Researchers study neuron SDC A team defends title, Matt and Kim present new response to morphine • A5 wins Buggy • A12 tunes at concert • B6 SCITECH SPORTS PILLBOX

thetartan.org @thetartan April 20, 2015 Volume 109, Issue 24 Carnegie Mellon’s student newspaper since 1906

Deborah Chu firmly. Junior Staffwriter Casalegno described this occasion as “momentous,” This year’s Midway Open- drawing parallels between ing Ceremony for Spring Car- the all-encompassing essence nival paid a bittersweet fare- of Spring Carnival and the in- well to its longstanding place terdisciplinary nature of the on the Morewood Gardens future Tepper Quadrangle. parking lot. It touched on the The Quadrangle is scheduled new Tepper Quadrangle that to be built on the Morewood would take its place, and re- gardens parking lot, making minded us of the philanthro- this occasion also a hand-off. py aspect of Carnival. True “[The Tepper Quadrangle] to Carnegie Mellon tradition, is a new chapter in our cam- the air echoed with the sound pus history that will bring to- of bagpipes as Carnival offi- gether the whole of our cam- cially kicked off. pus … where collaboration People huddled inside will reign,” Casalegno said. the large Alumni Association “It will be a place where inno- Tent on the Morewood Gar- vation will thrive.” dens parking lot while rain As for Midway’s new home drizzled outside. Dean of Stu- on the CFA lawn, Casalegno dent Affairs Gina Casalegno points out that it would be joked that despite last year’s closer to other Carnival ac- announcement that Midway tivities such as Sweepstakes, would not take place at the more commonly known as Morewood Gardens park- Buggy. It would also be locat- ing lot, 2015 would now be ed at a more central location the final year before Midway on campus, situated against moves to the College of Fine a backdrop of the College of Arts Lawn. Fine Arts building and mod- “Spring Carnival at Carn- ernistic Hunt Library, which egie Mellon will always have a home,” Casalegno stated See MIDWAY, A4

Graphic compiled by Anne Sophie Kim /Layout Manager ‘Fight for 15’ protestors call for higher wages Carnival changes to come in 2016

Brian Trimboli be on the CFA lawn, and the Editor-in-Chief rides will be on the CFA lawn and the Mall. The Carnival Last weekend’s Spring concert will also take place Carnival, the university’s on the Mall. 101st, was the last one to take Although its likely that the place on the Morewood park- rides will damage the lawn, ing lot. Next year, Carnival “One of the reasons we want will be spread across the Col- to use the CFA Lawn is its du- lege of Fine Arts (CFA) park- rability,” Leonard continued ing lot, the CFA lawn, and the by email. “We expect that Mall. there may be some damage The Morewood parking to the lawn, but all of that lot, currently the site of Mid- is completely unknown and way, will become unusable very weather dependent. We when construction for the plan to use plywood to back upcoming Tepper Quadran- onto the lawn and then use gle breaks ground. Although wood to disperse the weight construction was supposed of the rides so they don’t sink to begin in March, it has been into the ground. However, if pushed back, allowing Carni- this rains, it could get messy.” val to stay on the Morewood Rides will also be set up parking lot this year. close to the sidewalk, Leon- The university announced ard said, to keep as much plans for the Tepper Quad- pedestrian traffic as possible rangle in Nov. 2013 on the off of the grass. “If damage heels of a $67 million dona- does occur, we will most like- tion by alumnus David Tep- ly reseed the lawn, just like per, whose 2003 donation after Orientation. However, of $55 million made him because Commencement is the namesake of the Tep- so close to Carnival, we will per School of Business. Al- have to take extra care to though plans for the Tepper make sure the appearance Justin McGown /Contributing Editor Quadrangle have not been is appropriate for all of our Workers from the surrounding Pittsburgh community joined together with Pittsburgh college students on Wednesday to advocate for higher wages. finalized, the university has families and guests coming to Justin McGown adjunct professors, with the that focuses on producing and talking over the din to his selected an architecture firm campus that weekend,” Leon- Contributing Editor United Food and Commercial socially conscious hip-hop fellow demonstrators. Ellis — Moore Ruble Yudell Archi- ard said. Workers Union Local 23, and with an emphasis on Pitts- said he had been part of the tects & Planners — to design The CFA parking lot and Shortly after a closure for many more. In addition to the burgh’s black community. movement for about a year the expansion. lawn was only one of many the University of Pittsburgh’s and that he was there that The new space is also sup- spaces considered for Car- annual Bigelow Bash, Bigelow day because “It was time for a ported by about $200 million nival, Leonard said. The list Ave. was once again closed to “Pittsburgh is America’s most change.” of the university’s own mon- of potential locations also traffic last Wednesday. This “We want the same thing ey and several smaller alumni included Gesling Stadium, closure wasn’t for a student livable city, so why do we have to Martin Luther King did with donations. It will include a Morewood Avenue, Marga- event; instead a large crowd fight for a living wage?” what he did,” Ellis said. “[It’s] new building for the Tepper ret Morrison Street, Doherty filled the cordoned-off street not just about the 15 and it’s School of Business, a univer- Parking Lot, the East-West and rallied around a pickup not just the union. It’s about sity welcome center, a tech- walkway and Merson Court- truck. Speakers acted as a — Jasiri Oronde Smith, respect, dignity, and the right nology-enhanced learning yard, and the fourth floor makeshift stage. The demon- local activist and emcee to organize.” center for the Eberly Center, of the East Campus Garage. stration was just one of more Elizabeth Massey, who fitness and recreation spaces, Each of these sites, however, than 200 across the country works at a Wendy’s, said part and a 600-seat auditorium. has its disadvantages. The where fast food workers went unions, representatives of nu- “Pittsburgh is America’s of the reason for her presence There are plans to keep turf of Gesling Stadium, for on strike. Their demands were merous places of worship, po- most livable city,” Smith told was to send a reminder. “I’m some space for parking in example, would have to be wages increase to $15 an litical organizations, student the crowd during his set, “so here because if there were the Tepper Quadrangle, but covered, a process that is cost hour, and the formation of a groups, and even the Westing- why do we have to fight for a no me or them, there would since the plans are not final- prohibitive. Additionally, ve- union. The event was called house High School Marching living wage?” not be any easy lunches, no ized it’s unclear whether or hicles over 7 ft. tall cannot “Fight for 15.” Band attended. He also led the crowd in medicine pick up … I’m doing not Carnival Midway will fit drive into the East Campus Members of several local Among those giving several chants and songs, per- this for me and my son, who’s in the new space, according Garage, which would make unions showed solidarity with speeches from the back of forming his single “Don’t let six.” Massey stressed that to Coordinator of Student Ac- move on difficult. the fast food workers. Among the pickup was Jasiri Oronde them get away with murder.” the support the strikers have tivities and advisor to Spring Vice President of Campus the unions present were Smith, who performs as Jasiri Chris Ellis, an employee had has been incredibly wide Carnival Tim Leonard. Next Affairs Michael Murphy, with 32BJ SEIU security guards X. A local activist and emcee, at the McDonald’s on 3708 reaching, coming also from year, Leonard said via email, help from Carnegie Mellon’s and employees of the Univer- Smith was there with 1Hood, Forbes Ave., had a hoarse booths will be in the CFA sity of Pittsburgh, including a local media organization voice from shouting slogans See PROTEST, A4 parking lot, the main tent will See CHANGES, A3 A2 « thetartan.org/news The Tartan » April 20, 2015 feature photo news in brief Students ‘dunk-a-cop’ on midway Researchers question gender representation Three Carnegie Mellon a university news release. scientists — professors of “It is very important that the psychology Roberta Klatzky, new generation of women in Lori Holt, and Marlene Beh- cognitive science, and STEM rmann — recently questioned fields generally, recognizes gender representation in the that their contributions are February 2015 special issue critical.” of Cognition, “The Changing Carnegie Mellon’s own Face of Cognition.” Department of Psychology, Klatzsky, Holt, and Beh- housed in the Dietrich Col- rmann wrote an opinion piece lege for Humanities and So- in Cognition, stating that they cial Sciences, has 26 full-time were “struck by the fact that faculty members, 11 of whom among the 19 authors listed are women. for the 12 articles, only one “The fate of women in sci- female author was present.” ence continues to be prob- “As cognitive scientists, lematic and, although some we know that subtle, even progress has been made, unconscious, biases shape many challenges remain,” decision making. We hope Behrmann, co-director of the that by calling attention to CNBC, said in the news re- the gender disparity in in- lease. “These challenges go vited scientific contributions beyond authorship and jour- we can raise awareness and nals, and concerted efforts contribute to developing need to be mustered to ad- inclusive strategies,” Holt, dress this issue of dispropor- who is also a member of the tionate gender distribution in Center for the Neural Basis cognitive science and in sci- of Cognition (CNBC) said in ence more generally.” INI celebrates 25 years of network research

Students, alumni, and lease. “The INI is proud to visitors to Carnegie Mellon showcase the accomplish- saw The Fence painted dur- ments of its alumni, faculty ing Carnival in honor of the and students in celebration 25th anniversary of the In- of its 25th anniversary.” formation Networking Insti- The INI was the first pro- tute (INI). gram of its kind in informa- The INI offers gradu- tion networking through a ate degrees to students in partnership with Bellcore. information networking, During Carnival weekend, information security, and alumnus Hoorman Radfar mobility and software man- (CIT ’04) gave a keynote to agement. These degrees celebrate the anniversary. teach students skills at the “Throughout its 25-year intersection of technology, history, the INI has demon- economics, and secure net- strated relevance and agility works and systems. in effectively delivering mul- “Today, the INI has more tiple interdisciplinary pro- than 1,500 alumni who are grams through a variety of in cross-functional positions innovative delivery models,” and leadership roles around Tsamitis said in the release. the globe,” said Director of the INI Dena Haritos Tsami- Compiled by tis in a university news re- Brian Trimboli

Weather Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Matthew Nielsen/Staff Photographer 62° / 43° 57° / 37° 54° / 35° Students throw balls at a dunk tank for Carnegie Mellon’s Spring Carnival Event “Dunk-a-cop” on Midway this past weekend. Friday Saturday Sunday Statistically Speaking This week was Carnegie Mellon’s 101st Spring Carnival, and the last Carnival to take place on the Morewood Gar- dens parking lot. Construction for the upcoming Tepper 10 days 54° / 36° 58° / 36° 58° / 38° Quadrangle will break ground in the parking lot soon, and Source: www.weather.com Carnival Midway will move to the College of Fine Arts park- The amount of time between ing lot and lawn. Move On and Tear Down, when booths are put up and taken The theme of this year’s Carnival was Living Library, lead- down respectively Corrections & Clarifications ing to booths inspired by works of literature ranging from children’s books to classic tomes. If you would like to submit a correction or clarification, please email The Tartan at [email protected] or [email protected] with your inquiry, as well as the date of the issue and the name of the article. We will 8’x18’ 1914 18’x18’ print the correction or clarification in the next print issue and publish it online. The size of a blitz booth plot The first Carnival, then called The size of a full booth plot May Day

Compiled by Source: The Tartan, cmucarnival.com Brian Trimboli

International News in Brief Moscow, Russia São Paulo, Brazil Rome, Italy Brussels, Belguim Anbar, Iraq The Russian government has The largest city in Brazil an- 400 Libyan refugees drowned European Union antitrust regu- After losing the key city of Tikrit lifted a ban on arms supply to nounced that certain areas have off the coast of Italy on Tuesday. lators will take Google Inc. to court. last week in Iraq, Islamic State fight- Iran, providing the Middle Eastern imposed martial law on its citizens. Around 150 survivors were res- Second in highly publicized cases ers are pushing back in a counter country with anti-missile systems In an effort to fight dengue fever, cued. The refugees were fleeing against Google, the latest charges offensive, attacking the Iraqi city of on April 13. Additionally, Iran and which has broken out in the coun- the increasingly unstable state. Po- follow the controversial case re- Anbar. This follows an Islamic State Russia have agreed to barter over try, the government has soldiers litical unrest persists in Libya a little garding the “Right to be forgotten” offensive against critical oil refiner- $20 billion dollars worth of goods. going door-to-door on the streets over four years after Muammar in 2010. Google claims to not have ies in Baiji. Iraqi forces state “the sit- This news comes during rising ten- in an effort to educate the populace Gaddafi’s execution in Sirte. in any way violated European anti- uation in Anbar is critical,” and that sions in Iran’s Nuclear talks with about repelling mosquitoes. trust laws. the Islamic State will gain territory if western powers. proper reinforcements do not arrive. Source: The Wall Street Journal Sources: Business Insider and Source: Reuters Source: The Wall Street Journal Source: Reuters Pavvand.

Compiled by Brian Walsh April 20, 2015 « The Tartan thetartan.org/news » A3 Town hall participants discuss CMU’s international programs

Abhinav Gautam/Photo Editor The town hall evaluated Carnegie Mellon’s international strategy. In attendance were Jimmy Hsia, the vice provost for international programs and strategy, and Steve Kloehn, the vice president for marketing and communications.

