VOLUME CIV, NUMBER 24 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA ApRIL 28,2003 o Sets u get For ecord 63 ... club Field ByRYANOLF A few weeks ago, the ASCIT BoD cally, from only one last year to ten disappeared to Tom Mannion's this year. Corinna Zygourakis '06, house to settle next year's budget who as FDAL is the BoD's club li­ once and for all. aison, explained that the increase in One of the most salient and im­ . non-funded clubs was due to the mediate results of the day-long fact that "about twice as many clubs meeting is the final decision as to applied for funding this year [63, which clubs will be funded and how as opposed to 41], with the entire much money they will receive. Of budget already reduced $5,000. If the approximately 130 clubs regis­ you do the math, it doesn't work tered with ASCIT, 63 requested out." Unfortunately for the BoD, funding from the organization and deciding how much money a club 53 had their requests granted. will receive is not a cut-and-dry The money is distributed to the process. clubs over the course of a year on a "We don't have formulas for de­ term-by-term basis. One humorous ciding how much money a club will side-effect to distributing funds in get based on the proposals. We have three installments is the granting of to get a feel for the club-it's a very awkward amounts such as $201 per touchy-feely process," remarked anum, the extra dollar added to ASCIT President Tom Fletcher' 04. make the sum evenly divisible by Indeed, many BoD members reflect three. that there are a lot of intangible fac­ D. KOrla/The California Tech The number of clubs that didn't tors that influence their budgeting Actor Rick Miller combines the theatrics of Shakespeare's Macbeth with the COlrneov of The Simpsons in receive funding increased dramati- decisions. his one-man show, MacHomer last Friday. Nonetheless, there are certain steps a club must take to even be considered for funding. The first Actor Lin Macbeth · AIMS step involves registering on MacHomer provides the audience By O.J. CARLTON, IV personalities. From the half-gargled donut.caltech.edu before a certain with impeccable Simpsons imper­ nagging sigh of Lady MacHomer deadline, which is usually at the end The concept is foolproof: take a sonations, hilarious and convincing (Marge Simpson) to the evil yet se­ WARD OFF of second term. play that's so renowned that no acting and a sophisticated use of nile tone of Duncan (Montgomery Former Treasurer Janet Zhou ' 04 critic in his right mind would attack multimedia. The end result is a cre­ Bums), Miller has virtually all of reminded students that requiring a it and cover all the dramatis perso­ ation that transforms the Scottish them nailed. Although I was skep­ VOTE ERRORS club to register on donut assures nae with characters from a televi­ play from a tragedy into a sitcom, tic going in to the performance, I that the club is accessible to the sion show that's at least ten without losing respect for the was amazed at the level of profes­ PROF. ANALYZES VOTE MACHINES Caltech community, "that all clubs times as popular News masterpiece. sionalism with which the Simpsons are active, that the contact informa­ The sum of the works of Analysis The fact that he manages to universe was adapted and pre­ Assesses PostJFlorida tion is up-to-date and that clubs re­ two of the greatest creative preserve the dignity of both sented. Instead of a vague, some­ ceive important updates." Addition­ minds of all time, Matt Macbeth and The Simpsons is what condescending resemblance Possibilities For ally, a club is asked to submit a Groening and William a testament to Miller's outstanding to the voices, Miller encompasses funding proposal, a list of events, a Shakespeare, could not possibly re­ vocal talents. Characters drawn the spirit and image of each one. Improvement budget from the previous year if one sult in anything short of brilliance. from all over Springfield are imi­ There were a few characters Starring the theatrical talents of tated in a manner that is acutely pre­ whose imitations could have been By JON FOSTER Continued on Page 8, Column 1 Rick Miller and no one else, cise in sound and true to the their better, notably Bart and Lisa Simpson, who had only minor roles. Chad. Butterfly Ballot. Florida egg drop and Blacker had a mid­ Originally cast as Fleance, Bart ac­ 2000. Repeat ad nauseam on net­ night ultimate frisbee game. Many tually rejects the part, causing an work television and the Internet for evy of ctivities of the prefrosh attended these on-the-spot tryout process to com­ hours and then days and weeks af­ events and had a chance to talk to mence. Eventually we are left with ter we thought the election should each other, as well as talk to stu­ Rod Flanders handling the role, be over. What if there could be a Prefrosh Weekend dents in the houses about experi­ whose innocence is every bit as system that would spare us from provides. These included campus ences that they had at Caltech. annoying on stage as he is in car­ ever going through that pain again? By JENNY IOFINOVA and They also enthusiastically partici­ toon form. However, in virtually Michael Alvarez, professor of po­ ARTHI SRINIVASAN and lab tours, a program for women in math, science and engi­ pated in midnight donuts by every other instance, the character litical science at Caltech, although speaking is immediately recogniz­ profoundly realistic about the chal­ This past weekend, students ac­ neering, a talk about the pre-med AS CIT on Thursday night. Sadly, cepted to Caltech came to the cam­ program, discussions of research the students and prefrosh who at­ able to a dedicated Simpsons fan, lenges involved in creating a better but for the sake of the unenlight­ pus to participate in Prefrosh Week­ opportunities and life after Caltech tended Forster's Thursday night Ph voting system, is still hopeful that ened, Miller provides pictures of improvements can be made-im­ end. The prefrosh, the bulk of and a club fair. The prefrosh were 1b recitation were too late to get a each cartoon character when intro­ provements that in some cases have whom arrived on Thursday, stayed also given a schedule of classes strawberry one. duced, along with the name of the already been made. He spoke of the on the floors and couches of their that were scheduled for Thursday On Friday, a barbecue lunch was role that character played. current flaws and future hopes vf hosts, who were students living in and Friday with recommendation attended by many prefrosh, who Surprisingly, the quality of the the American's voting system one of the seven houses. The for classes which would be repre­ were very impressed by both drawings flashed on the screen ri­ Wednesday night in Beckman Au­ prefrosh participated in various ac­ sentative of the ones they would Ecphonema and Out of Context, vals that of the original animators. ditorium as part of the Watson Lec­ tivities designed to acquaint them take freshman year should they both Caltech a capella groups. In It's something of a miracle that ture Series. with life at Caltech and with stu­ come here. the afternoon, Dabney had a tie-dye Miller has been able to take the Florida 2000 was the starting dents who go here. Each of the seven houses, as well and graffiti party, where the show on tour for six years without point. Nearly 200,000 ballots were The administration had several as Avery, also planned activities for prefrosh were invited to decorate getting sued. The Simpsons is one not counted for one reason or an­ activities designed to tell the the prefrosh. On Thursday night, their white Prefrosh Weekend T­ of the few consistent money-mak­ other and President Bush won by prefrosh more about life at Caltech Page had an ice cream sundae shirts. At night, they played mini a- ers in the Fox arsenal; it's surpris­ Continued