The California Tech
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Election Update: Free Swing Dance Alex Ihler is the new BoC Chair. Saturday 8 PM Avery House THE CALIFORNIA TECH VOLUME XCIX, NUMBER 6 PASADENA , CALIFORNIA FRIDAY, O CTOBER 24, 1997 SURF Seminar Day tation with Nonabelions" [Ogburn], and BY ANDREA MCCOLL "Building a Robotic Cat" [Charles Atkin]. During th e summer, over 200 students Additionally, not all SURFs occur on worked on a wide range of research campus or the immediate vicinity; some projects, Ihrough the Summer Undergradu students perform their research at other area ate Research Fellowship program [SURF]. colleges, and some travel abroad. Some On Saturday, October 18, these students students even come from other institutions, presenled th e results of their work during including Cambridge to research at the nineteenth annual SURF Seminar Day. Caltech. The principle behind the SURF pro "You dont have to do SURFs here; you gram is to provide opportunities to under can do them wherever you want," said graduate students for research under the Atkin, who spent his summer studying ro guidance of seasoned research sponsors. botics in Edinburgh, Scotland. "Its different from regular research," The SURF Seminar Day provided the said Reuben W. Ogburn IV. students with an opportunity to explain Projects spanned many fields of sci their research to interested members of the ence, and included such topics as: "The Cal tech community. Evolution of Ganymede and Callisto" Additionally, students identified as the [Amy Barr], "Surface Characterization of best speakers on Seminar Day will advance The LA Circus, a one ring European Style circus came to lawn and Albert to the semi-final round of the Doris S. Quartz Microspheres Used for Quantum Shih was there taking photographs. An aerialist is spun around a rope. Optics" [Erik Streed], "Quantum Compu- Perpall Speaking Awards. Caltech buys abandoned USDA building Destination: Saturn Fire station to replace 3 student off-campus houses as part of deal BY DALE DEBAKCSY BY M OHANA K UMAR On October 15 , mankind Caltech recently ac took its first step towards its quired a building at 263 newest exploration of the South Chester St., previously ringed planet, Saturn, with the used for over a half-century launching of the Cassini space by the United states Depart craft at I :43 a.m. PDT. This ment of Agriculture (USDA) marks the first time that an ex as a fruit and vegetable chem pedition has been launched to istry research station. The property, which was Saturn since the Voyager originall y part of Caltech's probes were sent to examine The Cassini Probe "master plan" for local land the planet twenty years ago. acquisition, was abandonded Cassini is scheduled to Huygens probe to Titan, a three years ago after 50 years reach Saturn on July I, 2004, moon of Saturn, where it is to of use when the USDA de when it will begin its first or cided to consol idate its acti vi be released o n November 6, bit of the planet. Followi ng ties to Riverside. Caltech 2004, in order to carry out tests orbits (of which there will be aquired the land in early Sep upon the Titani an atmosphere. tember by applying for sur approximately seventy-two) In order to boost Cassini's are to be spread out amongst plus federal property. Housing Crunch? Tech's Solution. speed, it will, over the course the observational flights of Though officially owned of its mission, make several by Cal tech, the land has not fire station established on the This "gentleman's agree Saturn's moons which Cassini gravity-assist flybys. The first been zoned for educational, south side of Del Mar Blvd. in ment" is beneficial to both is to undertake in the course of parties. The city needs to en two, both around Venus, will administrati ve or research between Wilson St. and Michi its four year task. purposes. The conditional gan St. The city's previous sta sure a fire station in South take place on April 21 , 1998, Cassini will also convey of use permit hearing for this is tion had been declared Pasadena, and would rather SEE CASSINI ON PAGE 3 scheduled for November 5th. seismically unstable. build a new station than con the European Space Agency's At thi s time, neighbors will Although the city's applica vert a laboratory building into be able to voice their opin tion for the site was submitted a a fire station. Caltech also IN THIS ISSUE ions regarding this issue. year after Cal tech's, Caltech gains from having a long agreed to lease out other insti term fire station on campus. However, the city's decision THE USUAL is expected to be in Caltech's tute land for city infrastructure The vacated building THIS WEEK'S favor. use, to avoid the city's competi was a shelter for transients STUFF FEATURES Initially, both Cal tech tion for the property. Negotia before its acqui sition by and the City of Pasadena tions are under way to allow Caltech. Announcements ..................... 