Braden Kelner about the state of Carnegie Carnegie Mellon experience. Contributing Editor Mellon’s existing programs. He said that, at the main Tsamitis noted that currently campus, further integration As campus members come international programs op- of U.S. and international stu- closer to finalizing a strategic erate under a decentralized dents must occur. He noted plan for the university’s fu- model. In other words, in- that the university needs to ture, many gathered on Tues- dividual Carnegie Mellon identify international stu- day in the Posner Center for a colleges typically maintain dents’ needs and address them town hall meeting focused on international programs inde- with the appropriate resourc- one aspect of the plan: Carn- pendently of one another. es. egie Mellon’s international Best practices are also only Last, the town hall ad- strategy. passed on informally, and fac- dressed a need to provide in- A working group of 32 ulty standards differ among centives for student, faculty, people across Carnegie Mel- programs. For example, some staff, and alumni to spend time lon colleges, programs, and faculty are hired specifically at international locations. campuses have been working for the programs while others “As an institution, we’re to refine the main points of the spend time at the main cam- definitely turning a corner in international strategy through pus before becoming involved our relative view of thinking previous town halls and col- with international programs. more about what is our net laborations with students, fac- There is a broad range of pro- impact in the world, both as ulty, and staff. grams, most offering master’s an institution and in the ex- At the head of the interna- degrees, with varied sizes and plosion of our graduates and tional strategy working group ties to Carnegie Mellon’s Pitts- alumni out into the world,” is Vice Provost for Internation- burgh campus. said Vice President for Cam- al Programs and Strategy K. Tsamitis asked attending pus Affairs Michael Murphy Jimmy Hsia, who introduced members how Carnegie Mel- from the audience. the presenting members of the lon should measure the suc- Murphy asked those at- working group. cess and impact of interna- tending to ask themselves to

Hsia and Vice President for tional programs. Tsamatis also what end programs and con- Abhinav Gautam/Photo Editor Marketing and Communica- stressed how the university nections are being forged: Carnegie Mellon professors discussed the university’s global strategies and programs. tions Steve Kloehn together should plan for program sus- “What good in the world can enumerated the goals of the tainability, develop exit strate- we do that we’re not doing with other programs into a nities they will provide, and — Citizens of the World. town hall, which included gies, and measure opportunity now?” set of best practices and poli- whether they need to be rev- CMU’s strategic goal for in- voicing new issues and already costs. Assistant professor of cies for new opportunities, as enue positive from the start. ternational engagement is to identified ones, collecting Next, Manfred Paulini, a physics Shirley Ho presented well as how Carnegie Mellon Last, Associate Dean of provide world class research ideas about Carnegie Mellon’s professor of physics, spoke emerging international op- should select new program or the School of Computer Sci- and education in partner- strategic goals and interna- about bringing Carnegie Mel- portunities with Heinz College campus opportunities. ence Philip Lehman and Hsia ship with a global community tional presence, and gathering lon’s cultural values to other and Dietrich College for Hu- Ho and Mertz then present- closed regarding a draft mis- of various cultures, diverse ideas to meet those goals. campuses and programs, and manities and Social Sciences ed a number of potential prin- sion statement for Carnegie backgrounds, and countries, First, Director of the Col- vice versa. He asked the au- associate teaching professor ciples to guide new opportuni- Mellon’s international strat- without the borders of a cam- lege of Engineering’s Infor- dience what the essentials Joseph Mertz. ties, including what potential egy. They asked the audience pus, to achieve broad societal mation Networking Institute of Carnegie Mellon’s culture They asked how the univer- societal changes programs will for feedback on the statement: impact.” Dena Haritos Tsamitis spoke are, as well as what defines a sity can distill its experience have, what research opportu- “We are — and we educate Changes anticipated in wED Spring Carnival 2016 rules Carnegie Mellon APR CHANGES, from A1 meeting to garner student Carnival Committee can start opinions, and presented the doing more detailed analy- 22 other vice presidents, made proposed changes to Student sis to determine what other Philharmonic the final decision of Carnival’s Government. adjustments will need to be 8 pm location. The new location will not made to the structure of Mid- Andrés Cárdenes, Artistic Director The proposal for the new affect the rules for booth, way and the regulations of the Carnegie location, however, was the Leonard said. “The plan as of Booths and Midway. Music hall, work of many parts of the right now is that there will be “I think my favorite part university’s administration, no major changes,” Leonard about Booth and about Car- Oakland including the Office of Stu- noted in the email. “What will nival is the families walking dent Activities, the Division change drastically is the lay- through the Booths, and I of Student Affairs, Risk Man- out of Midway and how close think I’m worried that having agement, University Police, the booths are to each other. them on the CFA parking lot and Campus Design & Facility However, that all depends and lawn will deter families Management, among others. on who wants to build next from coming,” junior electri- Several student organizations year. If we were to pick up cal and computer engineer- also contributed to the pro- Midway 2015 and move it the ing major and Booth Chair of posal, including the Spring CFA Parking Lot, it would fit. Kappa Alpha Theta Rebecca Carnival Committee, AB Con- However, we couldn’t fit many Wolfinger said. “If families certs, AB Tech, Sweepstakes, more booths.” can still come, though, then and any organization that Now that the new location there’s no reason why CFA typically builds a booth. Leon- is finalized, Leonard said, Stu- lawn won’t still make for a suc- ard also hosted a town hall dent Activities and the Spring cessful Carnival experience.” Jennifer Aylmer soprano

with CMU ID

music.cmu.edu A4 « thetartan.org/news The Tartan » April 20, 2015 Kiltie band, Carnival committee welcome 101st Carnival

Matthew Nielsen/Staff Photographer The opening ceremony featured speeches from Spring Carnival Committee members senior communication design major and Head of Design and Marketing for Spring Carnival Sam Ahmed (bottom left), and senior chemical engeineering major and Booth Chair Hannelie Mostert (top right).

MIDWAY, from A1 cutting the ribbon to Mid- “As head of marketing, some- make decent shelter a matter money in its corresponding began to stream out of the tent way’s entrance. The Carnegie thing I’ve really been trying to of conscience and action,” ac- donation box. The second way to peruse the newly opened often lights up at night in Mellon Pipes and Drums pipe do this year is bringing Carni- cording to its website. The or- to donate would be through booths on Midway. colors. band played several songs. A val to a position where we can ganization builds and restores a crowdrise.com campaign, The finale of the ceremo- Toward the end of her couple members of the Spring give back to the community.” homes with the help of local which could be found either ny marked the beginning of speech, Casalegno said to the Carnival Committee then took Ahmed spoke about this volunteers, low-income fami- online at the Carnegie Mel- a long weekend filled with audience, “You all should be the stage to speak about the year’s philanthropy part- lies (for whom the homes are lon Spring Carnival Facebook campus-wide events involv- very proud of your efforts and philanthropy of Carnival. ner, Habitat for Humanity of being built), and donations. page or at www.crowdrise. ing both current students and in bringing to the Carnegie Senior communication de- Greater Pittsburgh, an orga- Ahmed pointed out two dif- com/cmucarnival. alumni, a weekend that would Mellon campus this wonderful sign major and head of design nization that aims to elimi- ferent ways that people could As the ceremony concluded provide a breather for stu- weekend”. and marketing for Spring Car- nate “substandard housing donate. One way is to vote for with performances by the Kilt- dents who were ready to relax Casalegno concluded by nival Sam Ahmed commented, in Allegheny County and to a favorite booth by placing ie Band, audience members and have fun. ‘Fight for 15’ protest advocates for higher minimum wages

Justin McGown/Contriubuting Editor Protestors in Schenley on Wednesday rallied to raise the minimum wage to what they call a livable wage. The protest lasted until nearly 6 p.m. that evening, and then spurred more discussions.

PROTEST, from A1 A further police cordon was ness of Greg Peaslee, UPMC’s to chants of “Whose streets? sitting on the pavement in participants in the march and set up at the intersection of senior vice presidnt for human Our streets!” front of the shuttered restau- declared it a rousing success. non-Pittsburghers. Massey Forbes and Meyran Avenues, resources. Rev. Rodney Lyde of the rant, “But this doesn’t look too “They were begging us to specifically mentioned an out- which the protesters slowly When the protesters Baptist Temple Church ad- open. I do believe we shut it get out of the street,” she told of-towner from Philadelphia marched toward. reached Meyran Ave., they dressed the crowd there and down!” the assembled strikers, pro- coming to volunteer their car The Westinghouse March- abruptly turned left and reiterated points about the After his address the crowd testers, and onlookers. “We for the cause. ing Band took the lead, while crowded around the entrance fact that Pittsburgh, named began moving again until it re- backed the traffic all the way She was convinced that the the protesters unfurled ban- to the Iroquois Building. the most livable city by the turned to Schenley Plaza, near up to the parkway.” day’s activities would have an ners and waved signs de- There, they posted “public no- media, still had immense in- where the march had begun The assembly began break- impact, saying, “I believe we manding higher wages and tices” revoking UPMC’s char- come inequality and poverty. earlier in the day. There, the ing up around 6 p.m., though will make it.” This sentiment respect, for the most part — A ity status, and chanted “UPMC He also cheered the groups’ chief organizer of the event, many stayed in the plaza to was echoed around 5 p.m. few signs bore statements as- you are not a charity!” success in marching. Bempoma Pieterson, a politi- discuss both the day’s event when the protest turned into sociated with the Black Lives Continuing onward to the “I thought McDonald’s is cal science and communica- and what actions they might a march, pushing on to Forbes Matter movement. Also car- McDonald’s on Forbes, the supposed to be open 24 hours tions major at the University of take in the future to accom- Avenue and halting traffic. ried was a puppet in the like- protesters began sitting down a day,” he said to the crowd Pittsburgh, thanked all of the plish their goal. April 20, 2015 « The Tartan thetartan.org/scitech » A5