on Page 2, Column 4 as well as opportunities the school party, Avery had a rocket-powered Continued on Page 7, Column 3 ing that an actor can borrow their trademarked catch phrases and even their images and make a profit in the process. However he does it, more power to him, because he does it extremely well. The pace of the performance is at times faster than most American audiences can handle. In the span of a minute, Miller can seemingly go through five different characters, each with different accents, facial expressions, voices and nonverbal noises. Unfortunately, sometimes I seemed to detect delay in the tran­ sition between different characters' voices, but this problem may due more to my mind being slow than to Miller's voices. Perhaps there's also a lag due to the physicallimi­ tations of the range of the human throat, especially when switching between characters with radically D. KortalThe California Tech different speaking styles. During the prefrosh club fair last Friday. members of the meat club Chess Master Patrick Hummel '06 gives a "simultaneous exhibition" roast a pig to spark interest and promote their organization. for the prefrosh. playing approximately twenty opponents on Fri. Continued on Page 2, Column 1 2 THE CALIFORNIA TECH NEWS APRIL 28, 2003 Macbeth Today: Starring JUST~FINGERED Alvarez Discusses s, Miller as Homer Simpson tD AHLIX KILLER Cons of Internet Voting Continued from Page 1, Column 5 Continued from Page 1, Column 1 Another impressive feat is the soliloquy when MacHomer does ACIT DROPOUT actor's synchronization with the Homer's drool-voice and declares only about 500 votes. Dr. multimedia; music, video and "Mmmm ... iaambic pentaameter." MURDERER MATRICULATED AT 15 Alvarez is coordinator of the sound effects are timed precisely It's funny, not only because it's true, CaltechIMIT Voting Technol­ with the performance via a custom but because it's exactly what Homer Serial Killer Dropped ogy Project, which looked at DVD. While the use of automated would say there. this election and found that effects may be considered cheating In addition to the play itself, the Out of Caltech To there were significant prob­ to one-man-show purists, it proves audience is treated to two additional lems that had nothing to do invaluable background information performances. In the first, the Open Practice with butterfly ballots or hang­ on the scene and setting ofthe play. Simpsons sing "WeAre the World." ing chad. These included long lines and breakdowns at some Without this visual information, This song would be impressive by By PHIL HARRIS those of us who haven't read itself, but after an hour of Simpsons polling places and serious Macbeth in a few years would have impersonations, the audience is After posthumously perusing his problems with the voter regis­ had a much harder time keeping up both fully convinced of the man's father's photo albums and personal tration program. with things. Springfield adapting abilities and documents, ex-homicide detective The Voting Technology I'm sure that had I managed to tired of hearing them. As an encore Steve Hodel has come to the con­ Project spent a lot of time col­ reread Macbeth before attending Miller presents twenty-five of the clusion that his celebrity father, a lecting statistics on what sort the performance last Friday, I'd world's most annoying recording child prodigy with an IQ greater of voting mechanisms pro­ duced the fewest votes which have been able to catch any num­ artists, chosen by him, singing "Bo­ than Einstein's who matriculated to were not counted for one rea­ ber of clever adaptations of the hemian Rhapsody." While the art­ Caltech in 1939 at the age of 15, script. MacHomer weaves in and ists chosen may be a few years out son or another. The worst ma­ was the infamous 1947 "Black chines used punch cards, fol­ out of the script so much that the of date, the ones I recognized were Dahlia" murderer responsible for viewer at times doesn't notice when extremely well impersonated. The lowed by purely electronic, pa­ the deaths of Elizabeth Short and per, optically scanned and le­ ridiculously out of place lines are Mick Jagger dance alone makes the likely scores of other women. inserted into the Elizabethan text. whole evening worth it. ver systems. Hodel last month released a book Lever systems, ironically the My personal favorite comes at the I give it four-and-a-half inanimate detailing his conclusions, based on Courtesy of caltech.edu end of an especially well-metered carbon rods out of five. best performing since there Political Science Professor Michael records he found of incriminating mechanical operation physi­ Alvarez coordinates the CaUechIMIT notes and photographs linked with cally prevent overvotes are Voting Technology Project. taunting messages the killer is also the systems being most known to have sent police after he quickly replaced, as old machines list may fill out a provisional ballot carried out his crimes in the' 40s. break down without replacement which will be checked against a George Hodel dropped out of parts and modem elections require more central database to determine Caltech in 1942, his junior year, to a larger number of options than can whether it will be counter. become a newspaper reporter on­ be easily accommodated by these Provisional voting brought ironically-the local crime beat. machines. Alvarez to the topic of increasing Four years later, he put himself The project found the failure of the convenience of voting. This in­ through medical school at Berke­ electronic systems surprising, but cludes voting by mail, opportuni­ ley working as columnist for the also that many of the systems in ties for early voting, disability ac­ San Francisco Chronicle. He went their analysis were older machines cess and help for language minori­ on to open a practice on a Navajo and speculated that more modem ties and overseas citizens. The Indian reservation in Arizona before systems might fare better. worry with any convenience mea­ returning to Los Angeles and open­ Optical-scan systems and elec­ sure is that is raises the possibility ing his own venereal disease clinic tronic systems are the wave of the of increasing voter fraud. in Hollywood catering to the area's future; in the last two years the state Fraud is a huge issue for Internet of Georgia switched entirely to voting, which Alvarez thinks is a rich and powerful actors. He had a electronic touch-screen voting. The "natural transition" for elections. tom relationship with the 22-year­ quick transition did introduce some Already overseas citizens have used old Short before murdering her. problems, though; some polling the Internet to register and vote and D. Korta/The California Tech He is the only known serial killer places were without the electricity Internet voting has been used in pri­ Actor Rick Miller brings Macbeth to life with a Simpsons twist. He to have attended Caltech. necessary to run that machines. But maries in Alaska and Arizona. performed Friday in Beckman Auditorium for an enthusiastic group. machine improvements by them­ The pros are obvious: better ac­ selves are not enough. cess for disabled and overseas vot­ The project estimated that nation­ ers, lower costs and the elimination Peterson Pleads, Santorum Faces Criticism wide in the 2000 Presidential elec­ of problems associated with poll­ tion, six million votes were lost out ing places. The biggest problem is By PHIL HARRIS Still, Peterson's parents have been White House statement. of 100 million cast. They figure that security, although there are also his most visible supporters. In a In fact, Santorum's only in-party one million were due to problems worries about the digital divide and Peterson Pleads Innocent blistering assault on law enforce­ criticism has come from the Log at the polling place, two