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SOM~ SA" fliAf ~fj4t ~t.1E "A~ fliAf ~wl£~f It; <;nMf'Q\tNq c;M ItJ I) \'It.\f{Uwa. 1l(Af ~'IJ'lLAr ~oU Nev~ "A\Jf -\(A1"t~~ IVOLUME LXXXVIII NUMBER 11 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER 19861 EI Salvador: Our Foreign Policy In Their Country by Michael Keating bring peace to the Central "Whatever Washington wants American regions that have been in done in El Salvador will be done turmoil for the past decade. But the in El Salvador." Reagan administration sees the Father Jon de Cortina gave a Contadora process as favoring the -g. talk yesterday afternoon on the ef­ ruling Sandanistas in nearby ~ fects of U.S. foreign policy on the Nicaragua. Therefore the Con­ ~ prospects for a negotiated peace in tadora process is given little ear by Cl El Salvador. The talk, sponsored the administration or any of the ~ by the Caltech Y, took place in the U.S.-supported regimes in Central " Winnett Lounge. America. ~ A civil war has been waged in Furthermore, by ignoring the if the Central American nation of El Contadoras and continuing to supp­ MEs prepare to race their machines in a test of mechanical ingenuity. Dishevelled victor William Slate. Salvador since 1980. The period ly arms to the Salvadoran armed from 1980 to 1982 made up the forces, "they are creating new worst years fQr the nation. In that enemies throughout Central time, right-wing government death America." squads killed over 35,000 Sal­ Fr. de Cortina said, "human The Gizmos Ride Over the Hill vadorans who were suspected of rights have been improved because supporting the leftist guerrillas. we don't have as many dead peo­ by Amanda Heaton Brad Solberg said. "But I guess limit to how many times you can The United States, according to Fr. ple in the streets." The continuation "Object: To design and build a that's typical." run a device made out ofplexiglass de Cortina, is making a severe er­ of military aid from the United device which wins a series ofcon­ ''Towards the beginning I was and mesonite and still expect it to ror in providing arms to the ruling States is contingent on this im­ tests. In each contest, the device figuring that I was going to be in work." government forces. provement. Fr. de Cortina suggests will strive to combine speed and a lot oftrouble, because I was put­ Although the contest was the The stated goal of the United that measuring the quality of precision to out-perform an oppo­ ting it off," Slate said. "Everyone main focus of the course, lectures States is to see a strong democratic human rights based solely on the nent device." was putting it off, except maybe a did concentrate on other material. government in place in the Salva­ number of deaths is a narrow ap­ The MEn design contest, led few people. I found that working "There was a lot of stuff about doran capital. But no democratic proach that results in misrepresen­ each year by Professor Eric An­ in the shop on it took a lot more just generic mechanical stuff, but government can, by definition, be tation of the leadership of the tonsson, inspires students' creativi­ time than I expected." I don't know that it directly related strong without the support of the country. ty. Students are given a "bag of Despite his procrastination, to the contest," Slate said. "Some people ofthe country. And "before junk," from which they must con­ Slate said that he had one ofthe ofus, including me, actually, made you can talk of democracy, you Camps for the Displaced struct a vehicle that races forward, first working vehicles. Many ofthe errors in constructing their vehicles must have people eating." Fr. de goes over a hill, and stops. vehicles failed to get over the hill because of assuming that the Cortina sees a severe need for Citizens of El Salvador who "He picked a lot ofmaterials- altogether. material covered in the class would reforms in the distribution ofland, have been forced from their homes . many of the things were useful," ''There probably would have help with the project." and the availability and quality of by the bombing that accompanies junior William Slate, the winner of been more successes if we'd had Despite the low success rate, jobs in agriculture and industry. the civil war have few alternatives the contest, said. "The things you more time between the races," students said they had fun and Only when these needs are met can for a place to live. Some people made the most use of were the Solberg said. learned a lot. people's minds be turned toward move to the relatively peaceful stock materials-the plexiglass, The lack of competition made "You learn a lot about working thoughts