Students How things work receive Phages STEM occupy awards bacteria Julia Napolitano to cure Asst. SciTech Editor infection Recently, Congress has awarded two Carnegie Sharon Wu Mellon undergraduate stu- Staffwriter dents, Joshua Kubiak and Jillian Jaycox, with presti- From nasty colds to the gious Barry M. Goldwater chickenpox, we all have to Scholarships. Congress face infections from viruses established the Barry M. at some point in our lifetime. Goldwater Scholarship and But did you know that there Excellence in Education is a virus that infects organ- Program in 1986 to provide isms many times smaller college students support in than you? In the early 1900s, pursuing a research career scientists started to notice a in science, mathematics, group of viruses that infect and engineering. and lyse bacteria, the bil- Kubiak is a junior mate- lions of microorganisms that rials science and engineer- are prevalent virtually every- ing and chemistry double where on Earth. Coined as major. He is also a research bacteriophages, or “phages” assistant in the lab of Mi- for short, these bacterial vi- chael Bockstaller, a materi- ruses were named for their als science and engineering “bacteria eating” ability. professor at Carnegie Mel- RESISTING Like all viruses, bacterio- lon, investigating improved phages carry nucleic acid that methods for creating quan- is encased within a capsid, tum dot backlights for LCD or coat, of protein. The cap- screens. On campus, Kubiak PAIN MEDICATION sid can be thought of as the is a member of Engineers head of a bacteriophage. The Without Borders, the Carne- Braden Kelner/Contributing Editor nucleic acid of the phage can gie Mellon racing team, and either be most commonly in is president-elect of Chem-E the form of deoxyribonucleic Car. Researchers study responses to morphine acid (DNA), or ribonucleic “I am honored to receive acid (RNA). In either case, the award and thankful for Josh Brown opioids have lead researchers neurons as they become in- resolution fluorescent imag- the nucleic acid serves as the the research opportunities Staffwriter to pursue methods to circum- creasingly resistant to opioid ing techniques developed by genetic material of the bac- that CMU made available vent both the resistance and stimulation. Puthenveedu himself, the re- teriophage. Genetic material to me starting in my first se- Although it can be unpleas- addictive response of the body Put simply, when a body search team was able to visu- is important as it gives the mester of college,” Kubiak ant, pain is a necessary sensa- to these drugs. Researchers experiences pain, a peptide, alize neuron receptors in real essential instructions neces- said. “I am also very ex- tion that informs us when at Carnegie Mellon have re- or small protein, called Sub- time. This allowed them to sary for the phages to be able cited to continue research something is wrong. However, cently tackled this subject in stance P activates a receptor test different opioid substanc- to function and propagate. as a senior and eventu- when that sensation becomes an effort to better understand on the surface, or soma, of es and observe the reaction of Bacteriophages come in ally as a graduate student unbearable, the nerve im- the mechanisms by which a neuron. Opioid molecules the receptors as the interac- three different structural in materials science and pulses that cause pain must be neurons become resistant to counteract the pain sensation tions happened. forms. A bacteriophage engineering.” inhibited; that is where drugs opioids. The team consists of by binding to mu-opioid re- “Understanding how re- can have an icosahedral — Kubiak intends to com- such as morphine come into Manojkumar Puthenveedu, ceptors on the neuron’s sur- ceptor localization changes twenty-sided — head with plete a Ph.D. in material play. Morphine and its deriva- assistant professor of bio- face. There are a few other in response to pain and medi- a tail. During infection, the science engineering and tives are classified as opioids, logical sciences at Carnegie types of opioid receptors, but cation is a different way to tail serves as a hollow tube “investigate novel polymeric which are pain-relieving sub- Mellon, and researchers em- since the “mu” in mu-opioid address the challenge of de- that serves as a passageway materials for alternative en- stances. Opioids also happen ployed in his lab, including refers to morphine, these re- veloping a non-addictive anal- for nucleic acid during infec- ergy generation and teach as to be addictive; psychologi- Shanna Bowman, Amanda ceptors were the best study gesic drug,” Puthenveedu said tion. Another type of bacte- a university professor.” cal dependence can develop Soohoo, and Daniel Shiwar- specimens. The signal is inter- in a university press release. riophage has an icosahedral Jaycox is a junior biologi- within a few doses. The body ski, doctoral candidates in nalized, and it initiates a cas- “If we can control what hap- head, but no tail. Addition- cal sciences major. She con- also builds up resistance to biological sciences at Carn- cade of signals within the cell pens to the receptor after the ally, a bacteriophage can ducts research with Sarah opioids rapidly, requiring a egie Mellon. The group tested which inhibit pain responses. drug activates it, we might be come in a filamentous, rod- Gaffen, an immunology higher dosage to effectively neuronal response to various In order for this mechanism able to better control how the like, form. alleviate pain. substances to determine what to work, however, receptors So how did scientists See AWARD, A6 Such characteristics of mechanisms are at work in must be present. Using high- See MORPHINE, A6 come across these creatures that cannot be seen even un- der the most powerful light SciTech Briefs microscope? According to a review in the Journal of Chemical Technology and Researchers SpaceX rocket has Robot chef cooks Biotechnology, the first bacte- develop invisble rough landing gourmet meals riophage activity was found in river water, reported in a objects Last Tuesday, an un- Engineers at Moley Robot- paper published in a French Previous attempts at mak- manned SpaceX rocket took ics in the UK have developed journal in 1896. In this paper, ing invisible objects have de- off from Cape Canaveral, Flor- a robotic chef that can cook Ernest Hanbury Hankin, a pended on metamaterials — ida to send a cargo ship to the high quality meals in just a British bacteriologist, noticed artificial materials engineered International Space Station. matter of minutes. The system that the river water was effec- to have properties that are not The supply capsule was suc- is called the Automated Kitch- tive in preventing the spread naturally occurring. However, cessfully sent on its way, but en and its consumer version, of cholera, a severe bacterial physicists from the Ioffe Insti- the booster rocket did not do when developed, will come disease that had frequent out- tute and Australian National as well. While booster rockets with a library of recipes that breaks in India. However, it Courtesy of Department of Defense via usually burn up in Earth’s at- users can pick from and down- took 20 more years before the University have recently cre- Wikimedia Commons mosphere or fall back into the load. The robot’s arms were existence of bacteriophages ated cylindrical objects that Courtesy of Aktiv I Oslo.no via flickr creative are not only invisible in the Tests can predict ocean after a launch, SpaceX commons made by Shadow Robot Com- was actually confirmed by microwave range, but do not is attempting to develop boost- pany, the same company that American scientist Frederick require additional metamate- risk of breast ers that can land safely and be T-rex may have develops products for NASA. Twort and French scientist rial coatings. cancer used again, thus reducing the The robotic chef’s talent Felixe d’Herelle. The scientists made this cost of space travel. been hunted by is directly derived from pro- The discovery was fol- discovery by studying the way Researchers at the Univer- The booster from Tuesday’s others fessional chef Tim Anderson. lowed by many studies that light scatters in a glass cylinder sity of Copenhagen, in col- launch was supposed to land Anderson was recorded while showed the potential of bac- Scientists recently ana- filled with water. They found laboration with the Danish on a customized platform sta- cooking with motion-capture teriophages in curing bacte- lyzed a 75-million-year-old that at high refractive indexes, Cancer Society, have created tioned 200 miles off the coast gloves and his movements rial infections. For instance, tyrannosaur skull and jaw dis- light scatters via two mecha- a metabolic blood profile test of Jacksonville, Florida, but, were translated into algo- in 1919, d’Herelle prepared covered in 1994 in Dinosaur nisms — resonant and non- that can predict whether an unfortunately, it landed too rithms for the robotic chef. bacteriophages that were Provincial Park in Alberta, resonant scattering — and individual will develop breast hard. According to a tweet The makers of the robot be- administered to patients at a Canada. The fossils belonged that at certain frequencies, the cancer in the next two to five from SpaceX founder Elon lieve that their robotic chef hospital in Paris. The phage to a Daspletosaurus, the 30 light scattered through these years with an 80 percent Musk, the rocket “landed fine, will not make real chefs ob- preparation was made to foot long and two ton cousin two mechanisms cancels itself sensitivity. but excess lateral velocity solete — instead, it will give treat patients with bacterial of the better known Tyran- out, making the object appear Blood samples taken from caused it to tip over post land- chefs a new way to get their dysentery. Patients were then nosaurus rex. Despite the invisible. The results from this participants 20 years ago and ing.” recipes out to the public. reported to have recovered estimated young age of the study have been published in stored in liquid nitrogen were within 24 hours of treatment. Daspletosaurus being studied, Scientific Reports. compared with more recent Source: CNN Source: Reuters With their ability to elim- blood samples from the same a number of scars were found inate symptoms of bacte- on its skull and jaw. One punc- Source: Science Daily group of people, some of rial infection, you might be whom had developed breast ture wound on the back of the wondering how these bacte- cancer two to seven years skull was particularly notice- riophages work. In order to since giving the first sample. able. The scientists also found survive as a group of viruses, Instead of studying a single that some injuries appeared the bacteriophages must biomarker, which is a common healed while others were not, find a way to replicate them- procedure in medical science, indicating that some occurred selves. This is accomplished the researchers analyzed all of while the dinosaur was alive. through a series of reactions the compounds in the blood Based on the sizes and shapes during the infection cycle. samples and found a pattern of the scars, the researchers During the first step of the that predicts the cancer. The concluded that the injuries infection process, the phage test will have to be better vali- were inflicted by large, carniv- Courtesy of General Physics Laboratory via flickr creative commons settles on a bacterial cell by dated before it can be used orous dinosaurs, most likely attaching to specific recep- commercially. other tyrannosaurs. Compiled By Courtesy of Martin Pettitt via flickr creative Courtesy of Steve Jurvetson via flickr creative Source: Inside Science commons Source: Science Daily commons Brooke Kuei See PHAGE, A6 A6 « thetartan.org/scitech The Tartan » April 20, 2015 Scientists How things work Two students awarded studying Phages play a role in infections Goldwater scholarship PHAGE, from A5 breakdown of the bacterial cell In addition, the lysogenic membrane. Consequently, this phages have the ability to enter effects of tors present on the surface. Fi- process causes the release of the lytic cycle at any time. Such bers allow for the hollow tail to mature phages. While many of transition is usually triggered push through the bacterial en- the newly made phages possess by the exposure of the bacte- morphine velope, which is partly digested the DNA of the original phage, rium to harsh environmental by enzymes from the phage. a couple of them contain DNA conditions, including exposure MORHPINE, from A5 Once the tail penetrates the fragments of the previously to ultraviolet rays or mutation- surface, DNA from the head is occupied host bacterium. The causing chemicals. body responds to opioids.” now able to pass through the newly released phages then go Even with the medical First, the team activated hollow tube and into the cell. on to repeat the cycle, which promise found within bacterio- a neuron’s mu-opioid re- After the injection, the remain- involves the infection and de- phages, phage therapy is still ceptors using a compound ing bacteriophage, still located struction of more bacteria. relatively uncommon. This is called DAMGO, a biologi- on the outside of the bacteri- In contrast with lytic phag- mainly due to the fact that crit- cally analogous opioid pep- um, is void of genetic material. es, lysogenic phages can either ics attacked d’Herelle’s early tide which is specified to From there, the next steps proceed to replicate within the studies and were unable to work on mu-opioid recep- taken in the cycles differ, de- lytic cycle, or they can enter a replicate them, which cast sus- tors. After being affected pending on whether the phage dormant state within the cell. picison on the results. While by DAMGO, only a fraction is lytic or lysogenic. During the dormant state, the phage therapy is still practiced of the mu-opioid receptors For lytic phages, only one phage DNA usually becomes in Eastern Europe and the for- returned to the surface, ex- path is followed after the in- incorporated into the host mer Soviet Union, this practice Courtesy of Joshua Kubiak plaining in part the reason jection of the phage DNA. As DNA. As a result, the bacterial has long ceased in the Western Joshua Kubiak (left) and Jillian Jaycox (right) received Goldwater Scholarships to study in their respective fields. for neurons’ decreased sen- the injected phage DNA mul- cell may acquire new proper- world. The controversy about sitivity over time. If there tiplies during the lytic cycle, ties from the added genes of d’Herelle’s work, combined are fewer receptors, the ef- phage capsids are also being the phage, such as the ability with the rise of antibiotics, AWARD, from A5 publishes about science, soci- fect of the drug will be less- produced within the host bac- to produce toxins. Prophage is eventually led to a rejection of ety, and law. ened. terium. The phage DNA, along the term for the phage in this phage therapy. professor at the University of “I am excited to win the After administering with the host DNA, is then integrated state. Often prescribed by doctors Pittsburgh who studies the im- Goldwater Scholarship,” Jay- DAMGO, the team intro- packaged into the capsids. In Despite their seeming inac- to treat bacterial infections, mune response to bloodstream cox said. “This award is a re- duced the neuron to Sub- turn, new phages are created tivity, lysogenic phages have antibiotics have become a fungal infections. Jaycox also flection of the mentorship and stance P, mimicking a pain within the bacterium. been proven to be valuable in household staple in the medi- designs DNA nanoparticles opportunities provided to me response. The pain brought Afterwards, the bacterium scientific studies, as they are cal cabinet since the discovery made of backbone-branched by both Carnegie Mellon and the receptors back to the undergoes lysis, or the disin- able to manipulate some of the of penicillin in 1928. However, DNA with Subha R. Das, an as- [the] University of Pittsburgh, surface — effectively recy- tegration of a cell through the properties of a bacterial cell. the overuse of antibiotics has sociate professor of chemistry and it is a promising stepping- cling them. However, when led to their decreasing efficacy at Carnegie Mellon. stone toward my goal of be- morphine was substituted in treating bacterial infections, Jaycox runs with the uni- coming a physician-scientist.” for DAMGO, this effect was as the elimination of a large versity’s cross-country and She hopes to obtain an not observed. The team also population of bacteria has led track teams and works as M.D./Ph.D. in immunology applied a substance called to the emergence of stronger co-president of The Triple He- and to “conduct research on au- fentanyl, an opioid often and more resistant bacteria. lix, a student journal which toimmune disease or infectious used as an anesthetic, which As antibiotic resistance disease and practice medicine is around ninety times the becomes a growing threat to in an academic setting.” potency of morphine and public health, there has been “[This award] “With this career, I ulti- twenty times the potency of a renewed interest in phage mately hope to improve the heroin. When fentanyl was therapy. Phages are highly is a promising biomedical understanding administered, the results specific and are easy to modify stepping stone of immunological diseases in mimicked the DAMGO trial. when they attack bacterial order to improve the lives of As research on pain targets. The extensive use of toward my goal patients suffering from these and pain-relief continues, phage therapy in Eastern Eu- disorders,” Jaycox said. we become ever closer to rope and the former Soviet of becoming Kubiak and Jaycox join the understanding the mecha- Union has been proven safe to a physician- 260 college sophomores and nisms behind these sen- patients as well as commer- juniors chosen for the schol- sations and reactions. In cially viable. With increasing scientist.” arship out of more than 1,200 time, scientists may elimi- knowledge of bacteriophages’ nominations for 2015. Kubiak nate the heavily addictive abilities, phage therapy may be – Jillian Jaycox, and Jaycox will also join a properties of morphine and an answer to the woes of many group of 20 other Carnegie perhaps even develop com- Western scientists, doctors and junior biological Mellon students who have pletely non-addictive pain patients in the fight against sciences major previously been awarded this relievers. Emily Giedzinksi/Staff Artist bacterial diseases. scholarship. April 20, 2015 « The Tartan thetartan.org/scitech » A7

Pugwash Pugwash conference discusses global sustainability topics the Ebola virus called VP40. energy, Ilegeji argued, would that the energy produced by but contains 40 percent of the nology and who gets to engi- VP40 plays a central role in improve America’s energy in- bioenergy was more than the energy. Recent research has neer tomorrow’s climate be- the assembly and budding of dependence and stimulate the energy used to grow the bio- led to a new process that can come just as important. Moore the virus. Unlike Ebola, VP40 domestic economy. The vari- mass. However, the environ- turn lignin into a hydrocar- argued that these issues of is not dangerous to humans, ety in density, shape, size, and mental impact of bioenergy is bon with a greater-than-100 “macro” ethics must be part of Joseph Rollinson meaning that it can be stud- water content of biomass leads still a contentious issue. octane rating at a 93 percent our education in order to have Special to the Tartan ied without the major safety to substantial bottlenecks in The second day began with yield. This, too, could increase a sustainable society. precautions needed for Ebola, transportation and use. a talk by Maureen McCann, the amount of fuel collected The visiting members of Last weekend, three mem- which are expensive and rare. Ilegeji argued that one the director of the Energy per acre of land. Pugwash had no idea what to bers of Pugwash drove to Stahelin’s lab has found new possible solution to this prob- Center at Purdue. Her talk fo- After this, there was a talk expect from this conference. Purdue University to attend methods of slowing down the lem would be to standardize cused on attempts to increase led by an anti-GMO activist, As the only students from an the Purdue Student Pugwash growth rate of VP40 in cells, biomass as pellets with high the amount of fuel collected followed by the final talk by outside university, they were Conference. The Purdue Stu- which hopefully can be used density and low-water content per acre of land. She began Sharlissa Moore, the presi- warmly welcomed by oth- dent Pugwash Conference is in new treatments for Ebola. that are aerobically stable. by describing better varieties dent of Student Pugwash USA. ers. Nearly all speakers were a two-day-long event with The second talk was by These pellets could be trans- of corn for biomass accumu- She discussed the history of well-informed and provided talks focused around a theme. Klein Ilegeji, an associate pro- ported using the supply chain lation, which can double the Pugwash and the growing an interesting take on sustain- This year’s theme was global fessor of agricultural and bio- currently used for feedstock. biomass yield and use only a need for ethics education at ability. Pugwash will certainly sustainability. logical engineering at Purdue Due to their low water con- tenth of the fertilizer. She next the societal and institutional be back next year for another The conference began with University. Ilegeji’s talk fo- tent, they would also work discussed how conventional level. Children are frequently great conference. a talk on the Ebola virus by cused on achieving a commer- well in bioenergy plants with- biomass-to-ethanol processes taught ethics at the personal Robert Stahelin, an adjunct cial bioenergy industry from out large amounts of pre-pro- convert only one third of the level. For example, they are Student Pugwash is a non- associate professor of chem- biomass. Bioenergy is energy cessing. At the end of his talk, carbon into fuel. One par- told not to lie and not to steal. advocacy, educational organi- istry and biochemistry at the acquired from materials de- Ilegeji was asked about the ticularly underused material However, as our society grows zation that discusses the impli- University of Notre Dame. rived from biomass such as efficiency and environmen- is lignin, which is currently in size and scale, large-scale cations of science. This article Stahelin’s research focuses on wood, corn, and agricultural tal impact of bioenergy from burned off. Lignin makes up questions such as implications is a summary of a conference a viral matrix protein found in byproducts. Increasing bio- crops such as corn. He argued 15 to 25 percent of biomass, of human enhancement tech- Pugwash attended last week. feature photo Annual CMU Mobot Races showcase student projects

Matthew Nielson/Staff Photographer Team Qbot (bottom middle) won first place in the undergraduate category in the 21st Annual Carnegie Mellon Mobot Races last Friday. Qbot’s mobot reached gate 10 in 4:34.1. From left to right, the team was composed of Hanqi Sun, a freshman mathematical sciences major, Edward Ahn, a freshman electrical and computer engineering and robotics double major and Spencer Barton, a senior electrical and computer engineering major. A8 « thetartan.org/forum The Tartan » April 20, 2015

Tragedy reminds us to embrace our roots and go home Laura ScherB news, I felt like more of a stranger students here. I was excited to seek language that I did that day. Without day, I realized just how important it Publisher than I ever have on Carnegie Mellon’s out my place on a campus where any introduction or fanfare, we ex- is to maintain a sense of belonging to campus. nobody knew me, where I could re- changed information: who we knew your home, whether that be a class- Stabbing reported at Franklin Re- Sitting in class, I couldn’t believe invent myself, where I could blend in was okay, who we had heard wasn’t, room, a sports field, a store, a bagel gional High School near Pittsburgh, that there was any place for normal- with the crowd. and who had done this terrible thing. deli, or your family. Pa: I was on the treadmill when I got cy in that day. How could all of these But walking to class that day, I felt Standing outside Warner Hall, we Appreciating your roots isn’t just the CNN alert a year ago from last people sit around discussing the rhet- totally alone and desperate to be with hugged, then parted ways. It was a about loving your hometown — be- Thursday. I nearly fell off the ma- oric of a narrative structure while I someone, anyone, from Franklin Re- three-minute conversation, but it was cause many of us don’t. Rather, it’s chine. waited to hear how many people had gional. I texted my friends from high my lifeline: It gave me that link, that about having a place to call your The last thing that I was expect- been seriously injured in my home- school who were all together at Penn connection to Murrysville and my hometown. A place to look back to, ing on that beautiful spring morning town? State, watching the news together in school, that I needed. and to fall back into, and to ground was to wake up to the chance that My classmates didn’t even know pockets across campus, with anyone Since that horrible day, a lot has yourself in. It’s healthy to move for- my brother and sister, my cousins, the stabbing had happened, let alone they could find from Franklin. changed. Charges have been filed, ward in life, but there will be no real my friends, and my teachers had that it had happened in the hallway That was what I needed. I needed the last victim was released from the growth if you don’t have a stable been put into danger. It was the day where my sister had her first class. I somebody to recognize what I was hospital, a class has graduated, and foundation from which to grow. before Carnival, and a school stab- had my laptop open, refreshing the going through — because nobody another year has started fresh. There It took a tragedy to draw me back bing was not on the schedule, or even CNN article with live video feed, knew, just from looking at me, that are still obvious scars in the commu- into a sense of belonging in my home- within the realm of possibility in aware that the grad student sitting my hometown was in chaos and that nity, but Murrysville has picked up town, my high school, and, on some my small, socio-economically stable next to me was watching out of bore- my friends and family had witnessed and kept going, everyone coming to- level, my family, and that terrifies me. high school. Absurdly, I wondered if dom. It felt like I was in a slow-mov- a horrific act of violence. I was in a gether and supporting each other in When I went home for my brother’s I would have to skip Carnival. ing, high-tension episode of a soap bubble, and only a few people knew the process. graduation, I stood proudly with my As I struggled to understand what opera. why or how to break through it. I’ve changed, too. Not just in the family as we sung the tuneless Alma was happening, to get in contact with Few people from my high school When I did finally run into one of obvious, “hug your loved ones more Mater loudly and off-key. I knew then everyone I know and care about, to came to Carnegie Mellon with me, those random people who came from often” way, but in the way that I root as I know now that I lucked out with go about my last day of classes, to and no graduating class since I start- Murrysville, it was as if I was meeting myself. I love Carnegie Mellon, and I Murrysville, with Franklin Regional, keep up with Twitter and breaking ed has sent more than two or three the first person who spoke the same love my community here. But on that and above all, with my family.