million due the erosion of civic values. ment personnel, whom she argued Cabin Republicans, a homosexual to problems with machines and There are no easy answers to se­ Scott Peterson pled innocent last passed up numerous other leads to conservative group that wants him three million to registration prob­ curity. How do you insure that no week to a double-homicide charge dig up information on Peterson, his to retract his remarks, and Utah lems. one is compelling an Internet voter that he killed Laci, his wife and her mother compared his present situa­ Senator Orrin Hatch, who cited The registration issue is obviously to vote one way or another? How unborn son Conner. Peterson was tion to a trial in Nazi Germany or "fine" polygamists in an apparent a huge one. The "Help America do you make sure no one is manipu­ arrested the week before last after the Soviet Union. Still, neither par­ rebuttal to Santorum's inclusion of Vote Act," signed into law in Octo­ lating the central database? How do the body of his wife, missing for ent has put up the money for an at­ polygamy in his comparison. ber 2002, provides a time frame for you protect the system from denial four months, washed up on shores torney; Peterson told the court at his While he has now said that he several critical registration provi­ of service attacks? These questions near Berkeley, California. arraignment that he could not afford "did not mean to slur anyone's be­ sions. All states will have to have a must be answered, but as integral a Since Laci's disappearance last an attorney and the judge in re­ liefs" in his comments, Santorum computerized state wide voter reg­ part of our lives as the Internet al­ Christmas, authorities' hunt for the sponse appointed a public defender has not backed down from either his istration database, require an ID to ready is, Alvarez is sure that they perpetrator has focused on her hus­ in his case. senate position or his committee register and allow provisional vot­ will be solved and one day we will band. Police followed Peterson as Peterson's next hearing is set for posts. ing; voters not on the registration be casting our votes over the he tried unsuccessfully to sell off late May. Internet. his former wife's property and car, left to live with his parents and ul­ Santorum Under Fire FL Football Possibility ~be ([aHfornta ~etb timately, after a suspicious decom­ Caltech 40--58, Pasadena, CA 91125 posed body turned up near the bay Pennsylvania Senator Rick editorial desk: (626) 395--6153 in which he claimed to be fishing Santorum came under fire last week advertising desk: (626) 395-6154 For Pasadena Rose Bowl editorial e-mail: [email protected] that fateful Christmas, travelled to for comments tagged as bigoted advertising e-mail: [email protected] San Diego in an apparent plan to comparing sodomy to incest, po­ ByTAMMYMA flee to Mexico. lygamy, bigamy and adultery in an VOLUME elV, NUMBER 24 Peterson had visibly changed his interview with the Associated Press. The Rose Bowl has long been a conceptual to fully analyze. How­ Tammy Yee Wing Ma Vi Thong Tran appearance at the time of his arrest, Calls for resignation of Santorum, representative symbol of the city of ever, there are a few givens that Managing Editor Business Manage sporting a tan and a new cut with a Republican, came quickly from Pasadena and home to the Univer­ raise concerns among Tournament sity of California, Los Angeles, of Roses officials. Kevin Carl Bartz Circulation bleached-blonde hair. He originally Democratic opponents and televi­ News Director Chris Crabbe blamed the change on days spent sion punditry. But whereas fellow Bruins football team. First and foremost is that Tourna­ Last August, city officials hired ment officials are "now faced with relaxing on the beach, but retracted Senator Trent Lott faced widespread LeoC Stein Tearsheets criticism from his own party ranks sports broker John Moag, the man the potential that their collegiate, Commentary Editor Tim Tirrell the story after an area salon artist credited with moving the Cleveland provincial tradition will run head­ responsible for his change in ap­ after he said at a birthday party that on into the corporate, billion-dol­ The Tech is published weekly except dur­ the country "wouldn't have had all Browns to Baltimore to give a pre­ pearance came forward to debunk sentation to the National Football lar business of professional foot­ ing vacation and examination periods by the these problems over all these years" Associated Students of the California Insti­ his story. Peterson also had $10,000 League about bringing the NFL to ball," states Gary Scott, Staff Writer tute of Technology, Inc. The opinions ex­ in cash on his person. had retiring senator Strom Pasadena. Moag and Councilman for the Pasadena Star News. pressed herein are strictly those of the authors Thurmond been elected when he ran and advertisers. Nationwide, pundits and even Steve Madison are devising the fi­ Besides the construction obstacles Letters and submissions are welcome; e­ some authorities have already tried for president nearly 50 years ago on nancial and architectural plans for of fulfilling NFL seating require­ mail submissions to [email protected] a pro-segregation "Dixiecrat" plat­ as plain-text attachments, including the and convicted the Modesto man in the Rose Bowl. ments and preserving the historic author's name, by Friday of the week before the court of public opinion. A local form, Santorum has in contrast en­ The NFL deal was proposed as a Rose Bowl, it would also cause publication. Sorry, the Tech does not accept anonymous contributions. The editors reserve DA called the case a "slam dunk" joyed broad support from fellow Re­ realistic solution for the stadium's scheduling problems for the Tour­ the right to edit and abridge all submissions and prison officials had publican lawmakers, future. Should another football sta­ nament and UCLA during the foot­ for any reason. All written work remains prop­ erty of its author. to move Peterson to a which has upset civil dium be built in Los Angeles it could ball season. During the approxi­ The advertising deadline is five p.m. Fri­ private cell cordoned rights advocates. Presi­ steal business and possibly UCLA. mately 23-month construction pe­ day; all advertising should be submitted elec­ tronically or as camera-ready art, but the Tech off from the rest of the dent Bush himself called Both David Davis, the riod, the UCLA Bruins would have can also do simple typesetting and arrange­ prison after it became Lott's comments "a tournament's Executive Vice Presi­ to find another venue at which to ment. All advertising inquiries should be di­ rected to the business manager at apparent that he faced black mark," but now dent and Tournament Executive play their home games. [email protected]. For subscription violent threats from defends Santorum as an Director Mitch Dorger said the The proposed design has so far infonnation, please send mail to "Subscrip­ other inmates. "inclusive" man, per a city's NFL proposal remains too been well received. tions" or call (626)-395-6154. 3