12 Background Noise ................... 6 wanted the site. In 1989, the Pasadena a 50 year lease on the "There certainly were in Crime & Incident Beat. ............ 8 Comics............ ......................... 10 city planned to use the land Caltech land on the southeast dications that homeless Minutes ..................................... S Editors Box .............................. 2 to build a permanent fire sta corner of Del Mar Blvd. and people used the building: The Outside World ................... 3 Leiters to the Editor................. 2 tion, replacing the temporary Holliston Ave . SEE USDA ON P,\G[ 3 Dean's Corner.................. .........7 Y-Walk ...................................... 4 2 October 24, 1997 OPINIONS The California Tech LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Message from the Editors Rece ntly several parties our advertisers from wanting Baltimores Why all the ads? IHC: tell us what (ASCIT, parents, e tc.) have to rUn ads . We like ads. OUI expressed concern over the Business Manager likes ads, greeting has Dear Editors: you think about amount of advertising in the too. Ads allow us to provid disturbing As the parent of a freshman Rotation Tech proportional to the you the Tech for cheap at Caltech I susbscribed to The number ofarticle s. With the (that's free on campus). The Dear Students, overtones California Tech newspaper exception of our bookkeeper result is the occasional Tech The !HC would like to hoping to keep informed about Patti Croke, the Tech is en with eicher large space fill. Dear Editors: hear your input on the Rota tirely student run. Unlike in g gimmicks (remember to exactly what you folk s at Several rhetoric ques tion process in general. We most schools which have ei fill out your Tech surveys) or Cal tech are up to. I have just tions came to my mind after are open to any comments ther journalism majors or fewer pages with more ads. 1 received the first three issued of reading the front page of last aoout the rules, violations, journali s m departme nt s, Consider f or a mom e n~ The California Tech and while and the way Rotation week week's Tech. " American is a Tec h has neither. Consider the face of The Georgia Tech I found issues number I and 2 is carried out. If you know language and a sty le that ing that Caltech is a small , The poor paper of this in sti chock-full of useful infomlation of arry problems you feel that dominates the world"? technically oriented school , tute was so starved for ar. for the new students and con we should address for next this is not surprising. How ticles that its poor editorl Should the language be En taining some interest ing articles, year, please let us k now. We ever, one of the results is a plastered the front page witi glish? welcome your suggestions particularly "Core Class Chaos" student newspaper edi ted by an annoucement w hich wen I wonder, in what sense for improve ments, as well as by John Hatfield, issue number folk s majori ng in Physics something like this: Ther does the American style of any other constructive criti } was a distinct letdown, filled (Erik) and Computer Science will be no paper this week life and English language cism you might have. (Autumn), w ith support by no one has written any ar with more advertisements than dominate, say, in the neigh If you have questions math, geology, physics , ticles. It could alway s be information. boring Mexico, two hours about whether an event was a c he mi stry majors and frosh. worse. So m etimes it hal drive from here, or in hun I see that Ryan Cox, one of violation - either a hypotheti We draw o ur articles been. dreds other countries across the previous editors, resigned cal situation or one which ac from the staff, stude nts, and the world? just as issue number 3 was go tually occurred during Rota occasionally faculty of the THE EDITORS, ti on week, feel free to ask Us This may be a true state ing to press and I only hope that in stitute. With these sources ERI\{ STREED and we'll address the issue. ment when refering to the his resignation does not presage we can normally fi ll an eight AUTUMN LOOIJEN Your input on Rotation will American pop culture, which a plethora of advertisements and to twelve page paper. How help us make the necessary ever, si nce our size is s maJl , does dominate the world's a dearth of information in future changes to facilitate the imple the relative variation in ar movies and TV shows, but, issues.