From the Editorial Board Temporary technical failures won’t prevent SpaceX’s ascent into private space industry

On Tuesday, Apr. 14, Elon Musk’s It seems that everything that The basis of resistance to technol- ed fireproof titanium underbodies to we keep those new technologies from transport service company, SpaceX, goes wrong for Musk is instantly el- ogy relies on comparing progress to all of its cars free of charge. gaining mainstream acceptance or launched a rocket for the second time evated to a disaster of epic propor- perfection rather than old technol- Tesla had the guts to admit its mis- improving the status quo. If we look this year. Onlookers had high hopes, tions. Musk is not given the privilege ogy. Cars catch fire when they crash takes, and to be proactive in fixing at NASA, many rockets and other but were disappointed when the of trial and error. This tendency to into poles quite often, but the public them. However, people often think space vehicles fail in testing. rocket crashed and exploded upon try and smack down technological jumped on Tesla after a single freak that new technology is unusable if Unlike SpaceX, though, NASA landing. progress at any hint of imperfection accident. In crashes, Teslas have been it’s not perfect. The status quo works and similar organizations are given Even though the mission had been is a dangerous symptom of American proven safer and less likely to com- “just fine” — except when it clearly both the benefit of the doubt and the a resounding success for SpaceX it- anti-intellectualism and resistance to bust than other car brands. Following doesn’t. When we use separate stan- resources to improve their designs. self — which celebrated hitting the change. the accident of 2013, Tesla soon add- dards for new and old technologies, There’s no reason to believe that two landing site at all — questions still crashes mean that SpaceX will never flew over whether SpaceX was actu- build a totally functional rocket. If ally a new face of the space industry anything, a public launch without or just a high-tech pretender. any prior failed tests would be cause In 2013, critics circulated a video for concern; a product that never of a car made by Tesla — another fails in tests will never succeed in the company owned by Musk — catch- market. ing fire after crashing into a pole on In order to create an environment a highway. conducive to progress, people have to The accident was notable in its give that progress a chance. SpaceX’s isolation; no other Tesla engine had most recent failure was public, but caught fire before, while crashes that does not diminish their accom- cause fires in dozens of other brands plishments. on a weekly basis. The survivors of The rocket did not stick the land- the accident walked away unscathed, ing here, but its ultimate success will but Tesla’s reputation didn’t. rely on baby steps: its tests, failures, For critics, one failure was enough and the lessons SpaceX takes from to pull Tesla off its pedestal, leading each. Meeting temporary failure by to a 6 percent drop in the price of calling Elon Musk delusional and in- Tesla stock over the course of several novation wasteful is a great way to hours. Albina Kwak/Junior Artist ensure the future never comes. JFC budgeting process must improve transparency Students meet President Suresh

Each semester, every under- did not release preliminary budgets the JFC’s new online budgeting sys- halfway for second annual meeting graduate and graduate student pays until April 7, almost a week after the tem, Campus Labs Budgeting Sys- This Wednesday, President Subra obviously influential presence. an activities fee of $123 and $99, proposed date. tem, it has made this year’s budget- Suresh will be holding an annual However, most of Suresh’s respectively. Last week, student organization ing process more difficult for many. update to highlight the university’s rhetoric has typically consisted of The Joint Funding Committee leaders met with their respective as- The new system itself is confusing, milestones and share thoughts on buzzwords that, despite promot- (JFC) allocates most of the money — signed JFC representatives as part compounding other difficulties in the university’s future. Following ing the university’s overall repu- over $1.5 million — generated by the of the appeals process, leading up the budgeting process. The Tartan the presentation, there will be a tation, have little to do with the activities fee to all campus organiza- to the Undergraduate Student Sen- wishes that the JFC accounted more Q&A session open to faculty, staff, majority of students’ current con- tions recognized by student govern- ate and Graduate Student Assembly for possible roadblocks when switch- and students both in and outside of cerns. Carnegie Mellon’s iden- ment. joint budget ratification meeting this ing to a new system from the previ- Pittsburgh. tity and global reputation may be This money includes 90 per- Thursday. ous budget tracker. In the past academic year, critical to our future, but there cent of the money generated by the The JFC plays an important role Although the JFC and SBVPF work President Suresh led a listening tour are issues closer to home as well. undergraduate student activities on Carnegie Mellon’s campus; its hard with the money raised from the tailored to students, parents, staff, The Tartan is glad to see Presi- fee and 30 percent of the money budget decisions shape the upcom- student activities fee to make fair faculty, and alumni that focused on dent Suresh facilitating another generated by the graduate student ing fiscal year for every JFC-recog- budgets for every organization, the setting priorities for the university. productive discussion and inviting activities fee. nized student organization. This reasoning behind their decisions can Suresh also announced the launch student input. However, it is also The JFC includes 10–15 students, year, the JFC process has frustrated be murky for student organization of a university-wide strategic plan- important for students to bring and it is led by the Student Body Vice many with its inefficiency and lack of leaders. A clearer enumeration of this ning process to map the direction of thoughtful questions and concerns President for Finance. This year, or- transparency. year’s changes to budge metrics could the university for the next five to 10 to the table. ganizations had to submit their pro- Because budgets came out a week have been provided. years. This planning process was a President Suresh has already posed budget for the next fiscal year, later than planned, student lead- SBVPF-elect and junior math- result of the input he received dur- established himself as a commu- which includes the fall 2015 and ers and members of the JFC had to ematical sciences and economics ing his listening tours. nity listener, so it’s the campus spring 2016 semesters, to the JFC by rush through the appeals process the double major Benjamin Zhang wrote Although it’s commendable community’s responsibility to be Jan. 23. According to the schedule week of Carnival. in his election platform that he plans that President Suresh has spear- vocal and help the university move on its website, JFC planned to re- For the first time, organization to increase student involvement headed important campus initia- forward. lease preliminary budgets for every leaders cannot view the rationale for and transparency in the budgeting tives and updated the campus President Suresh’s annual update organization on April 1. the budgets of other organizations, process. The Tartan hopes that he with positive announcements, will be in McConomy Auditorium, In the following week, it was cutting out a crucial aspect of what follows up on these promises in the there is still much to be done. this Wednesday at 4 p.m. The pre- originally announced that organiza- should be a transparent budgeting upcoming academic year to make As a leader of the campus com- sentation will also be available live tions could submit appeals for the process. the JFC process simpler and more munity, President Suresh has an online. proposed budgets. However, the JFC Although this may be a result of streamlined for everyone involved.

Editorial Board Staff laura scherb* Ariel Hoffmaier* Zeke Rosenberg Anne-sophie kim* Senior Staff Publisher Forum Editor Sports Editor Layout Manager Carl Glazer, Greg Hanneman, Alan Vangpat Brian trimboli* Sarah GuteKunst* Amelia Britton Copy Editor-in-Chief Operations Manager Asst. Copy Manager Deborah Chu, Gordon Estes, Evan Kahn, Xinya Li, Stephanie Stern, Ian Tanaya The Tartan is a student newspaper at Carnegie Mellon University, funded in part by the student activities fee. It is a weekly publication by students during the fall and spring semesters, printed by Editorial Staff layout Trib Total Media. The Tartan is not an official publication of Carnegie Mellon University. Claire Gianakas Yeongwoo Hwang Benjamin Chang Rachel Cohen Sean Ha, Korrawat Jianthanakanon SciTech Editor Systems Manager Asst. Business Manager Contributing Editor The Editorials appearing at the beginning of the opinion section are the official opinion of The Lula Beresford-Banker Alison chiu Xiyu Wang Braden Kelner Advertising Tartan Editorial Board. Columns, Editorial Cartoons, and Reviews are the opinions of their Pillbox Editor Advertising Manager Asst. Forum Editor Contributing Editor Michelle Wan, Sophia Cheng individual creators. The Tartan Editorial Staff reserves the right to withhold from publication any copy it deems unfit. maryyann Landlord Benjamin Chang Kate Groschner Comics Editor Business Manager Contributing Editor Letters to the Editor are the opinions of their authors. Letters from within the University com- Abhinav Gautam James wu Brent Heard munity take precedence. Letters intended for publication must be signed and include the author’s address and telephone number for verification; letters must not exceed 350 words. Authors’ names Photo Editor Copy Manager Contributing Editor may be withheld from publication upon request. The Tartan reserves the right to condense or reject Eunice Oh NIVEDITA CHOPRA Justin McGown any letter. Letters must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before publication by mail or to Art Editor Asst. Copy Manager Contributing Editor [email protected]. Michelle Wan Isabel BleiMeister Brooke Kuei Personnel Manager Asst. Layout Manager Contributing Editor Mail: The Tartan Office: University Center 314 Box 119, UC Suite 103 © 2014 The Tartan, all rights reserved. Web: www.thetartan.org 5000 Forbes Avenue * Denotes executive committee member Library of Congress ISSN: 0890-3107 E-mail: [email protected] Pittsburgh, PA 15213 April 20, 2015 « The Tartan thetartan.org/forum » A9 Google could change minds by eliminating its gender bias skinned. White men dominate the Cynthia Matuszek, a co-author of results for the word “CEO,” while the the Cohn study, says that when you word “doctor” shows only 10 percent search “female construction worker,” diversity, the majority being male, you see “A number of the top hits according to The Huffington Post. depicting women as construction In an age where the Internet workers are models in skimpy little dominates the lives of people, having costumes with a hard hat posing sug- the world’s largest and, by far, most gestively on a jackhammer.” respected search giant spew out gen- Google image search works by der bias is unsettling. Pictures don’t mining the web for content based always form a person’s thoughts, but on algorithms that are designed to they do affect one’s subconscious, show you the results it thinks you’d which is instrumental to the forma- most want to see, according to The tion of opinions. Huffington Post. Therefore, Google The most damaging aspect about is capable of tweaking its algorithm all this is that these search results to depict the actual distribution of are far from representing the correct gender among different jobs, but it statistics. The gender imbalance on chooses not to. Google is much more profound than Imagine if these images were it is in actuality, according to a study skewed the other way round, for the done by Emily Cohn. According to sole purpose of eradicating social the image search, only 11 percent of bias. Studies have shown that gender the CEOs are women, while accord- biases displayed in search have a tan- Kyungmin Lee/Junior Artist ing to the data from the Bureau of gible effect on how people perceive Labor Statistics, 27 percent of CEOs gender breakdowns in the real world. Udaya Malik upon. Women are encouraged, much of Maryland, Google image search are women. Same goes for job terms Google has the power to change peo- Online Editor more than before, to try out careers results have a noticeable gender bias like “bartenders,” where the minor- ple’s mindsets. It comes as a shock in fields they genuinely like, instead for certain jobs. It comes as a major ity is again women, but in actuality as to why Google would refrain from While female CEOs are now kept of being pushed into stereotypical disappointment that the Internet’s 60 percent of bartenders are women, representing the actual data to its us- in high regards by most of society, roles. Still, it is not close to enough. largest search giant conforms to gen- and telemarketers, where women are ers. We surely will not continue to be men in “traditional women’s roles,” According to a research study der bias. When the word “nurse” is shown as the majority, despite there as progressive as we think we are if such as nurses, remain a target of conducted recently at Univer- image searched, the results consist being a 50–50 split in reality. search engines continue to spew out mockery and are often looked down sity of Washington and University entirely of women, primarily light- From here, things only get uglier. skewed results. Clinton not yet a proven progressive Rubio represents threat