.. arency lstory rrow ------of the reports presented at the Stu- tend for posting on either the By TOM FLETCHER dent-Faculty Conference for her AS CIT Web site or in the Tech to By RICHARD OHANIAN Good-bye Prefrosh! presentation to the trustees this guarantee that we all stay well-in­ April is the month of mourning palace in Persepolis, noting that he week. The entire administration formed about what is going on at for Armenians around the world. captured Armenia. They were gone before I knew was very impressed by our Caltech, obvious exception be­ On April 24 , nearly every Armenian Many scholars believe thatArme­ it ... grumble ... short Prefrosh efforts and are looking for­ ing confidential committees remembers the loss of a family nians were living in the region be­ Weekend. However, despite the ward to how we follow up on like UASH. If you have other member in Turkey. Some 1.5 mil­ tween the Caspian, Mediterranean brevity of the weekend, I met a the conference. On her side, ideas on ways to make student lion Armenians were systematically and Black Seas for more than 3500 number of prefrosh who seemed Margo's report to the trustees representation on committees massacred during the years of 1915 years. This region later was called like they would have a lot of fun at on student life is the first push to more effective, please send them to to 1923 in their homeland, western Asia Minor. Armenians have their this schooL I really enjoyed play­ make some changes. On the faculty me, or write to the Tech with them. Armenia. This barbarous crime was own language and their own alpha­ ing pool with Daniel, who's not side, the committee investigating Also, please remember that we the first genocide of the 20th cen­ bet. The Armenia alphabet is 1500 coming, and Dan - he's coming!­ the dean of undergraduate educa­ will be back on the Olive Walk as tury, the Armenian Genocide. years old. Armenians were also the and I think we'll have an excellent tion that was emphasized at the con­ scheduled this Wednesday, weather But who are Armenians and why first nation who officially accepted class next year. And now, to end the ference is meeting regularly and permitting, so if you've been miss­ was their fate was so tragic? Arme­ Christianity in 301 AD. and kept in-flight magazine segment and talk preparing its recommendations. ing your ASCIT excitement, you nians are an ancient nation with a their own independent church for on more substantial matters ... That leaves us, the students. In can get it once again! rich heritage. 2500 years ago, centuries to come. They have their One thing that impressed me a lot ASCIT, we are starting to think Darius the king of the Iranian Em­ own country, which declared its in­ about the prefrosh I met was their about what we want to accomplish Moment of Zen pire conquered a region on the north dependency in 1991 from the openness to the diversity of the at the next Student-FacuIty Confer­ west of his territory. He was so former Soviet Union. All that re­ Caltech community. I spent most of ence two years from now and start­ Synchronicity: Einstein shows up happy of his victory that he ordered mains of historic Armenia is a coun­ my Prefrosh Weekend hanging out ing to plan our followup. I also fol­ in a lot of song lyrics. Since I long the event to be carved on a stone try of 30,000 square feet, which is with some friends, a number of lowed up on a number of issues: the ago gave up eating for music, I hanging on one of the walls of his in the mountainous region of whom are gay and were being fire pot was not on the agenda of found some of them. The moral: rather openly gay. Most prefrosh the last PMC meeting. there is none. It's the moment of Continued on Page 5, Column 1 have probably not dealt with this There was also a faculty board zen. The only consistent lesson of issue in their high schools or per­ meeting last week. The agenda was this section is that music is univer­ sonallives, but they handled it ex­ supposed to focus mainly on stu­ sally good. ceptionally well. This got me think­ dent affairs, but Margo Marshak ing more generally about our com­ postponed her presentation until "Albert Einstein was a ladies' munity and how lucky we are to next month and the Student Hous­ man, have such an accepting community, ing and Convocation committees While he was working on his uni­ especially in of remarks in the also their presentation. versal press Senator Rick Santorum. At The that actually hap- He was making out like Charlie a time when the of the na- were some cosmetic changes Sheen, tion seems to have to the and that next month He was a genius." backwards, it is the will consider the cre- "Genius," Warren Zevon think that at we have ation of a and Dynamical such tremendous progress. Systems minor, for an of you who "Einstein, disguised as Robin actually want to take more Caltech Hood his memOlies in a trunk Whom did I meet with this week? Services. this wayan hour ago his friend, a jealous monk (He The meeting I had this week And Yet More looked so immaculately frightful was with Marshak. She was he bummed a cigarette (Then very glad to know that the Based on past lack of representa­ went off sniffing drainpipes Interhouse Committee and ASCIT tion on faculty committees by stu­ reciting the alphabet." had chosen our representatives on dents who were delinquent in at­ - "Desolation Row," Bob Dylan the Moore Gift Committee and tending, ASCIT is trying to come will soon go to work on spending up with a reporting mechanism to Peace, that money to improve student life. ensure that the students will remain Tom Fletcher They have about $130,000 per year weli on committees. ASCIT President to spend, so if have ideas, One that is being kicked P. DormianilThe California Tech them along to Helena or around right now is to have com­ P.S.: Dear Rick Santorum, close Jim the doughnut man, burying berries in jelly to create the coveted son! mittee members write a meeting your eyes. I like my privacy. strawberry doughnut. We also went over some details summary of every meeting at-

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._---- .-.----~--.~~-----.. ------~ --~.----.------rmenians Still Continue 0 morrow Su er From Past Genocide Continued from Page 3, Column 5 ort l11otional Value Caucasus in eastern Anatolia. region. This move, of course, was againstAr­ Ethnic Twist to Tale Displays Director Lin's Talent Armenia is the neighbor of Turkey, Iran, menians both in the Ottoman Empire and in Georgia and Azerbaijan. The total number of the Russian Empire. By TERRY YEN As the First World War Fmrted, the Young Armenians throughout the world exceeds A classic tale with an ethnic twist, Justin four months back. seven million with some three million living Turkish government started a war with Rus­ Lin's second film, Better Luck Tomorrow, his The main posse, made up of high school in modem Armenia, about one million living sia. The front line was exactly in Armenia. debut being the torpid Shopping for Fangs, seniors Ben and his friends Virgil, Han (Sung in the former Soviet Union republics and Eastern Armenia at that time was under Rus­ is superficially entertaining with an attrac­ Kang) and Daric (Roger Fan), carry out an some one million more living in the U.S. Ar­ sian control whereas Western Armenia was tive, capable, talented cast, but lacking, un­ elaborate secret thrill-seeking existence menians now live in a flourishing diaspora under Turkish rule. Caught up between two fortunately, a single authentic emotional mo­ through academic fraud, selling classroom from L.A to Beirut and Brasilia to Sydney. forces, the Armenians in the east sided with ment. Portraying a stereotypical group of too­ cheat sheets, theft, handling stolen goods and The main reason of this scattered population the Russians, while those in the west sup­ ofArmenians is the series of attacks and cam­ ported the Ottomans. But since some Arme­ bright-for-their-own-good, bored, over­ drug dealing. And yes, they do all have pretty paigns they experienced during centuries that nians were fighting against Turkish troops­ achieving Asian teens fallen prey to criminal impressive guns. Yet even as Ben feels em­ forced them to leave their homeland. The and therefore other Armenians, since there activity for kicks and buzz, Lin's got the right powered by his new street modes, he suffers most disastrous of those campaigns was the were Armenians on the Turkish side-the materials to build a masterpiece; what he from an unrequited crush on the only female Turkish annihilation program