, and he didn't see goal should be attained through a office. ~~~~~~~&'&'&'&'A'A'A'A'A'A'A'A'A'A'~ any immediate consequences ofthe blitz of information from the Office (1) The Director for Social Activi­ ,.~ •• ,..••••6•••••••• change in presidency. What he of Public Relations. continued on page 5 2THE CALIFORNIA TECH FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER 1987 And You Thought You'd Seen I LETTERjt------'1 bers, and certain student activities. Most of the House sections either T~~enoJ~~st ~f~,ha!~e~fue~~t;t:o::~oWietW:h~~ The Big T were not finished or were not sub­ mitted. We would like to thank the Yes, as you can see, the realizations, for example in my straight or what to tell Newstype To the Editors: clubs, House editors, and institute California Tech is still in business case, that I have grades to worry when it's midnight and you're still In late July of this year, John personnel who helped us acquire and we hope it will stay that way. about for the first time. Ken has looking at blank pages on the light- Haba, the former editor ofthe 1987 photos of the past year's events; a So despite any rumors you may ,decided that this is not quite. what board. We ~trongly suggest you ac- issue of the Big T, left his post long list oftheir names will be im­ have heard, here it is, straight from he had in mind when he let MIchael cept this bIt of proffered help. without having made significant mortalized in the credits ofthe Big the horse's mouth, so to speak. talk him into doing this (as well as Another thing to note is that the progress toward that publication's T. We would also like to thank Joe First, we had some minor being the first editor in recent next editors will only have to com- production. ASCIT appointed Beckenbach, Amy Carpenter, and problems with moving from our memory likely to graduate in a plete our term 9f office which ex- Amanda Heaton and myself as co­ Mark Huie for helping us design, old offices in Winnett to this mere four years). I think Michael pires in February.