Emmett eldred A few of the candidates still con- ary Clinton bandwagon. We must Junior Staffwriter sidering a run are Independent demand of Hillary Clinton a truly to future of Democrats Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, progressive platform. This includes Benjamin Franklin famously said who is a self-identified Democratic a hefty minimum wage increase, so out from under Hillary will be in that only three things were inevita- Socialist, former Secretary of Labor that anyone who works full time can play next November. ble: death, taxes, and President Hill- Robert Reich, who is an outspoken have the ability to provide for their Rubio is not particularly likely ary Clinton. This Sunday, Clinton activist on the issue of income in- family; tax increases on the wealthy to win the Republican nomination, ended over 200 years of speculation equality, and former Virginia Sena- and on corporations; an end to costly Zeke Rosenberg and he’s no lock to beat Clinton in when she officially announced her tor Jim Webb. The common ground tax loopholes, to finance spending a general election either, but he candidacy for President of the Unit- shared by all of these candidates, on infrastructure and education; Junior United States Senator poses the most compelling threat ed States. other than being more progressive heavy regulation of Wall Street; ag- Marco Rubio (R–FL) announced his in a minefield for the presumptive To many politicos, the 2016 elec- than Hillary Clinton, is that they are gressive steps to end climate change; candidacy for president last Mon- favorite. Not only is he an immedi- tion is already a done deal. Hillary utterly unelectable. Even if any of and foreign policy that ends the era day. Rubio’s announcement should ate problem for the Democrats, he Clinton is unstoppable. She’s going these candidates do run, they will of American colonialism through be troubling to the left side of the represents a demographic change to easily win the entire presidential be hard pressed to impact the race military intervention, and instead political spectrum. within politics. election, let alone the Democratic whatsoever. recognizes negotiation and diplo- Whether it’s in 2016 or beyond, Names like Rubio, Cruz, Paul, nomination. To be fair, Clinton has struck a far macy as the only tools to bring about Rubio represents the Republican Representative Paul Ryan (R–WI), Nearly a year before the first pri- more populist, progressive tone than sustainable peace. Party’s major advantage over Demo- and others are already visible on mary Caucus in Iowa, many ostensi- crats: young and recognizable faces. the national stage. Rubio may not bly progressive organizations, media While former Secretary of State be keeping his Senate seat after outlets, and groups have already “The problem with the rhetoric of Hillary Clinton seems to be the only the election, but plenty of people thrown their support behind Hill- candidate from the Democrats with are right there to take his place. ary Clinton. They’re already calling inevitability is that it diminishes the credible momentum, the Republi- The Democrats have some serious on the rest of the Democratic party urgency for a competitive Democratic cans have a bench of five legitimate rebuilding to do. Promising young to fall in line, and they’re attacking presidential candidates and a whole Democrats have either been voted true progressives like New York City primary that produces a truly host of faces who we may see in out of the picture or have drifted Mayor Bill de Blasio, who dared sug- progressive candidate. No candidate 2024 and beyond already making more toward state rather than na- gest that he wanted to see Clinton’s names for themselves. tional politics. “vision” before he blindly endorse should get the party’s nomination simply This development not only puts Things like the Emerging Demo- her. the Democrats in a bad position for cratic Majority — a silly proposition Hillary Clinton has not yet prov- because it’s her turn.” the near future, but it also undercuts relying on cherry-picked elections en herself as a progressive, and she the liberal message that Republican data and completely ignoring the needs to before she should have the in the past. She claims that she wants We can’t let Hillary Clinton be the politics are relics of a bygone era. It effects individual candidates have unmitigated support of the Demo- to be the “champion of everyday centrist candidate that she’s been is hard to sell the party of new ideas on independent voters — won’t cratic party, much less its progres- Americans.” She has harped on how in the past. In today’s political cli- with old faces. save the party if new players don’t sive wing. the “deck is stacked in favor of those mate, centrism isn’t the same thing Rubio, along with Senators Rand emerge from the woodwork fast. The problem with the rhetoric already at the top.” She has made in- as bipartisanism. The more Demo- Paul (R–KY) and Ted Cruz (R–TX), Hand wringing about the demise of inevitability is that it diminishes come inequality a major theme of her crats try to meet Republicans in the is a member of a sizable bloc of the of the Republican Party stems from the urgency for a competitive Demo- campaign. She has voiced support middle, the more the GOP will move Republican presidential field com- two faulty assumptions. cratic primary that produces a truly for a Constitutional Amendment to to the right. This is why people think prised of candidates at least fifteen The first is that Republican de- progressive candidate. No candidate reverse Citizens United, a recent Su- the Affordable Care Act, an idea first years younger than Clinton. How- mographics are dying out, both lit- should get the party’s nomination preme Court decision that opened championed by the conservative ever, only Rubio poses a very imme- erally and figuratively, and cannot simply because it’s her turn. She the floodgates for virtually unlimited Heritage Foundation, is socialism. diate threat to Clinton’s candidacy. sustain the numbers to win seats. should earn the nomination by prov- corporate spending in elections. Hillary Clinton must establish Paul has alienated some of his This is false on two levels. Repub- ing that she is the best candidate to One of Clinton’s first major cam- herself as a populist, progressive father’s libertarian base by shift- lican voters are significantly more represent and lead the party in the paign hires was Gary Gensler, one of candidate, whose policies stand up ing to the center on several issues, likely to vote in non-presidential general election. Wall Street’s most outspoken critics, for the poor and middle class and including foreign policy, and he of- elections, and split-ticket voting has The thing about primary elec- a move that could be symbolic of an demand more of the wealthy and of ten makes a fool of himself in public resulted in many people voting for tions is that nobody votes in them, aggressive stance against the power- corporations. That is a winning strat- appearances where he can be bum- Democratic executives and Repub- except the people that really care ful corporate and financial interests egy that will help move the country bling or overly aggressive. Cruz is lican legislation. Holding the House about their party’s politics. Demo- that stand opposed to the interests of forward. a shrewd politician, but ultimately and Senate puts the Republicans cratic primary voters are the most lacks the support of both Republican in a very advantageous position in ideologically liberal voters, and Party voters and leadership due to terms of passing laws. they’ll vote for the most ideologically his penchant for turning important The second is that the Republi- liberal candidate. political maneuvering into purity can message is outdated and unable With so many Democrats eager contests. Rubio, on the other hand, to change. Republican politicians to skip the primary altogether and is a very talented orator with a fresh who are in office now are going to run Clinton unopposed, the danger face and a knack for reaching across be around for a long time, and many is that Clinton can slip through the the aisle when the time calls for it, of them have progressive versions primaries without primary voters despite being a bit further from the of the future that stick to Republi- verifying that she is truly progres- center than most of his party. can ideals. Politicians like Ryan and sive enough to be the Democratic If that sounds familiar, that’s Rubio have explicit policy platforms nominee. because it is. Rubio’s candidacy for alleviating economic inequality Unfortunately, the damage may will be a repeat of President Barack without extensive government in- already have been done. Anyone Obama’s battle for office from day terference. hoping for a competitive Democratic one. If Rubio can survive the crowd- Valence voters and other voters primary in 2016 is probably going to ed field of Republican candidates — who care more about candidates be sorely disappointed. Most of the his numbers look better every day than parties are an important voter truly progressive possibilities, like everyday Americans. — he will have the exact same kind bloc that is often won through fa- Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massa- Still, anyone who truly consid- of appeal that crumbled Clinton’s miliarity. Ceding that ground will chusetts and Senator Sherrod Brown ers themselves a progressive should attempt for the office in 2008. Rubio always be dangerous. The Demo- of Ohio, have declined to run. wait before hopping on the Hill- has been teaching classes at Florida crats are okay but vulnerable for International 2016. Beyond there, the party better University hope for a name like Rubio. on the ef- fectiveness Zeke Rosenberg (erosenbe@) is the of Obama’s sports editor for The Tartan. campaign for

several years now, and many of the tricks Obama used to pull the rug

Eunice Oh/Art Editor A10 « thetartan.org/sports The Tartan » April 20, 2015

Strong field of contenders portends exciting NBA playoffs zeke rosenberg The Cavaliers are heavy fa- Rondo. The Texas rivalries al- on weak East competition in star power in Clippers forward It seems silly to bet against a Sports Editor vorites to win the East, but the ways make for great intensity, the first round. Even if the Blake Griffin, guard Chris team that has been so good Hawks ought not be counted but it’s possible this series be- conferences are important for Paul, Spurs forward Kawhi in every respect for the whole The NBA playoffs this year out. Depth matters, and cen- comes a very boring parade to some reason, a normal seed- Leonard, and others. Two of season, and the Warriors feature one of the deepest and ter Al Horford is a star despite the foul line as players hack ing in the West would have the NBA’s most storied coach- should do serious damage in most balanced fields in recent what anyone says. He can take Rockets center Dwight How- pitted the Clippers against the es, the Clippers’ Doc Rivers the playoffs. memory. Despite a very weak over a game and start blow- ard and Rondo and Rockets Portland Trailblazers and the and the Spurs’ Gregg Popovic With a deep field, the NBA Eastern Conference, there are ing up the paint, as he has in guard Harden draws fouls Spurs against the Memphis will go at it in what could eas- playoffs should be as excit- six teams that could reason- the past when Brooklyn Nets with reckless abandon. Grizzlies, but the NBA gives ily have been the conference ing this year as any. The small ably win the title. Even teams guard Joe Johnson was on the The Clippers and Spurs undue rewards to divisional finals. sample of the playoffs always without title aspirations can Hawks and they made the sec- playing is the pinnacle of how winners, which caused these Led by guard Steph Curry, creates some fun surprises and make names for themselves ond round a couple times. evil the NBA’s playoff structure two title contenders to meet the Warriors have been the turns expectations on their with first round victories. Speaking of the Nets, is. Both of these teams should in what should be an epic first best NBA defense in years, and head. This year looks like it In the East, it comes down they’re in the playoffs for some have earned the right to feast round clash featuring lots of their offense is not far behind. will bring more of the same. to the Cleveland Cavaliers reason. Maybe it will be fun to and Atlanta Hawks. The other watch them get eaten alive by six teams in the conference the Hawks, but they’re a sym- are all brutally flawed, thrust bol of conference imbalance into the playoffs because the rather than an actual factor in spots are reserved rather than the playoffs. The NBA should earned. Many people think the look into a system where a Hawks lack the star power to team this bad is replaced by a compete with the Cavs in the team as good as the Oklahoma playoffs, but the Hawks have City Thunder, which narrowly nine players who can do seri- missed the playoffs in the ous damage and, as we saw West, but that will not happen with the Spurs last year, depth this year. is incredibly important as tired Ultimately, the Hawks are legs falter toward the later the best coached team in the rounds of the playoffs. The playoffs. With all due respect Chicago Bulls are getting star to Cavaliers forward and guard Derrick Rose back and, four-time MVP LeBron James, with their full cast together, depth often goes further than could do some damage, but star power. James can abso- the Cavs have been dominant lutely win a series by himself, for a long time and will likely even against a good team, but run directly over the Bulls in Vegas calling the Cavaliers the the second round, should they favorite seems to be undercut- get that far. ting the top seed. There are some fun teams In the West, four teams — in the Eastern playoffs, such the Golden State Warriors, the as the Boston Celtics and the Houston Rockets, the San An- Milwaukee Bucks, but those tonio Spurs, and the Los Ange- teams are fun to watch be- les Clippers — are all realistic cause they string together bets to make the finals. The wins despite glaringly obvi- Warriors have a first round ous holes, not because they’re matchup against the New Or- well-oiled machines waiting to leans Pelicans, a team led by do serious damage. forward Anthony Davis and a If the Toronto Raptors or competent if not spectacular Washington Wizards can find supporting cast. The Warriors, their early season form again, however, are a well-oiled ma- it’s possible that one of those chine and should dispatch the teams could turn some heads Pelicans with little resistance. in the second round against The Rockets draw the the Hawks, but it is unlikely Mavericks, who started the that the winner of the round year off as the league’s best one series between the two offense and then collapsed teams will be very competitive. upon trading for guard Rajon Maegha Singh/Staff Artist April 20, 2015 « The Tartan thetartan.org/sports » A11

Women’s lax overcomes all Raschke ready to move on ian tanaya pretty well,” the mechanical can said. prepared to balance academ- Assistant Sports Editor engineering and engineer- Eigen cited Duncan along ics and athletics. “Balancing ing and public policy double with centers Amelia Jones sports and academics has The Carnegie Mellon wom- major said. In addition, Head and Julie Wu, as some of the been something I’ve been do- en’s lacrosse team has had a Coach Emily Patterson moved top contributors of the team. ing my whole life,” Raschke tough season, but its growing to Germany near the end of Though their final game of said. strength is something their the season, creating a lead- the season was a 17–5 loss Raschke is most proud of competitors in the Women’s ership void. “Not having a against the University of Pitts- how the team has changed Collegiate Lacrosse League coach during that time was burgh, the Tartans considered over the course of her college (WCLL) should be noticing. pretty difficult.” To fill the this year quite a success, espe- career. “We made the Elite The Tartans finished 4–4 this leadership void, Eigen said cially considering the outside Eight first year and senior year, up from 3–5 last year. everyone stepped up to sup- circumstances. year, but it’s such a different The team even qualified for port each other. “Mostly, we Even though they couldn’t experience and atmosphere the playoffs, although it was were equals on the team, and attend the playoffs this year, Courtesy of CMU Athletics than it was back then,” she unable to compete because we worked together to coach the team feels optimistic Senior Bryn Raschke stares down the ball as she sets up for a return. said. Over the past four years, of Carnival. What should be ourselves.” that they can do well next she feels like the team dy- noted is that the team has Despite these circumstanc- year. First-year attacker Jes- ian tanaya til she decided to take it up namic has grown consider- managed to do this well de- es, the Tartans continued sica Jackson in particular is Assistant Sports Editor herself in middle school. She ably stronger. “We’re more spite trying circumstances to forge ahead against their a cause for optimism. She gained skill at the sport fairly of a team now … as much as that have tested its tenacity competition. In their fourth contributed a lot to the offen- After finishing the regular quickly with the amount of any other team sport at CMU. off the field. game of the season, the team sive scores and ended up as season with a 7–2 win against she spent practicing when not Everyone wants to see each Sophomore midfielder and blew out Marshall University the team’s MVP. “As a team, California University of Penn- playing soccer even compet- other and hang out even out- team captain Melyssa Eigen 15–1. Their rematch against we were better collectively,” sylvania, the Carnegie Mellon ing in some tournaments. It side of practice.” chronicled some of the chal- Indiana University of Pennsyl- Eigen said. She cautioned, women’s tennis team sealed wasn’t until high school, how- One indicator of this, Ra- lenges the team faced during vania (IUP) was a particular however, that there is still a their spot among the Elite ever, that her interest in ten- schke said, is how she feels the season. One of the biggest high point for the team. When lot of work for the team to get Eight, which will allow them nis became a passion. like she can play doubles with problems had also affected the Tartans opened up their to the next level. “We have to to continue onto the NCAA “I’ve played team sports anyone on the team. “I’ve had the men’s lacrosse team: a season against IUP, they lost get more time to practice be- Division III Women’s Tennis all my life, so it was nice to lots of partners at Carnegie very condensed schedule due 10–4. However, the Tartans fore the actual season starts.” Championship after they play have tennis be a team sport Mellon. Switching up is re- to the snowfall over the course got their revenge in their sec- While she feels the pieces are in the University Athletics As- in high school,” she said. It freshing, and it’s nice to know of the winter. Over the course ond matchup, defeating the there for a strong run next sociation (UAA) Champion- certainly didn’t hurt that the that I can play with all of my of two and a half weeks, the Crimson Hawks 9–4. “Playing year, she knows that the team ship. While all members of school’s tennis program had teammates.” team had to play all eight of them is always a good chal- will need to be firing on all the team are eager to compete achieved a strong reputation, This type of chemistry has its games with limited prac- lenge for our team, but this cylinders to do so. Still, it’s in both postseason competi- having won 21 straight sec- allowed the Tartans to consis- tice. “It was a lot of work and year it was a big win and gave pretty clear that this team will tions, they will be bittersweet tional championships by the tently succeed in past years. everyone was pretty tired, but our team momentum again,” become dangerous contend- for players like senior busi- time Raschke graduated. She The team has finished in sec- despite all that, we all played sophomore center Sarah Dun- ers in the WCLL. ness administration and sta- specialized in being a doubles ond place at the Intercolle- tistics double major Bryn Ra- player, and she was the top giate Tennis Association (ITA) schke. “This is the end of my doubles player in the school Indoor Team Championship competitive career,” she said, and a team captain during her each of the past four years. noting how she feels a bit of junior and senior years. The team also went from sadness at the end of a big Raschke grew a bit rest- a fourth-place finish in the part of her life, yet is also ex- less with the San Diego area 2012 UAA Championship to cited for what the future has and wanted to explore the second place finishes in 2013 in store. east coast when she went to and 2014. Raschke’s first foray into college. Her primary focus Raschke believes the sports came when she started was on academics, since she stronger team dynamic will playing soccer in preschool. wasn’t sure if she wanted to help them get further into the For her, the sport meant meet- continue playing sports dur- playoffs this time around. ing and interacting with a lot ing her college years. Still, she Raschke is looking for- of new people who shared a expressed an interest in being ward to traveling once college common interest. “I’ve been part of a highly ranked tennis is over; she especially wants playing sports as long as I’ve team. At Carnegie Mellon, Ra- to watch Grand Slam tourna- been in school,” she said. Dur- schke felt like she was check- ments live. ing the summers, when soc- ing off both boxes. Although she will still play cer wasn’t in season, Raschke Although she initially had tennis recreationally, she also would watch her brother some troubles adjusting to wants to take up new hobbies, practice tennis, which gradu- the new demands of college as well as watch more plays Courtesy of Sarah Duncan The women’s lacrosse team poses for their 2015 team photo. ally captured her interest un- courses, she felt like she was and movies. sports briefs