against the Ar­ Turkish government feared that Armenians needs is much more powerful duct tape. character of note, Stephanie (Karin Anna menians from 1915 to 1923. in the Empire would join the Russian enemy. Set in a placid Orange County wonderland Cheung), who is romantically attached to the For centuries, Armenians were part of an This was a good argument and excuse to of gated communities with perfectly pruned jaded, self-involved prep school rebel-with­ assortment of different empires. Historic Ar­ launch a massive campaign against the Ar­ lawns, shipshape paved roads and economic out-a-cause Steve (John Cho). Lin aims for a menia was located in such a strategic and menians. The entire Armenian population in privilege to the wazoo, Lin opens stealthily. radical breakthrough, but the film quickly geopolitically important region that every western Anatolia was uprooted and through He has his sweet-faced cutie-pie hero, Ben subsides into a lurid fantasy life removed leader had a great desire to have it under its a systematic plan annihilated in a very short (Parry Shen) and his comic relief tight pal, from any personality or perspective. control. Iranians, Russians, Arabs and Otto­ period of time. Virgil (Jason Tobin) sunbathing peacefully The storyline stresses actions rather than mans took tum in attacking and conquering On April 24, 1915, some 300 Armenian in­ in the backyard until at the twittering of a ideas, hence giving the feeling of redundancy Armenia. In the seventh century A.D., Islam tellectuals, university professors, writers and cell phone, they crawl along the grass and and monotony. We see scenes of the charac­ swept the region. Armenians resisted the new doctors were arrested and executed. TheAr­ dig up dirt to reveal the hand of a dead corpse. ters pulling desperate, bold feats of delin­ religion and meanwhile lost many of their menians who were serving in the Turkish This discovery pitches us into the topsy-turvy, quency off with no consequent social con­ own due to constant attacks by Arabs forc­ army were executed. Men of the towns and open-ending tale of moral inquiry that began cern and as a result, plunging deeper and ing them to convert. By the eight century, due villages were summed up and shot some few deeper into their own emotional ecstasy. to the spread of Islam in the region, all that miles away from their homes. Women and The movie was released more than a remained of Armenia was a small Christian children were moved out of their cities and year after its premiere at the Sundance island in an Islamic sea. This was the begin­ towns and directed to deserts and were left Movie Festival. Its distributor, MTV ning of a period of a series of invasions. to die. Hundreds of thousands died of star­ Films, reportedly had to soften the origi­ The first invasion was vation and attacks by nal ending that had the Sundance audi­ launched by Seljuk Turks, Turkish and Kurdish bri­ ence disturbed. Though still violently a tribe which was migrat­ "Hundreds of thou- gades. The Armenian de­ strong, it isn't the ending that's the prob­ ing west from Mongolia in portation was started. lem, but Lin's inability to face up to the central Asia. The Seljuk sands died ofstarvation The authorities claimed bitter amorality he is trying too hard to Turks, which had just re­ that the popUlation was depict. He spends all his time building cently converted to Islam, and attacks by Turkish moved to a new location up to something that just peters out as raided Armenian cities to be safer from the war some act of shocking and strange retri­ and towns, killing and pil­ d IG d' h b' d "but that was only an ex- bution. laging. The Seljuk Turks an un lS nga BS. cuse. The annihilation Though the script had some corny dia­ and subsequent Turkish plan was to deport Arme­ logue with phrases as "you can get away tribes which moved into Anatolia did not nians from their towns and villages and kill with anything if you're clever enough" leave the region since it was well suited for them on the roads in the deserts. Some 1.5 or "We don't have to play by the rules. their people and lifestyle. They arrived with million Armenian died over those years. And We can make our own rules," the peri­ th their families, flocks and everything else. this was the first genocide of the 20 cen­ odic presentation of SAT "words of the These migrated Turkish tribes of central Asia tury. day" at the bottom of the screen added later became the foundations of the Ottoman Many American and European eyewit­ flair, apt thematic value and subtle ac­ Empire. nesses reported the atrocities that took place centuation of character traits. th Between the 11th to 15 centuries, group during that terrible era. Lesley Davis, the U.S. Naturally, we see no parents. We also after group invaded the Armenian Plateau. foreign consul in the Turkey from 1915 to see no meaningful context for the Persians, Mongols and Tatars took tum in de­ 1917, documented everything he saw. His group's alienation in school. Better Luck stroying whatever was left after Turkish in­ documents are still kept in Washington. Tomorrow is a work of new talent that vasions. Armenians lost many lives, but the The Turkish government today still denies has a feeling of emptiness flowing the genocide charges. Most historians, how­ core of Armenia remained Armenian. The throughout the movie. emergence of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th ever, presently call on the Turkish govern­ century subdued the Annenians under Otto­ ment to accept the truth. Many countries also man rule. Unlike the other conquers, the Mus­ officially recognize the Annenian Genocide. lim Ottomans allowed the Armenian, Jew and France, Russia, Greece, Argentina and the EU Greek minorities a limited freedom, 'vhich parliament are on the list. One of the main actually resulted in some flourishing of their reasons that Turkey is not being accepted as cultures. These minorities were under a sys­ an EU member is because they have yet to tem called the Millet system. In this hierar­ accept the charges of genocide committed by chical system, Turks were on top ruling the the Turkish government. Unfortunately, the rest of the ethnic minorities, the Millets, U.S. government does not officially recog­ which could have some limited freedom in nize the Armenian Genocide since it does not their internal affairs. As long as the Millets want to lose a strategic ally in the region. were willing to pay high taxes to the Turks, Some encyclopedias claim that the Arme­ they could have their own quarters, they could nian deaths were around 600,000, but the marry each other, have their own businesses numbers do not matter since the responsibil­ and practice their religious ceremonies. ity still holds. The Turkish government would The Millet system lasted for 500 years. Al­ do itself a favor to accept the charges. A na­ though the Armenians and Turks did not quite tion cannot live with such stains on its his­ live in harmony with each other, the Turks tory. Armenians demand justice and they will referred to Armenians as loyal citizens of the continue to do so until the proper reparations Empire. Armenians were successful in busi­ can be made and they are returned their his­ ness, they had their own political parities and toric lands of western Armenia. It is sad that their ranks even included some members of the symbol of the Armenians, the Ararat Ottoman parliament. But towards the end of Mountain, on which Noah's arc landed, is no the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire began longer in Armenia, but is in Turkey. to decline and the prosperous Armenians be­ gan to lose their status. The last Emperor, Sultan Abdull Hamid killed almost 300,000 thousands Armenians during the last decade of the 19th century. The reason was that Ar­ menians were fed up by the high taxation system and like many other European nations who were demanding their independency n from the Ottomans, Armenians also were demanding some autonomy. 4(ftmm,,~.~oj~~,*1t1W1~f#4Frf"'~1I By the early 1900s a new regime took con­ IrJ1ii.d$_of·1J6$$.~~I_d1II.!wilt~1411 trol of the Ottoman Empire-a revolution­ ary party of modernized militants called the Young Turks. The party was governed by 1A1'W~~~._~~~:I#._,**t.fI ..~ three men: Jamal, Enver and Talyat Pasha. ~:t-th~ __~ilt..A. This new extreme nationalist party started to govern the Empire in 1908. They had a uni­ S~~!MJL, 9i.f:CC fying and progressive vision toward expan­ Is the U.S, justified in its fail­ sion of the country eastward. They envisioned ure to officially recognize the 323-93J.M14 a Pan-Turkey state expanding from Istanbul to central Asia including all Turkish tribes of Armenian Genocide? 6 THE CALIFORNIA TECH FEATURES APRIL 28, 2003 ---- ® I by t a

