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Dilbert! Fox Trot! IT uP. see page 7 see page 7 THE CALIFORNIA TECH -VOLUME XCVllI, NUMBER 24 PASADENA , CALIFORNIA FRIDAY,ApRIL 18, 1997 ARC report from the Student-Faculty Conference Dissention was rampant at the Stu whether an accuser in a BOC trial that the curriculum should support the sented, the committees and the ARC dent-Faculty Conference Tuesday April should be informed of the outcome of breath as well as depth of their inter will pare them down further. We will IS'" sponsored by the Academics and the case. This was intended to facili ests, compose a set of proposals listi ng spe Research Committee. ARC identified tate trust that the system does in fact Both the panelists and the audience cific areas that need improvement and !he issues that undergraduates, gradu act to correct injustice, but some speak had a multitude of ideas they felt were a recommended course of action for lies, and faculty felt most needed to be ers felt that this violated the subject's important and worthy of discussion. each, The plan is to present these ideas addressed, Three committees pre People wanted to debate even after the to the appropriate administrative divi sented ideas covering the topics of the allotted time had expired, After the sion and generate changes based on the Purpose of an Undergraduate Educa .. students brought up conference ended, both faculty and input derived from the student body. tion at Cal tech, Student Life, and the the contrast between students expressed their admiration of The ARC feels that it is important Honor System. the Cal tech audience's ability to de to hold forums that allow students and The topics addressed included administrative policy fine and defend the views it held. faculty to express issues of importance, changing the advising system, restor toward pranking and The audience consisted of approxi but that it is of even higher priority that iDg trust in the Honor System to both the statement of mately 100 people per session, and these ideas be acted upon to improve fjc ulty and the students, the role of contained undergraduates, graduates, the quality of life at Caltech. It is an pdes in the search for a graduate! support of the faculty, and some staff, The modera ongoing process that has only begun, I IRedi cal school, the role of security pranking tradition tors did an excellent job of channel thank all of you who participated in the and the administration during expressed by Vice ing the discussion while allowing au Student-Faculty Conference and helped pran king, and a wide range of associ dience members with insightful points it achieve its objectives, The articles de lied topics. The discussion became President for Student to present their ideas. The ideas gen scribing the proposals of individual IIIher intense at times, and there were Affairs Gary Lorden. erated by the conference will now be committees will be upcoming in fol always contrasting views to spark de considered by each committee. The lowing weeks. Please continue to be a bate. committees will continue to meet in part of instituting change, by speaking There were several hotly debated right to privacy, A third issue was edu order to redefine their proposals in light to your house ARC rep about issues you lOpi cs. Some students brought up the cational standards at Caltech. Part of of this new information. They will feel are important and expressing what contrast between administrative policy the audience felt that the education cur present these ideas to the Cal tech com you feel are necessary changes to the IOward pranking and the statement of riculum was being watered down as stu munity through Tech articles in the up Cal tech system. IUpport of the pranking tradition ex dents with a broader range of interests coming weeks. Currently, they are read ift!ssed by Vice President for Student were admitted. Others felt that students ing through the surveys handed out dur rM/t' ~.-,-,--~- Affairs Gary Lorden, who spoke at the with broader interests would have bet ing the conference. conference. Students also discussed ter opportunities in the job market;-and Once these ideas have been pre- New core a mixed blessing BY RON DOLLETE The addition of Bi I, on the They're heeeeeeeeeeeeeere! other hand, forced Chemistry I b Cal tech 's new core curriculum and Ictobecombinedintojustone BY KANWAR KAHLON has sparked many debates about tenn of class time, while covering undergraduate education at the same material. This move The pre-frosh are here! Cal tech. While many feel that the proved to be fatal to many students, Yes, its that time of year new core wi}) move students to who felt lost at the rapid pace at when prospective Techers wards a wider base of sciences, which