Track & Field times of 5:01.66 and 5:06.79, 4:18.24. Championships this upcoming The Tartans are in the the individual leader board. On Saturday, the Carnegie respectively. Continuing the first year weekend. midst of finishing their season The win is the second straight Mellon men’s and women’s Sophomore Grace Yee set a domination, first-year Paul at the Mercyhurst Spring Invi- for the Tartans and their fifth track and field teams com- school record in the pole vault Fleming finished second in Men’s Golf tational that ends Monday. of the season. peted at the Dave Labor Invita- by clearing the 3.21-meter bar, the 5000 meter with a time of The Carnegie Mellon men’s The inaugural season as tional hosted by Slippery Rock breaking the previous record 16:06.75. Sophomore William golf team hosted its Spring Women’s Golf a varsity sport for the wom- University. of 3.10. The record-breaking Casazza finished third cross- Invitational on Tuesday at the On Tuesday, the Carnegie en’s team winds to a close For the women, junior finish was good enough for ing the line at the 16:10.35 Longue Vue Club. Sophomore Mellon women’s golf team Monday at the Grove City Taylor Maggiacomo finished sixth in the event. mark. Fellow sophomore George Qian led the Tartans shot a season low 326 on their Spring invitational. sixth in the 3000-meter stee- On the men’s side, first year Don Boyer set a pair of career with a 72 and tied for third way to a first place finish in plechase, a feat made more Joseph Pickens won his heat of highs as he placed fifth in the place individually while the the Saint Vincent Invitational. impressive given she was the 1500-meter and finished 110-meter hurdles with a time team shot a 305 and placed First-years Summer Kitahara the only Division III athlete eighth overall, first in Division of 15.65 and sixth in the long fifth. As part of the B team for and Robin Tan led the way to compete in the event. In III competition, with a time of jump with a 6.54-meter leap. Carnegie Mellon, which com- with a pair of 77s and tied for the 1500-meter run, juniors 4:16.02 with fellow first year Both teams will next com- peted as individuals, first year first overall individually. Fel- Rekha Schnepf and Liz Snyder Ani Ramakrishnan following pete in Atlanta, GA in the Uni- Nikhil Mohan also tied for low first year Emma Hoskins Compiled by finished fifth and seventh with right behind with a time of versity Athletic Association third with his score of 72. shot a 79 and tied for third on Carl glazer A12 « thetartan.org/sports The Tartan » April 20, 2015

Milliseconds decide Buggy as SDC, CIA emerge victorious

Left: Greg Hanneman/Staff Photographer Top Right: Courtesy of Alan Vangpat. Bottom Right: Matt Nielsen/Staff Photographer Left: Senior mechanical engineering student Glenn Philen chases the buggy. Top Right: Senior business administration and information systems double major Jordan Kunz barely reaches the buggy to prevent a disqualification for SDC A. Bottom Right: Buggies spent most of the race neck and neck in one of the closest finishes in recent memory.

nishant reinwal a meter from the finish line, setting a time of 2:14:172 and B women’s buggy and one for Staffwriter he managed to grab the bar a finishing within two seconds the CIA A men’s buggy being fraction of a second before it of the top 3. Spirit A, SDC the most memorable. The 96th Annual Sweep- crossed the line and ensured B, Apex A, SAE A and SDC C CIA’s buggy Equinox won stakes competition had its that his team was not disquali- rounded off the the leader- the design competition, while first full two days of racing fied. Of course, this was after board for the men’s categories Spirit’s Inviscid came in sec- since 2010, and the competi- he ran fast enough to set a as nine teams managed to fin- ond and Fringe’s new buggy tion more commonly known time of 2:12.358 to beat SigEp ish the race. Balius came third. The Chair- as Buggy had some of its best A by just 348 milliseconds. Eight teams managed to man’s Choice award went racing in over two decades With CIA A also finishing with qualify for the women’s race to SigEp while Phi Delt took with close finishes in the a time of 2:12.955, it was the and the top two were followed home the Spirit of Buggy men’s races and surprises in first time in over two decades by a host of close finishes. SDC award. The best T-shirt was the women’s ensuring that the that the top three men’s teams A finished third with a time of awarded to SAE and Inviscid large audience at the event finished this close. PiKA A 2:46.584, and were followed was the people’s choice for the did not go home disappointed. could have given any of these closely by PiKa A and Apex B, best buggy. SDC had comfortably won teams a run, but they were who finished within two sec- There was a lot of excite- both the Men’s and Women’s disqualified in the preliminary onds of SDC’s time. Spirit B ment amongst the heads of races each of the last three races for missing the bar. and CIA B were not far behind many buggy teams, who were years, but would not be nearly This was also the first time and barely had a second sepa- more impressed with the as dominant this time as CIA A in thirty years that CIA won a rating them. SAE A rounded tight competition this year as and Fringe A comfortably beat race in any gender category, out the leaderboard for the compared to last year. Fringe their A team in the women’s with the 1985 women’s race women’s races. buggy chairman Preetam race while they only won by their most recent turn atop The only team that did Amancharla said, “I think af- less than a second against the standings. They have not qualify was SigEp B, as ter all the fear of having both both SigEp A and CIA A in the made large strides over the the buggy spun out and also days rained out, to actually men’s edition. last year and managed, along caused SDC C to spin, though have had both in such a long A key reason why SDC A with SDC A, to place in the top they managed to complete the time is a huge win for buggy. maintained their position at three in the men’s and wom- race. Besides this incident, What excites me most is the the top of the men’s stand- en’s categories. there were no other crashes 1 second gap in the top 3 for ings was the performance of Fourth place in the men’s during the finals. There were men’s and the 2 second gap in Jordan Kunz, their pusher on category went to Fringe A, a lot of passes in the chute, the top 4. We can expect a lot hill 5. With the buggy barely who performed quite well in though, with two for the CIA of movement next year.”

Matt Nielsen/Staff Photographer Senior professional writing major Chandler Caufield sprints after a buggy. CIA A won in the women’s division. Men’s Final Times Women’s Final Times

1. SDC A: 2:12.358 1. CIA A: 2:35.641 2. SigEp A: 2:12.706 2. Fringe A: 2:39.992 3. CIA A: 2:12.955 3. SDC A: 2:46.584 4. Fringe A: 2:14.172 4. PiKA A: 2:47.872 5. Spirit A: 2:16.598 5. Apex B: 2:48.378 6. SDC B: 2:19.460 6. Spirit B: 2:53.209 7. Apex A: 2:20.403 7. CIA B: 2:54.525 8. SAE A: 2:24.039 8. SAE A: 3:11.269 9. SDC C: 2:25.950 Pillbox 04.20.15 Volume 109, Issue 24 Carnival Review ...this week only 3 DS Gala Dancer’s Symposium rallies current students and alumni to celebrate 25 years. 4 Film Festival Shot for Shot film festival displays the commendable work of students.

5 Scotch’n’Soda Scotch’n’Soda do Stephen Sondheim and George Furth justice in Merrily We Roll Along.

6 Concert RJD2 and Matt and Kim rouse their crowd of students in an immersive muscial journey. 7 Comedy Show Thomas Middleditch and Kumail Nanjiani bust guts with impeccably tailored jokes. 8 Booth Review 8 Find out what how all the booths rank in the eyes of The Tartan’s staff.

4 5 6 7 regulars...... diversions

3 Advice 19 Comics Everything you need to know about Peruse some comics for a dose of levity as this extraterrestrial romantic affairs. semester comes to a close.

10 Carnival Pics 21 Puzzles The Tartan’s annual display of awesomely fun Get the gears in your mind up to speed with Carnival activities. these brain teasers.

23 Calendar 22 Horoscopes Check out what fun events are happening in Find out what the stars above suggest the the city of Pittsburg this week. future willl bring for you this week.

PUBLISHER Laura Scherb EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brian Trimboli PILLBOX EDITOR Lula Beresford-Banker ASSISTANT PILLBOX EDITOR Lanre Adetola COMICS EDITOR Maryyann Landlord ART EDITOR Eunice Oh PHOTO EDITOR Abhinav Gautam COPY MANAGER James Wu COVER Danielle Hu

The Tartan . Box 119 . UC Suite 103 . Carnegie Mellon University . 5000 Forbes Ave . Pittsburgh, PA 15213 . www.thetartan.org . © 2015 The Tartan DS celebrates anniversary Advice for awkward people Dancers’ Symposium holds gala for 25 years of performance About mistaking cosplayers for extraterrestrial life

This year, Dancers’ Symposium (DS), a student-run Goodloe also emphasized that the social aspect of Dear Evan, Dear LADY KILL-LA, organization that puts on a two-act dance show each DS makes it special. His involvement stretches back semester, celebrated their 25th year at Carnegie to his first year at Carnegie Mellon, when he just As I was getting ready While the existence of Mellon. To honor the occasion, DS hosted an event auditioned and performed as a dancer. After that, he to go out and start my extraterrestrial life forms, at the Porch Friday night and invited back alumni to stayed on as a director and choreographer for three three exquisite nights sentient or otherwise, is celebrate with current students. more years. He said that it gave him a family outside of Carnival debauchery, entirely likely, I highly doubt of his major. an alien knocked on my that a pretty one showed Organizers realized the anniversary was on the door. I knew she (it?) up on your doorstep, horizon last summer when an alumnus contacted Ryan Sickles, sophomore information systems was an alien because knew English, and imbibed veteran DS director Joel Goodloe, a senior vocal major, who only participated in DS for one semester, she had this super substances that could very performance major. Directors have pointed at alumni talked about the program’s value from a different futuristic and revealing well be toxic — well, more involvement as an area where they would like the perspective. He never danced prior to auditioning, outfit with spiked, toxic — to her alien body organization to expand. but he said that it gave him such new respect for ’80s-style shoulder than to that of a human. the dancers who do it every semester. They put in a pads, horns, red and Michelle Cho, sophomore business major and DS significant amount of time before going to perform, black hair, blue cat-like I posit a more realistic director, added that they have recently started which is difficult and deserves appreciation. eyes, and a red sword scenario: Your alien an alumni database to work toward this goal and shaped like half of a was, in fact, a woman celebrate the anniversary. They’ve also seen an Cho, who had also never danced prior to joining scissor. cosplaying Ryuko Matoi, increase in alumni interaction with social media sites. DS, finds that one of the most special aspects of the the protagonist from the Last week when the dancers put on a flash mob, the organization is how accepting it is of everyone. “No I think she was looking semi-popular anime Kill video received a lot of alumni attention on Facebook, matter where you come from, what background you for a way back to her la Kill. This year, Carnival creating more interaction and conversation. Alumni may or may not have,” they accept dancers of any skill home planet — I didn’t weekend coincides with still continue to come back to enjoy the show every level or genre, because what brings them all together recognize the name. Tekkoshokon, the anime semester. Cho believes this is because DS positively is that everyone has passion for what they’re doing. But she was kind of convention in Downtown; impacted so many alumni’s college experiences that hot, so I offered to take your alien is probably as they’re excited to maintain involvement. Buzzell added that passion is really what keeps the her with me to all the stupid as you are, and got organization moving forward. And at the party, it was house parties over the off the bus way before she Another director, David Buzzell, a sophomore double clear that everyone there loved what they were doing. weekend. She seemed should have. That scissor major in electrical and computer engineering and After everyone had finished enjoying the buffet, the confused, but seemed sword was probably very, music and technology, added that it was DS alumni crowd moved out onto the dance floor. Each dancer to think I was taking very plastic. who convinced him to attend Carnegie Mellon in had their own style; some were in the center while her where she wanted the first place. Positive alumni involvement is an some stuck toward the edge. A few were comfortable to go, so she agreed. So, if you two did sleep irreplaceable asset for any organization, institution, or with aggressive hip-hop, and others just felt the beat. So we got plastered, together, I would stop school, and DS sees this value. But everyone there seemed really happy to be dancing and stayed plastered worrying about the and to be with their friends. That’s what made the all weekend. I can’t repercussions of sleeping The flash mob last week was part of another goal night special. remember any of it. with an alien, and start for Dancers’ Symposium—increasing community worrying about whether or interaction. Buzzell said that he wants to continue to Sarah Gutekunst | Operations Manager Now I woke up, and not you used a condom. expand the organization in new ways. This year they she’s in bed next to me, had 180 students audition, great progress for internal and I think I slept with Or just plan a drive-thru expansion. But externally they were looking to interact an alien, and I have no wedding, with campus in more ways than just performing once idea how to help her find Evan Kahn per semester. That’s why they added their flash mob her home planet, and and held the celebration during Carnival. Dancers I’m afraid she’ll kill me would like also to hold camps and classes in the area with that weird sword Need advice? so that they can contribute what they’ve learned to she’s been carrying Send your queries to the community. everywhere. What do I [email protected] do? After speaking to dancers and directors alike, it becomes clear that Dancers’ Symposium is special Fretfully, to many members of our campus community. For Lackadaisically dancers like sophomore materials science and Adventurous, Drenched engineering and biomedical engineering double Yonder Khakis In Liquor, major Sabrina Liu, it’s an opportunity to continue to Laughably Lacking dance once coming to Carnegie Mellon, but it’s also Aptitude an opportunity for growth. After telling me “DS made me more sassy,” with a gesture that was sassy indeed, Liu talked about how her participation allowed her to meet people who helped her come out of her shell.

dance pillbox 04.20.15 3 Student film festival expands following CMU Community treated to an evening of student-made films at Shot for Shot festival In only its third year, the Shot for Shot student film footsteps. Diamonds seems to stray too far down the Rust Belt festival is still young enough that each year the program family dynamics track, leaving us there at the end, Directed by Daniel Kusbit gets notably better. This year, the event nearly filled the without rounding out the narrative. Still, it’s a poignant Devoid of characters, dialogue, or plot, this three- Cohon University Center’s McConomy Auditorium to interview-based story, coarse and grounded like the city minute film is primarily an aesthetic experience, pairing capacity with students, faculty, family, and community, it’s set in. shots of rusting Pittsburgh bridges with free-flowing and delivered quality short films. Some relied on instrumental music. It experiments with geometry and overplayed subject matter, but many were fresh and Muted movement, layering frames atop each other in dogged entertaining. Directed by Lex Truss search of beauty, transforming these mundane, decaying A frustrated young woman crumples up her written structures into things of loveliness. These films aren’t your sixth-grade movie projects work, tossing the pages in a dingy dumpster in a rainy shot with a Best Buy-bought video camera. They’re alley. Meanwhile, a ragged, bearded man digs up the Marcus Sunshine professional creations, made with professional pages, piecing them back together. When they meet, Directed by Marlee M. Schneider equipment by near-professionals themselves. It’s clear we see a touching exchange between two disparate A reformed drug dealer turned stripper gets a these student filmmakers take themselves, and their characters. The effect is sweet, but the situation seems a compassionate portrait in this award-winning film. The work, very seriously. bit contrived. treatment is gritty — it’s probably the least polished of all the films — but respectful, humanizing our hero Marcus The filmSteel Town won the Audience Award, Milkman Sunshine in tender scenes with his twin sister. The determined by viewer-submitted paper ballots after the Directed by Garrett Kennell filmmakers include a moment of graphic nudity, but it’s program, while Milkman took home the Grand Jury Prize Milkman is a standout for its sheer whimsicality, both in an important decision to trade comfort for relevance, and and Marcus Sunshine snagged the Special Jury Prize. photography and plot development. The titular character thanks to beautiful filmmaking, the scene lends an odd is also a jolly caricature of himself, in a pristinely majesty to Marcus’s work. Perhaps the best film overall. All Sight suburban neighborhood that is a caricature of itself. Directed by Talia Levin When a tragic accident occurs, the milkman springs into Steel Town The festival opener asks, “What happens when our action, triggering a hysterical series of events. Spotted Directed by Nicolas Hurt desire to live in the past overwhelms our motivation to with fanciful humor, this film is probably the most In 1892 Homestead, a power struggle arises between live in the present?” A grieving widower spends his time perfectly executed. underpaid steel mill workers and the robber-baron mill in a virtual video game reality in which his wife is still owners. Based on real events, this film condenses a alive, meanwhile neglecting his young daughter. Though Pick Your Poison historical epic into 20 minutes. Though impressive on it ends sweetly, it’s a heartbreaking story that, despite Directed by Ashley Czernienski-Hagan many levels — detailed, period-appropriate costumes and the science fiction, isn’t too far from reality. Constant miscommunication plagues star-crossed a large cast — Steel Town takes itself a bit too seriously. students Parker and Julie. The story is convoluted, with It’s difficult to present a classic trope — hardworking, The Colourful Mind the poison metaphor somewhat lost on the audience struggling laborers against wealthy Gilded Age tyrants — Directed by Bethany Barich — but on a scene-by-scene level, the writing is strong. as new, and Steel Town almost gets there. Young painter Gracie Winters lives in a literally black- Spiced with lines like, “ ‘How do you feel about sushi?’ and-white world, chased by an oppressive government ‘Not as strongly as I feel about Indian,’ ” the script adds determined to quash individual expression. It’s clever punches of color. Rachel Cohen | Contributing Editor beautifully shot, the black-and-white lens creating a story in light and shadows. But the trope of expression- versus-government, complete with a central artist martyr, has been done before, and this film’s arc is hard to distinguish from all the rest.