Attention all undergraduate students HOW MANY BUSINESS CARDS SHOULD I on financial aid: The last date to request ORDER? YOUU any change to your 2002-03 financial aid NEED THREE Students Benefit From 'Unique Administrative Structure' award is Monday, May 19,2003. Requests CARDS. for 2002-03 changes made after May 19, will not be considered. Please contact the ByTEDJOU Financial Aid Office at extension 6280 if Over the next week or so, the un­ traced back to April 19, 1967. On you have any questions. NOTE: graduating seniors must request any change by May 5, dergraduate student government that day, the newly elected AS CIT 2003. will be interviewing and appoint­ President Joe Rhodes called a Cor­ ing representatives for various com­ poration meeting. Four hundred stu­ On behalf of the Institute's ongoing com­ mittees of campus-wide impor­ dents gathered in Beckman Audi­ mitment to diversity, a committee has been 1·1"1 SEEING formed to initiate discussion and increase SIGNS THAT ITS PROBABLY tance. Currently, this involves 66 torium and passed several impor­ YOUR IMAGINATION. awareness about the value and meaning I MIGHT GET students on 20 different commit­ tant resolutions. One of the resolu­ LAID OFF. JUST IGNORE THEM. of diversity at Caltech. In order to cap­ tees; the body of committee repre­ tions asked for student representa­ ture the many different voices represented on campus, we will be providing multiple sentatives outnumbers ASCIT of­ tion on all faculty committees that ways for individuals to provide us with feed­ ficers and is larger than any House were relevant to student life. The back. We will be using this information to government. There are many Faculty Board accepted the pro­ write a more inclusive Diversity Statement schools with honor systems, and posal soon after and the under­ for Caltech. We will be holding focus groups during the month of May and en­ there are even schools with com­ graduate student body was soon courage you to sign up to be a part of this parable housing arrangements, but placing representatives on 15 sepa­ E important discussian. The deadline to re­ TED, LET ME EXPLAIN YOU CAN SURVIVE YOU MUST MAKE the privilege afforded to the student rate committees. spond is May 6. If you are interested in THE NEXT ROUND REVENUE: ITS LIKE YOUR BOSS BELIEVE YOUR EMBEZZLEMENT, body in these committees is unpar­ It's not just the student aspect of participating, please provide the following OF LAYOFFS BY I THAT SOMEONE IS SACRIFICING A BUT ITS DIRECTED AT information and e-mail it back to A WORSE EMPLOYEE CUSTOMERS. alleled. committees that is unique. The fact CO-WORKER. THAN YOU. [email protected]. I ) Students read freshman applica­ that Caltech is run by so many com­ Name, E-mail, Phone Extension. tions and participate in admissions mittees is indicative of a rather Mark with an "X" the category you be­ long to: Faculty __ Undergraduate decisions. Students vote on reins tat - unique administrative structure. Student Graduate Student ing students who become academi­ Although we like to berate "the ad­ ___ Postdo-;;toral Scholar/Researcher cally ineligible. Upperclass merit ministration," there is no single en­ _Staff Mark with an "X" any preference you award applications are read by stu­ tity we can blame for all our might have for a specialized focus group. dents and they vote on the recipi­ troubles. The Caltech administra­ If you do not have a preference you will be ents. When tuition was raised this tion is relatively small in compari­ invited to join a general focus group: Un­ past year, students sat on the com­ son to the $2.5 billion in assets that dergraduate Male _Graduate Male _Fe­ by in male (Undergraduate & Graduate) mittee that reviewed and approved they manage. Just as we have more _Multicultural Students (Aflican Ameri­ the amount. When changes in health homework than we can finish alone, can, Latino, Native American, Pacific Is­ insurance were being discussed last the administration has more under lander and International) _Asian Ameri­ their control than they can possibly can Community _International Commu­ year, students helped review con­ nity __ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and sultant reports and write a close attention to. Their solu­ Transgender Community (Gay Pride)_ set of re~ommendations sent to is the same as ours: collabo­ President Baltimore. When the PIP rate. Committees of students and Caltech Blitz Chess L""mI!"'''m;ml~. Quick and fun for ,""H

"-~~------~ Despite Flu, Trimmed Weekend PROF+SIMON Introduces Candidates to Caltech Continued/rom Page 1, Column 4 DE ILSCELL ture golf on the Ruddock Greens, get squashed into two nights, when played a game of capture-the-flag many students are busy with work. SIGNALLING organized by Lloyd, gambled at Fortunately, Pitts and the Interhouse Casino Night in the Fleming Committee were successful in ne­ TRAVELS/BEYOND THE GENOME' Lounge and danced at Club Ricketts gotiating extensions until Monday in the Ricketts Courtyard. for Core problem sets. To further introduce the prefrosh Another issue that was finally re­ Alliance Signalling to student life, they ate dinner in two solved was the initial decision to different houses. The family style host prefrosh in Avery. According Project Reaches dinners are an element of Caltech to both Pitts and Avery House Rep­ Midpoint life that is unique to this school and resentative to the Prefrosh Weekend the difference in each house's din­ Committee Jim Pugh '03, this de­ By ROBERTLI ner is easy to see. Many prefrosh cision originated in problems with Last Tuesday morning , Profes­ seemed stunned by the crazy din­ the quantity of willing hosts last D. sor Mel Simon gave the monthly year, but that hosts in Avery were Physics Professor Kip Thome speaks at an event geared toward in­ ner traditions that they witnessed, Beckman Institute seminar. troducing prefrosh to the quiddities of Caltech. even though they were told that the not needed this year because fewer In his talk, entitled "Beyond the dinners were probably exaggerated prefrosh came. According to Pugh, Genome," Dr. Simon discussed the for effect. "The idea of Avery hosts was to al­ motivations for and the current state While the prefrosh had a great leviate the shortage of hosts from of the Alliance for Cell Signalling time, many current students are still last year, however, that, along with project. unhappy about the administration's the shortening of Prefrosh Weekend The Alliance for Cell Signalling handling of the event this year. This felt like a slap in the face from the was started in 2000 by Dr. Simon prefrosh weekend was surrounded administration to a lot of students." and his colleagues across the coun­ in controversy, due to both the ini­ Before it was made public that try with the overall goal of under­ tial decision to host prefrosh in prefrosh would not be hosted at standing