of democracy. capital, San Salvador, while others mesonite, steel rods for ax­ the contest much shorter than it in the machine shop, managing To attempt to bring about flee the country entirely (300,000 les ...We got lots oflittle garbage, might otherwise have been, keep­ your time," Slate said. "It was democracy without first instituting refugees live in Los Angeles). Still too. He wanted to give us a lot of ing the winning devices from hav­ designed to teach the design pro­ economic reforms is "to try to erect others move to refugee camps materials to encourage our im­ ing to prove their reliability. cess, not just design." a building starting with the third within EI Salvador. aginations." "Even though Rathjen and Slate "Most of the time it was fun," floor." Fr. de Cortina states, "We Fr. de Cortina has worked with Despite the imaginative spark, have won every time, because their Solberg said. "When I had to do 60 believe peace can come only these victims of the civil war who however, most people didn't start competition hasn't been very stiff, hours to get it done it wasn't fun, through political dialog." But in have been displaced to special work on their projects promptly. they may be wearing their devices but most ofthe time it waS fun. He answer to calls for dialog on camps. His presentation featured a "It took all my time for the three out," Antonsson said, just before could have made it a lot worse by reforms, the U.S. administration slide show depicting the exodus of weeks before the contest to get the the final contest. "There's a doing something that wasn't intrin­ has sent "bullets." a particular group of the "displac­ thing built and working," junior reliability issue here. There's a sically fun." ed" from their camp back to their Contadora Process home near the small town of El Varillo. Nineteen North Americans The Contadora peace process is continued on page 7 Brainy Beavers Attack Putnam one attempt by regional leaders to by Huy Cao doll of himself and pierced its head said that he found the test spiritual­ It was a wet Saturday morning, everytime he had to think. ly rewarding. but over 30 brave math students Steve, who is more (or perhaps Theron Stanford, like many toughed the weather and went to less) representative of many others, views the test as a special Baxter to take the 47th Annual Put­ students there, characterized the occasion. Despite the early morn­ nam Math Competition. Armed math test as "fun." And what, I ask­ ing drizzle, he wore his best suit with only pencils and erasers, the ed him, would he say is "fun"? "The to take the test. Why? "I was dress­ students confronted what is perhaps problems I could do were fun!" he ed to kill," he is rumored to have the toughest collegiate sport ofall. exclaimed. said. So how tough is the Putnam? This reporter didn't find the test Junior Leland Brown, It's so tough that in the past, out of too fun. I took the test, as any good sophomore Stanley Chen, and a possible 120 points, the median reporter would do. I looked at the frosh Darien Lefkowitz officially score has been two! The mode first question, then at the second, represented Caltech. Their rank­ (most common score) is worse, and eventually concluded (by the ings will be added up to arrive at zero! method of induction) that the test the team score for Caltech, and the Caltech has placed first in 9 of was darn hard! school with the lowest score will the 46 previous contests, behind As any good reporter would do, come in first place. only Harvard, which has 11. But I keenly observed the Putnam test "Picking the team members was whereas Harvard dominated in the takers. It was fascinating! One stu­ not an easy choice," said Manager '50s, Caltech has dominated in dent worked furiously, another Wilson. "The choices were based more recent times. Since 1970 thoughtfully rubbed his chin, and on both past performance and Caltech has received at least another stared at the apple juice in recommendations by their math in­ honorable mention every year but front of him. Putnam watching is structors. However, I'm ultimate­ once. very interesting, and perhaps rivals ly responsible for the choices." The But let's go back to Baxter, shall chess as a spectator sport. process of picking is difficult, as we? Math students, disciplined in How did others find the Put­ evident last year when Caltech's top the most rigorous of all sciences, nam? "I went to Baxter, saw a sign scorer made the top five national­ don't believe in good luck charms that said 'PuTNAM TEST HERE,' and ly , and yet wasn't chosen to repre­ and such nonsense.

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