Table For Two Directed by Connor Yoho Three masked men break into a Pittsburgh home. Meanwhile, a couple bickers in a nearby park, their relationship on the verge of breakup. The stories seem entirely disparate until they’re not. What looks like a crime in progress isn’t what we expect. While other films trudge through serious material, this one had the audience laughing throughout, in anticipation of the hilarious ending twist.

Diamonds in the Rough Directed by Dominique Carino A little-known secret of downtown Pittsburgh, the Helfer family sets diamonds and toils over custom rings at their private jewelry shop. But life isn’t all gemstones Abhinav Gautam | Photo Editor and sparkles — far from it, especially for heir apparent After the screening of the films, the filmmakers took part in a panel discussion with each other and the audience. David Helfer, who struggles to follow his father Ira’s

films 4 pillbox 04.20.15 Audiences ponder the future of their friendships Scotch’n’Soda’s Merrily We Roll Along raises interesting questions despite weaknesses This weekend, Carnegie Mellon Carnival attendees had the opportunity to see this year’s Scotch’n’Soda Carnival slot musical Merrily We Roll Along. A work of pure genius from Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, Merrily explores the progression of a friendship among three people in reverse chronological order. There are many reasons Merrily is one of my favorite musicals, if not my favorite. Not only does it expertly examine friendship withstanding — or not withstanding — the test of time after college and throughout life, but it follows the creative partnership between composer and lyricist through music written by one of the masters himself.

I attended the 11 p.m. show on Saturday night. It was the last night of Carnival, right after the concert, when campus was full of revelers and those with just a little too much enthusiasm. The show definitely reflected that. Though giggling, heckling, and whooping abounded, the performers managed to stay in character as much as possible and pull off a relatively cohesive performance. The three friends

— Frank, Charley, and Mary — have incredibly Danielle Hu | Staff Photographer complicated relationships, and following them First-year art major Melanie Anderson plays a television host in the scene where junior vocal performance major backward through time has the potential to be very Camilo Estrada’s Charley (right) embarrasses his friend Frank (center), played by sophomore vocal performance confusing. major Angelo Ragghianti, on live television.

Frank, played by sophomore vocal performance major Angelo Ragghianti, is a very successful composer at Shepard, Inc.” — in which Charlie blows up at Frank the musical less integrity, because I didn’t feel as the beginning of the musical, (which is technically on national TV — practically perfectly. emotionally invested in their relationship. Part of this the end, chronologically.) His relationship with issue was due to strange staging. Because of this, Charley, played by junior vocal performance major The pit orchestra also performed the notoriously some of the more emotional lines of the musical came Camilo Estrada, has been fractured by Frank’s more tricky repertoire with grace. Led by sophomore out a little cliché, rather than as heartwarming or commercial aspirations coming at the expense of composition major Andrew Dewey, the various tragic as they are supposed to sound. his collaboration with his lyricist friend. First-year musicians sounded clean and together, even through directing major Burke Louis portrayed the somewhat some of the stickier spots onstage. Sophomore At the end of the day, the extensive effort expended hapless and disillusioned Mary. At the beginning saxophone performance major Laurel Beatty even by those in the production was met with enthusiastic of the musical Mary yells at Frank, effectively managed to make cool and on tempo typewriter applause. Though the production might not have disintegrating their friendship in much the same way sound effects for the song “Opening Doors.” had the more seamless execution of past Carnival that his friendship with Charley has disintegrated. slot musicals, the thought-provoking nature of Mary is a drunk, and teeters around the stage Though the production had a variety of strengths, the musical left audiences considering their past bemoaning the end of the trio’s age old relationship. there were some areas that were a little less and present friendships and the way time and enjoyable. The Saturday night show probably circumstance has, and will, change them. This The musical proceeds in a slightly happier direction had some discrepancies with the rest of the Carnival, Merrily We Roll Along still had the capacity after that. Audiences see Frank and Charley’s falling performances, but some of the problems were to evoke these thoughts in those in attendance, and out more closely, the dissolution of Frank’s first probably consistent over the course of the run. There that is no small feat. marriage as a result of an affair, Frank and Charley’s was very little choreography during the production, brief but unhappy success, Mary’s rise as successful which is partly the nature of the musical, but it also author, Frank and Charley’s struggles to make it in would have been nice to see some variety onstage. Lula Beresford | Pillbox Editor the world of theater as college graduates, and lastly The ensemble often looked a little awkward and still the evening the three of them met. during the transition numbers. Even having a couple dancers onstage in addition to the vocal chorus As a person who knows the musical well, I might might have livened up some of the staging and given have had an easier time than most following the the audience much-needed visual stimulation. storyline through the years. Both Ragghianti and Estrada’s voices carried well and gracefully The chemistry between the three leads was also a performed Sondheim’s complicated and rapid little off. As an audience member I didn’t find their musical numbers. Estrada executed “Franklin friendship that believable, and I found that it gave

scotch’n’soda pillbox 04.20.15 5 Matt and Kim get CMU dancing and grooving American indie dance duo perform on the Mall for crowds of local Pittsburgh students Carnegie Mellon students, bogged down for long And even with, or perhaps because of, this sparse threw 400 unfilled balloons into the audience. Soon semesters by the pressures of being Carnegie Mellon arrangement, they make big, loud, stadium-sized enough, the entire sky was patched with neon, and students, are known to leave their responsibilities music designed to get maximum hands in the air. the already packed ground was full of people jumping in the classroom and party hard enough to turn any And even though they write at the intersection to catch the balloons. For a ballad, Matt and Kim parent red for that one special extra long weekend of pop and dance, their music is unabashedly ordered the shorter people in the crowd to to climb every year: Spring Carnival. This year, nowhere was independent and veers away from anything you on of the shoulders of others, and wave their hands this more true than at Saturday night’s Matt and Kim might find on the airwaves. More than anything else in the air. For another song, Kim walked off the stage, concert. People danced wildly, sang, and screamed though, they have a reputation for playing high- onto the audience’s hands to dance. All the while, a their lungs hoarse. People got on each other’s powered, in-your-face shows. At Carnegie Mellon, massive screen continuously filmed the audience. shoulders and crowd surfed all evening long. By the Matt and Kim more than met the craziness levels that end, the concert felt like an intimate outdoor music they are known for. One set and one encore later, most people looked festival. like they had just emerged from a night club — Matt introduced Kim as she walked on stage as “his exhausted, grimy, and sweaty, but utterly satiated. The evening started at around 7:30 p.m. with partner in crime, and in sex.” This introduction was They left the Mall strewed with confetti and popped opening act RJD2, a DJ from Philadelphia who works just the first in a string of hilariously over-the-top balloons, Matt and Kim’s distinctive mark on the in what he likes to call “Psychedelic Soul.” For his antics that set the mood for the rest of the evening. campus. This week, most students will go back set, he combined a mixture of jazz, trip hop, and The energy emanating from the two was stunning. to a regular work schedule. As a break before the dance to gradually build the crowd’s anticipation One song in, Matt mentioned that Carnival was final three weeks of the semester, the Matt and for the main act. Even though he started reasonably the duo’s first outdoor concert of 2015, and that the Kim concert was an excellent chance to experience early with a thin crowd, he built his set perfectly heavenly weather was a sign that the evening was the frivolous things in life that we so often miss at to slowly warm everyone up, and was a good going to be a lot of fun. With that sentiment, they Carnegie Mellon. complement to what was about to come. By the time continued their set. Kim often jumped on top of her Matt and Kim stepped on stage, the crowd was well drum set to dance while she played. Matt sang his primed for what came next. lungs out, moving all over the stage, dancing and playing the keyboard all the same. Abhishek Tayal | Staffwriter Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino are an archetype of atypicality if there ever was one. She plays The duo used an unbelievably wide assortment of the drums, and he sings and plays the keyboard. tricks to keep everyone engaged. For one song, they

Michelle Wan | Personnel Manager Michelle Wan | Personnel Manager Married couple Kim Schifino (left) and Matt Johnson (right) have a charismatic and infectious energy on stage that can rouse a crowd, even if they are unfamiliar with Matt and Kim’s music. concert 6 pillbox 04.20.15 Middleditch and Nanjiani bring the laughs Silicon Valley stars present comedy show full of Carnegie Mellon-appropriate humor “Who here likes robots?” Silicon Valley actors Thomas Middleditch and Kumail Nanjiani asked the crowd as they opened their comedy show on Midway Thursday night. To no one’s surprise, the crowd’s enthusiasm was overwhelming. Nanjiani even stated, “that was the most aggressive response I’ve ever heard to robots.” Middleditch and Nanjiani’s sets were very standard, but, like Nanjiani’s mother said of his Amazon stand-up special, “none of the jokes were very dry.”

The comedians took the standard route of self- deprecation, mostly pertaining to their nerdiness. Hitting home with an audience that celebrates its school’s traditions of playing Quidditch and weird Carnival activities, Middleditch and Nanjiani fit in just fine among the Carnegie Mellon populace.

The two opened together, and within a few minutes, Nanjiani introduced Middleditch, who took the stage solo for about 30 laughter-filled minutes. The laughs weren’t continuous, though, as Middleditch supplied the crowd with plenty of awkwardness — his vulgar jokes were, perhaps, a little extreme for some students. After trying to set up a single girl and guy in the crowd, Middleditch recounted his high school experience, his brief college years, and a near death experience.

“Thomas Steven Middleditch: I always felt like my name belonged in an old English novel. Like I’d be the boy asking ‘Please sir, can you spare a bit more soup?’ and he’d reply ‘No, you rat bastard. Steven — stop touching your penis.’”

Middleditch sometimes invoked his father’s British and Severus Snape-like mannerisms in his set. He proceeded to then tell the story of his near-death experience at the hands of the Pacific Ocean in Australia. When talking Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer about death, Middleditch maintained a level of hilarity Two members of the cast of the HBO show Silicon Valley, Thomas Middleditch, left, and Kumail Nanjiani, above, unparalleled by most comedians, making this one of the performed in this year’s Carnival comedy show. best Carnival comedy shows in years.