as completely as possible Avery, which was later rescinded Avery unless there were not the nature of cell signalling and re­ and the decision to cut prefrosh enough hosts in the Houses, much lationships between sets of inputs weekend by one day, which was heated debate went on about and outputs in signalling cells that made last year by the administra­ whether prefrosh hosted in Avery vary both temporally and spatially. tion for budget reasons. Some stu­ would get an accurate impression Specific goals of the project include differentiating between ligands, de­ dents, like Inter House Committee of life at Caltech, since freshmen fining signalling circuits and mod­ Chairman Jeremy Pitts '04, who can't live there until their third ules and deducing the logic and said, "If they were to cut a day, I term and house culture is an im­ principles of cell signalling sys­ would have told them to cut Thurs­ portant part of life at this school. tems. day." However, Pugh pointed out that This will involve identification of He further pointed out the impor­ "an important question is whether all the proteins that comprise the tance of the activities that were tra­ prefrosh in the seven houses get an various signalling systems, the as­ D. KortaiThe California Tech ditionally held on Saturday, such as accurate impression [of life at sessment of time-dependent infor­ A band plays as part of an entertainment-oriented Prefrosh Week­ the carnival. Shortening the week­ Caltech]." He also said that if mation flow through the systems in end concert. end forced a lot of the activities to prefrosh were to be hosted in Avery both normal and pathological states in the future, "there should be a and finally the reduction of the mass critical mass of prefrosh in Avery of detailed data into a set of inter­ so they're not isolated, since Avery acting theoretical models that de­ The Changing Times: Comings and Goings is far from the seven houses." scribe cellular signalling. The alliance also seeks to "derive, and are awarded the Bibi Jentoft­ I ask you, reader, does that sound Another concern was the stomach By JEAN-PAUL REVEL flu that went around campus dur­ test and verify quantitative models Nilsen, the Doris Everheart, the reasonable to you? What's the of complex systems." As 1 walked to my office a little Dean's cups, the Residence Life and cheating student here for, to learn ing prefrosh weekend. The prefrosh, however, did not seem too According to Dr. Simon, the before eight last Thursday the Ad­ Master's awards. Amusing to try to something he did not know, or make project is currently at the halfway concerned after assurances from the missions Office people were al­ figure out who among the maybe believe he knows what he does not? point with over 4000 signalling ready out setting up tables, easels, freshmen will be the awardees of Besides taking advantage of his seniors that this is the first time they molecules and genes identified. Dr. boxes of badges, installing '06 or '07? classmates-well, assuming his saw something like this happen Simon said communications within banners and festooning the News Congratulations, winners choice of copyee to be good enough during their four years at Tech. the alliance are good and that it has place with balloons, all final Analysis and thank you for all the to copy from-he is actually also Some health measures were taken, been surprisingly easy to convince touches in their preparations good work. But as 1 do so it shortchanging himself by not learn­ such as providing crackers and people in the alliance to give up any to receive visiting students is hard not to think about the ing what he is here to learn about. Gatorade to all students who felt ill intellectual property claims on their on prefrosh weekend. prospective students who might When push comes to shove mak­ and providing serving implements discoveries. All around one could sense the ur­ somehow stumble or fall, succumb ing believe that you know won't to reduce transmission of the virus. Unexpected problems have risen, gent thoughts, "The prefrosh are to the pressures of this place. It is help you solve the real problems We can only hope all the prefrosh however and most pressing of these coming!" "Very soon we'll have a the sad fact that some of these bright you will encounter. It just means went home healthy. is the inability of the bioinformatics first look at all those prospective eager new faces will someday be that your shortcomings will catch The prefrosh, as well as their part of the project to keep up with students with whom we'll share called to appear in front of the up with you later. hosts, seemed to have a wonderful the rate of discoveries. Caltech for the next four years" Board of Control. Yet not a single 1 always worry about cheaters. It time at all the activities, although Dr. Simon is an Anne P. and Ben­ "What's the class of '07 going to one of the people who end up be­ is part of my job and it is so hard to they were pushed into a smaller jamin F. Biaggini Professor of Bio­ be like?" "How many will regis­ ing seen by the BoC needs to cheat know how big a problem it is. All 1 time frame than they have been in logical Sciences. ter?" "Where will we find all the or to plagiarize in order to look can really muster is the fact that previous years. The activities that The alliance is sponsored by the government and by the pharmaceu­ pianos?" 1 understand that there is good. The mean SAT of the incom­ there does not seem to be any sys­ they participated in undoubtedly al­ an unusually high number of pia­ ing class is up there in the strato­ tematic increase in the number of tical industry. The Nature Publish­ lowed them to meet people they will ing Group is also a sponsor and nists in this year's batch of appli­ sphere, 779 for Math and 787 for cases reported over the years. Com­ remember and will help them make cants. Math Hc, >760 in every subject forting? Perhaps and so are the ex­ maintains a Signalling Gateway an informed decision about which portal online where new results are As I entered the building 1 heard except Verbal and Writing, with 742 pressions of confidence in our college they attend. someone--one of those administra­ and 747 respectively. They are the Honor Code that the students ex­ announced. tors, likely-grousing about the most capable group of students that press. But then there are those cases newly established grass being can be found anywhere. None of of pirating of music or movies that trampled. Too bad for the grass them needs to cheat to make it. No I deal with; are they not a form of thought I, too bad, but then nothing one. On top of it all, this is not a cheating, are they not breaches of 'N OUT, BURGERS is too good for our visitors. It was cutthroat place. Of course that does the very same Honor Code? Are not very serious grumbling besides; not mean that students are not they an indicator that things are not it sounded pro forma; what good is sometimes insecure, worry about well? DDOUG UTS an administrator who does not com­ their performance and are afraid of Should one be concerned by the plain about something? not being as good as their roommate reports from Harvard, a place And then, at lunch on that day, it or that fellow in that other house or where, like here, students can run was time to honor some of our most that robot with an iron discipline rings around most ordinary folk. Z. extraordinary students, juniors and who does not let herself be dis­ Podolsky writing in The Harvard seniors now, who arrived here tracted until the job is done. Crimson of Dec 5, '02, discusses themselves on a similar prefrosh I recently did ask, "what made CS 50 "their computer science in­ quest, three-four years ago. They you do it?" to someone who had to troductory course ... one of the few were being lemonaded and see the deans because he had sinned Harvard classes that, using special lunched-I could not say wined and against the honor code. Why copy software, automatically checks all dined, could I?