fundamental subjects like get their first look at the others suggest that its lack of fo thennodynamics were taught. school. Don't be surprised, cus and increased expectations ac Another change to the Core or alarmed, if you see a tually hurt the freshman. curriculum was the rearrangement Arguably, the most notable of topics covered in math. Prob horde of happy, smiling change to the core curriculum is the ability, traditionally taken third people making their way replacement of Chemistry Ic with tenn of one's sophomore year, is about campus (no, third term Biology I. Proponents of this now being taught first term to is not almost over) with cu change argue that biology is be freshmen. Only this year will rious looks and a mouthful coming increasingly important in freshmen take probability before of questions. contemporary science and some the sophomores. Most of the pre-frosh ar effort should be taken to expose For more information about rived yesterday, and will be students to a field that could have the changes to the math core, participating a variety of ac a major effect on all walks of sci please see the related article on tivities throughout the ence. page 11. -eds course of the weekend (a master schedule of events is IN THIS ISSUE on page 6) . Activities in clude campus tours, house Abandon hope, all ye who enter here. receptions, a Club Faire, a THE USUAL THIS WEEK'S taste of the performing arts firmed one, "All of the people schools, "It's a lot friendlier, STUFF FEATURES at Cal tech, a ska concert, and have been pretty friendly and the and more personal than the the annual AS CIT pre-frosh campus is beautiful. I'm look other schools I've visited." Announcements ... .............. ....... 12 ASCIT Secretary Statements ... .. 9 party. ing forward to sitting in on So don't miss out on the slew ASCIT Minutes ......... .... ,..... ,...... 9 Earth Day., ..... ,.. " ...................... 3 Optimism and good-humor classes." Another pre-frosh on of activities on campus within Dean's Comer.,." ...................... .5 Fox Trol..,.,"", ... ....................... 7 have not been amiss how he rates his budding im the next few days. Here's to DILBERT®, .......... ,.. ,........ ,... ,..... 7 Math Core Curriculum ............ I I amongst the pre-frosh; af- pression of Caltech with other the class of 200 I ! Now Hear This ............ .. .... ....... .4 Prefrosh Schedule ..................... 6 The Outside World ...................... 3 Sports ...... ,..... .. ......................... IO 2 April 18,1997 OPINIONS T HE CALIFORNIA TEC&... ways. Give me a break. Standi ng LETTERS TO THE EDITOR up for ridiculous posi tions doesn't make them any lessri. Consider per. A speech by Lasorda diculous. However, it does promises to be enthusiastic, en give them support. Some Lasordafor next tertaining, encouraging, and people define their lives by year's perhaps even inspiring. defiance of others, and among Whether or not you think we them are heroes and crackpots. Commencement should have him speak, the There is a dividing line. It speaker idea at least deserves consid eration. is an obvious one. It is not cuI. turally dependent, just use Dear Editor, MATI TISCARENO Even though it may sound UNDERGRADUATE some common sense ... oth. crazy at first, the idea of hav erwise, you might as well ask ing fonner Dodgers manager Please send submissions this lady about her thoughts on Tommy Lasorda speak at com for letters to the editor to BY AUSTIN COLLINS the dangers of vaccination." the origin of the universe, too. Oprah Winfrey featilTed Her knowledge of infectious mencement is not a bad one. The California Tech This week's topic came as Tommy is loved by baseball Caltech 40-58 the woman on her show one diseases compared to the fans the world over for his en Pasadena, CA 91125 a bit of a surprise to me, as one day, and the audience cheered CDC's is roughly equivalent thusiastic personality, and has of the more distinct American loudly when this woman to her knowledge of cosmol. or by electronic mail to been called "baseball's ambas folklore characteristics fell yelled at people to be sure not ogy compared to Caltech's. sador." He also has a reputa [email protected]/tech.edu. under the knife. Well, it won't "to let the government decide The only difference is that tion as a great motivator, en Deadline for submissions is be the first idea that has both what is best for your child!" your child's chances of livi ng couraging others to achieve be Monday at 5 p.m. on the uses and abuses, so this week's As long as there are moth- past twelve don't decrease if yond their abilities. The best week of publication. topic is: The Underdog. you're wrong about the ex. example of this is the 1988 More and more recently, istence of dark matter.