Middleditch and Nanjiani have been fellow comedians It was at this time that then Nanjiani brought and friends for over ten years. After they both started Middleditch back on stage, and they closed the show their careers in Chicago, the pair were elated to find just as they had opened it: together. They further that they and many of their friends were cast on HBO’s discussed their nerdiness, still prime material with Silicon Valley, which airs every Sunday on HBO following Carnegie Mellon students late into the night, and they the hit drama Game of Thrones. made a plug for their show. A competition sprung up within the crowd, proctored by Middleditch and Nanjiani is a fitting actor for the role of Dinesh onSilicon Nanjiani. There were three blu-ray discs of Silicon Valley, Valley. He is a Pakistani self-identified nerd from Karachi, and hundreds of students. After many students made who majored in computer science in college. He opened, remarks as to why they should get the discs, the two as he usually does at his comedy shows, with his threw them into the crowd, with Nanjiani remarking “are heritage, discussing his parents’ idiosyncrasies and his you seeing these throws, man? I’m on a roll tonight!” own. A remarkable thing happened, though, as Nanjiani met another Kumail in the crowd who was also from As the evening drew to a close, it was clear that both Pakistan. Telling the crowd “You can all leave — Kumail of them were on a roll. The student crowd left satisfied and I are going to have a conversation,” Nanjiani began and in good spirits. The two are a pair worthy of to use this fellow Kumail’s similarities as improvised recommendation for any standup viewers. material for his stand-up. His stage presence was very comfortable, and his big laughs were executed to perfection. Brian Walsh | Staffwriter comedy pillbox 04.20.15 7 For 101st year, Carnival booths display scenes from a Living Library CMU organizations build wildly creative booths that take visitors on a journey through the ocean, the forest, and even to the very center of the earth If you stepped onto Midway during this year’s 101st Spring was not only immersive, but generally seamless and fun to play. The Boothy for Most Family-Friendly Booth Carnival celebration, you may have noticed some familiar faces Other game, like the Singapore Students’ Association’s The Little — no, not the faces of peers or fellow alumni, but the faces that Prince game, were right up there with Phi Delta’s. The game The Asian Students Association (ASA) takes this award with appeared in some of your favorite books. had two users interact with a touchscreen to dig up plants that their Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs book. Of course, the popped up on the screen. However, Phi Delta’s booth took the theme of this booth automatically lends itself to a family-friendly This year’s Booth theme, Living Library, brought some of the cake with its game’s impressive scope. atmosphere. most prominent books of the past and present to life on a Midway that seemed particularly polished. Despite a few hitches, like But ASA followed through with a fun fishing game for the kids. A the failure of Delta Gamma and Alpha Chi Omega to open their Awards Ceremony Results stream pushed wooden food through the game’s area. Players had Jumanji and The Twelve Dancing Princesses booths, respectively, to use a magnetic fishing rod to get the food. Overall, the booth it was delightful to see old classics like the Berenstain Bears and had a light-hearted feel that had the potential to keep kids hang- newer books like Life of Pi brought off the page and put onto the ing around for much longer than they would at some of the more pavement of the Morewood Parking Lot. serious booths, like Student Dormitory Council’s Nineteen Eighty- Blitz Four and Fringe’s Sherlock Holmes booths. Every year, the Carnival Committee examines the booths from 1) MCS Hunger Games top to bottom to determine which are the best of the best. This The Andrew Carnegie Boothy for Best Overall Booth year, the committee awarded first place in the fraternity and 2) Mayur: Aladdin sorority categories to Alpha Epsilon Pi for their Jurassic Park 3) Math Club: What If? The Tartan’s favorite booth overall was Alpha Epsilon Pi’s Jurassic booth and Kappa Alpha Theta for their Wonderful Wizard of Oz Park. All components of this booth were put together well, con- booth, respectively. For blitz booths, the committee awarded Independent tributing to a structure with solid features all around. Not only first place to the Mellon College of Science for their The Hunger was the game, which involved a gun and dinosaur targets, fun, Games booth. For independent booths, the committee awarded 1) TSA: Life of Pi but there were other impressive features like museum artifacts the Taiwanese Students Assocation’s Life of Pi booth with first 2) ASA: Cloudy with a Chance of that contributed to a learning experience. place. Meatballs 3) KGB: Where the Sidewalk Ends The fraternity’s largest “Wow” factor was the real Jeep sitting at The Tartan similarly takes a look at every nook and cranny of the the bottom of the booth on the way out. The room containing the booths to determine which are the most successful, as well as Jeep was a great place for photographs and, come on, there was which booths were most underrated. This year, we award our Sorority a Jeep in a booth! For all these reasons, Alpha Epsilon Phi’s booth third annual Boothy Awards in what were, although not necessar- 1) Kappa Alpha Theta: Wizard of Oz squeezed out this best-of-booths award. Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer ily category winners, some of the best booths this year. 2) Kappa Kappa Gamma: The Magic Treehouse Conclusion The Architecture Boothy for Best Design 3) Delta Delta Delta: Where the Wild While the 100th Spring Carnival had some of the best booths The Kappa Alpha Theta takes this boothy for their unique staircase Things Are Tartan has seen to date, this year’s booths were able to compete leading up to the second story that replicated a tornado with a with the booths created for last year’s milestone event. The Living grayscale theme to match the aesthetics of the Wonderful Wizard Fraternity Library theme is, of course, a dream for avid literary fans like the of Oz’s movie counterpart. The kitchen from Kansas at the begin- 1) Alpha Epsilon Pi: Jurassic Park members of The Tartan’s staff. ning of the booth was also quaint and cozy, while the staircase leading down from the second story was impressive with its 2) Sigma Phi Epsilon: The Polar Express However, theme aside, the booths this year were elaborate with flying monkey at the base that looked as if it was taken straight 3) Delta Tau Delta: Journey to the Center some unique structural designs, the likes of which are rarely seen. from the movie. Games were particularly enjoyable and the intricacy of the art adorning booth walls lived up to previous years. In a close second, Delta Tau Delta’s Journey to the Center of the Earth booth had a similarly impressive staircase that replicated This year, it showed once again that Carnegie Mellon’s students the feeling of walking into the depth’s of the Earth’s many layers. have their hearts in this Spring Carnival main event. Here’s to The loud, crushing sounds that reverberated around the staircase The Andy Warhol Boothy for Best Art many more years of booth, although next year will most likely see and a special mirror illusion added to the effect of walking into a booths constructed not on the Morewood Parking Lot, but in the never-ending space. The TSA incorporated impressive art into their Life of Pi booth. lot next to the College of Fine Arts. Not only did they place an elaborate mural on the outside of their The Pong Boothy for Best Game building that gave the whole structure an ancient feel, but they Will those booths live up to the ones constructed in the Morewood also constructed a number of paper mâché animals that visitors lot despite the possible logistical challenges of adapting to a new Phi Delta Theta’s Oculus Rift game at their Twenty Thousand could interact with. Among the animals were the book’s iconic booth location? Time will tell, and the fourth annual Boothy Leagues Under the Sea booth went above and beyond to deliver tiger in the equally iconic raft, a peacock, and a zebra. The art, Awards will be here to dissect those structures. a unique experience to the user. Guests put the virtual reality both inside and outside, of this book captured the essence of the headset on and then proceeded to shoot the giant squid from the book perfectly. book out of the water to save the Nautilus submarine. The game Braden Kelner | Contributing Editor Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer From clockwise left: Math Club, KGB, MCS and were among the winning organizations for their booths. Booth topics varied from accessible children’s literature to more adult novels.

booth booth 8 pillbox 04.20.15 pillbox 04.20.15 9 OPENING DAY

Midway opened Thursday after- noon with a small opening cer- emony and a concert from Carnegie Mellon Kiltie Band.

Photos by Matthew Nielsen | Photo Staff

The opening ceremony featured the Kiltie band and speeches from Dean of Student Affairs Gina Casalegno (left) and the members of the Carnival Committee, who spoke about the Living Library theme and how it fits at Carnegie Mellon. The Kiltie band also performed a concert in the Midway tent.

midway midway 10pillbox 04.20.15 pillbox 04.20.15 11 MATT AND KIM

Kevin Zheng | Assistant Photo Editor The indie dance duo performed to a huge crowd on the Mall last Saturday, with an

opening by RJD2. Michelle Wan | Personnel Manager Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photographer

Kevin Zheng | Assistant Photo Editor

Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photographer Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photographer Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photographer Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photographer concert concert 12pillbox 04.20.15 pillbox 04.20.15 13 Holi Students and other members of the Carnegie Mellon community cel- ebrated the Hindu festival of color, Holi, on the Saturday of Carnival. As part of the celebration, participants in white shirts threw colored pow- der at each other and enjoyed Indian food together. Abhinav Gautam | Photo Editor

Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photographer

Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photographer Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photographer holi holi 14pillbox 04.20.15 pillbox 04.20.15 15 MIDWAY SCOTCH RIDES ’N’SODA

A Ferris wheel and A thought-provoking bumper cars were musical, Merrily We among the featured Roll Along entertained carnival rides on this a rowdy audience on

year’s Midway. Abhinav Gautam | Photo Editor Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer Friday and Saturday.

Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer

Abhinav Gautam | Photo Editor Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer Danielle Hu | Junior Photographer rides theatre 16pillbox 04.20.15 pillbox 04.20.15 17 BUGGY Teams give their all in annual Buggy races Friday and Saturday mornings, and buggies of the past are displayed at the Buggy Showcase on Thursday.

Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photgrapher

Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photgrapher Matthew Nielsen | Staff Photgrapher Left: Junior mechanical engineering major Alp Erbug pushes junior biology major Sushma Narayan for Sigma Phi Epsilon’s A team. Top right: Just a few of the Fringe bug- gies on display during the Buggy Showcase Thursday afternoon. Bottom right: An older Sigma Phi Epsilon buggy also on display at the Buggy Showcase. buggy 18pillbox 04.20.15 Political Cartoons by Michelle Ma

[email protected] michelledoeswhat.com

Code Quality by xkcd

[email protected] xkcd.com

comics pillbox 04.20.15 19 Extra Ordinary by Li Chen

[email protected] exocomics.com

comics 20pillbox 04.20.15 Sudoku Puzzle: Very Hard Difficulty Maze Puzzle: Hard Difficulty

Sudoku courtesy of www.krazydad.com Maze courtesy of www.krazydad.com Fill all empty squares using numbers 1 to 9. No number may Start from the left bottom arrow of the maze and find your be used in the same row or column more than once. way out to the other arrow.

Solutions from April 13

Crossword Sudoku Maze

puzzles pillbox 04.20.15 21 Horoscopes Which superhero would you be? Aries are fearless leaders and no role is more fitting than aries Captain America. As the leaders of the Avengers, he relies march 21–april 19 on this physical strength, speed, agility and smarts to stay ahead of his foes.

Known for being stubborn, but having a strong willpower taurus and determination, Taurus’s superhero is most like Green april 20–may 20 Lantern.

The Wonder Twins’ powers are perfect for the dual nature gemini of Gemini. Their power is only activated when they touch may 21–june 21 each other and speak the words “Wonder Twin powers activate!”

Sensitive, caring Cancers are sometimes shy and want to cancer withdraw. Invisible Woman suits this role the most with her june 22–july 22 nurturing nature and naturally protective powers.

Leos describe themselves as the wallcrawler Spiderman, leo who fulfills Leos’ drama-loving nature and need for july 23–aug. 22 attention.

Crossword courtesy of BestCrosswords.com

With his critical eye for detail, Robin is the ideal Virgo Across virgo choice. Virgos are known for their intelligence and dark Down aug. 23–sept. 22 sense of humor, which are both evident in Robin’s 1. Initially 1. Books of maps 8. Strained character. 2. Small ornament 15. Testimonial 3. Capable of being molded 16. Animal structure science 4. Steel girder Libra is ruled by Venus, the planet of love and beauty, which 17. Official permit 5. Ancient letter libra the gorgeous Wonder Woman embodies perfectly. She is 18. Heavy napped woolen fabric 6. Ave. crossers sept. 23–oct. 22 kind, friendly, and out to fight for fairness. 19. Architectural piers 7. Mall-goer, often 20. One of the Leeward Islands 8. Immature insects 22. Bikini top 9. For want of ___ ... 23. Milk choice 10. Cave dwellers scorpio The dark and mysterious Batman suits Scopios’ personality 24. Taj ___ 11. Legendary Giant the most. Batman doesn’t actually have any superpowers, 25. Toupees 12. Male European deer oct. 23–nov. 21 but is able to rely on his smarts and technology to beat his 26. Sushi option 13. Appears enemies. 27. Scoundrel 14. Family of rulers 28. Aspect 21. Israel’s Barak 29. Abnormally narrowed 24. Saunter Adventure-loving Sagittarius can never stay in one place sagittarius 31. Sociable 25. Inspire anew for too long, similar to the Norse god of thunder, Thor. His 32. Frankfurt’s river 27. Copland ballet nov. 22–dec. 21 talents, similar to Sagittarius’ powers, are speed, strength, 33. Improbable 28. ___ acid (B vitamin) and power of flight. 34. Conference 30. Nick of “Lorenzo’s Oil” 37. Japanese dish 31. Yogi 41. Vinegary prefix The earthy Capricorn is best represented by Superman. 33. Custody capricorn 42. Living in flowing water 34. Nightclothes Like most Capricorns, this hero is grounded, solid, and 43. Moving vehicle dec. 22–jan. 19 35. Professoriate loyal. 44. Practical joke 36. Store for safekeepin 45. Stately home 37. Electronics giant 46. Poses 38. Flies 47. Fuss Aquarius is quirky, eccentric, forward thinking, and friendly. 39. Lake in central Scotland aquarius 48. Nymph chaser 40. Six legged creatures When it comes to Aquarian superpowers, Professor X is 49. Without ___ in the world jan. 20–feb. 18 42. Workshop machinery the best fit. A mutant with the most brilliant mind in the 50. Companion of Daniel 45. Twinned crystal universe, he is the world’s most powerful telepath. 52. Unstable 46. Rapscallion 54. Affable 48. Kemo ___ Naturally, Pisces’ superhero would be Aquaman. He not 55. Article of clothing 49. Razor name pisces 56. Lounges 51. Pillbox, e.g. only communicates with the marine life, he also captures 57. Goes b feb. 19–march 20 the sensitivity and imagination of Pisces. 53. Gal of song

Maryyann Landlord | Comics Editor horoscopes 22pillbox 04.20.15 Wednesday 4/22/15 Three Sisters. Purnell Center of the Arts. Philip Chosky Theater. Carnegie Mellon University Philharmonic. Anton Chekhov’s renowned play Three Sisters is a critical, Carnegie Music Hall. 8 p.m. sad, and beautiful portrayal of provincial life. Olga, Masha, Classifieds With direction from Andrés Cárdenes, the Philharmonic and Irina, the sisters, desire an exciting life and try to will perform Samuel Barber’s Symphony in One achieve their hopes and dreams. This ageless drama is Change kids’ lives with KEYS AmeriCorps. Movement and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 translated by Paul Schmidt and is directed by Pamela Join a team of over 90 members at in E-Flat Major, Eroica. The performance will also feature Berlin. Tickets are $10 with Carnegie Mellon ID, and are 20 Pittsburgh summer camps for one faculty member, soprano Jennifer Aylmer. $19.50 online. Performances are April 21–25. unforgettable summer. Earn $3,241 throughout General admission is $5. Students, staff, and faculty with the summer and a $1,493 education award a valid Carnegie Mellon or Pitt ID receive free admission. Oblivion. upon completion. May 26 – Aug 12. City Theatre Company. Through April 26. Visit www.keysservicecorps.org or email Friday 4/24/15 A comedy from Carly Mensch, a writer from the television [email protected]. show Weeds, the play Oblivion takes on the complex Beatles and British Invastion Tribute. relationship between parents and adolescents, and what Smokers Wanted! The University of Mr. Small’s Theatre. 7 p.m. it means to grow up and be a family. Tickets start at $36. Pittsburgh’s Alcohol and Smoking Research For the sixth year, AcoustiCafé presents an evening Laboratory is looking for people to participate of local musicians performing covers of songs by The Sketch to Structure. Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones and other classic Carnegie Museum of Art. Through Aug. 17. in a three-part research project. To participate, British bands. The proceeds will all benefit ABOARD’s This exhibition in the Heinz Architectural Center explores you must: Autism Connection of Pennsylvania. the process from an architect’s initial concept to client - Currently smoke cigarettes Tickets are $15 for general admission or $30 for reserved presentation. Featuring a number of sketches by Lorcan - Be 18-55 years old, in good health, and balcony seating. O’Herlihy and Richard Neutra. speak fluent English - Be willing to fill out questionnaires, and to not Ongoing Boeing Boeing. smoke before two sessions. CLO Cabaret. Through May 10. Earn $150 for completing this study. For more Elements. This Tony Award-winning production from the 1960s tells information, call 412-624-8975 The Hunt Institute (Hunt Library floor 5) Through June 30. the story of a Parisian player with three girlfriends, all flight The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation presents attendants. He gets himself into trouble when, with the its spring exhibition, “Elements.” This exhibition features invention of a faster plane, they all come to town at once. Compiled by Sarah Gutekunst | Operations Manager drawings and watercolors of bird nests and photographs Tickets are $39.75. of transitional landscapes inspired by the relationship Want your event here? of the nest to time, place, music and architecture. The Email [email protected]. featured artists are Sue Abramson, Wendy Brockman, David Morrison, and Kate Nessler. There is also a selection of birds, nests, and eggs on loan from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

calendar pillbox 04.13.15 23 origami petting zoo.

Abhinav Gautam | Photo Editor Those at Carnival experienced a rare treat Saturday in the Jared L. Cohon University Center. The Origami Club constructed large paper animals. Current students, alumni, and families were encouraged to come and pet the creatures. Animals included penguins and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

feature 24pillbox 04.20.15