-for their achieve­ from someone else when you can assignments for plagiarism. Be­ ments while here. About some of get an A for your work on your very cause of this practice of checking these awards you will hear again at own? "Well, doc," was the answer, every student's work, CS 50 man­ Commencement when the Mabel "I just can't stand not being the ages to garner, its web site reports, Beckman and the Hinrichs awards best." But how do you know that an 'extraordinarily high percentage are handed out and there will be that student you copied from had it of the cases of undergraduates re­ announcements about the right? Why do you think that the quired to withdraw from Harvard Froehlich, the Noland, the Green copyee has a better chance to be College for disciplinary reasons. ", and the Sigma Xi and more, you'll right than you, the copier? "Well, Podolsky implies that this means a hear about later. This time the rec­ they had already finished the work large number of students do cheat ognition goes mainly to some of the so they could have worked on it there ... hmmm ... does that mean many students who have made a more if they had to and besides they anything for us? Ann Leu '05 grabs a hamburger from the In 'N Out tmck parked on difference in the lives of all of us go to the lectures and recitations, I A bientot the Olive Walk last Tuesday at Caltech's annual In 'N Out dinner by their service to the community don't have the time." night. 8 THE CALIFORNIA TECH NEWS , oD Earmarks $2, 'Special Continued/rom Page 1, Column 2 ing able to remain tax exempt." improve the quality oflife on cam­ exists and a proposed list of events The BoD also decided to plan for pus." In light of this, the BoD toyed Brain Research and corresponding budget for the potential changes to the club's vari­ with different funding schemes. coming year. ous needs during the year. Last Fletcher added, "One ofthe consid­ By ROBERT TINDOL Each club is also given a five­ year's FDAL and current UDAL erations was how we could maxi­ Biology Professor Mary Kennedy search group at Caltech, the pro­ minute time slot during the club Andrea Vasconcellos '05 explained mize the impact of the money. has been named project director for gram will involve research teams budget meeting for an interview, in that "this year, the BoD decided to Should we fund a few clubs a lot or a $4 million federal project grant from the Salk Institute, Cold Spring which a representative presents the give less to clubs, but to create a should we give a little money to a to better understand how the brain Harbor Laboratory and tlle Univer­ proposal and answers any questions bigger 'club fund,' which is a pot lot of different clubs?" processes signals. Progress could sity of North Carolina. the BoD may have. Lacking infor­ of money that is not specifically In the end, "we funded a lot of lead to new insights into how drugs "Another aspect of this research mation from previous years, new earmarked, so that any club can ask clubs that didn't exist before and can be better custom-designed to that is quite new is the application clubs are highly encouraged to for additional money." some that had not been active in a treat a host of neurodegenerative of these kinds of methods at the present a mission statement and the It was felt this would be a better long time," as well as many estab­ disorders, mental illnesses and dis­ molecular level," she said. "This is signatures of its members. policy so that more active clubs, lished clubs, Fletcher noted. abilities, including Alzheimer's dis­ important because, for about 20 Once the registration and pro­ which need more money, can ben­ After all was said and done, ease, depression and schizophrenia. years or so, it wasn't really possible posal criteria are met, the ball is in efit further or those that make it to $12,606 of ASCIT's $62,856 bud­ The funding will come from the to be rigorously quantitative about the BoD's court and the "touchy­ nationals, for example, can request get was allocated to clubs, includ­ National Institute of Neurological the biochemical functions of syn­ feely" process begins. Despite the additional funding." Indeed, the ing the $2,000 for special events Disorders and Stroke, a component apses at the molecular level. This lack of a formula, the various BoD BoD held on to $2,000 in the form and activities. The most heavily of the National Institutes of Health was because we didn't know all the members do have some specific of its "special club events" fund. funded club was Caltech Christian (NIH). According to Dr. Kennedy, molecules that were involved." Fellowship, receiving $501, fol­ things they like to see in a proposal. Recent campus events and con­ who is the Allen and Lenabelle With new advances, especially lowed by Building Bridges and the Zygourakis, in detailing her per­ flicts between the undergraduate Davis Professor of Biology at the completion of the Human Ge­ population and the administration Caltech Dance Troup, receiving sonal criteria, which represent the Caltech, the five-year project is in­ nome Project, it is now time for a view of a number of BoD members, also entered into the BoD's philoso­ $450 and $420 respectively. Each novative because it will integrate new phase in research on the mo­ noted that, "we want to see that the phy deliberations. club will receive, if it hasn't already, advanced computational methods lecular mechanisms of brain func­ club is active, doing something for Fletcher pointed out that "the ad­ a personalized e-mail detailing the with experiments to better analyze tions, according to Dr. Kennedy. In it's members and maybe even the ministration challenged us to find amount of money it will receive, and model calcium signalling in the addition to basic improvements in \.AJ'I.HllllUllHY as a whole. It's impor­ positive ways of focusing under­ what the BoD hopes the money tant that we see specific events graduate energy; we felt that clubs goes to and suggestions regarding brain. knowledge of how brain signalling planned for the next term." might really have the potential to the club's proposal. In addition to Dr. Kennedy's re- works, the research program could Indeed, specificity in a proposal also lead indirectly to pharmaceu­ seems to be very important. tical advances such as treatments Fletcher explained that "a poorly for disorders originating in the thought out, nonspecific, wishy­ brain. washy proposal" was one of the "Neurological and mental dis­ main reasons that certain clubs did eases result, in part, from derange­ not receive funding. ments in regulation of synaptic In addition to deciding specifi­ transmission," Dr. Kennedy said. cally how much to give to every "In a type of neuronal structure club, the new ASCIT BoD had to known as dendritic spines-so come to agreement on general fund­ named because they sort of look ing philosophy and in the process like spines-calcium influx made some important changes. through a certain type of receptor Fletcher emphasized that his BoD is a principal regulator of synaptic abandoned the unwritten philoso­ strength, or plasticity. Thus, cal­ phy of not funding capital goods. cium can lead to increases or de­ "The alumni and grad students creases, of varying durations, in aren't interested in funding tangible synaptic strength." things. They would pay for the fig­ The program includes four ure skating team to fly to a national projects and a core that will provide competition, but they wouldn't buy new computer software. One them new skates, for example. We project will use a computer program just couldn't explain that; the jug­ called MCell to develop and test gling club needs new clubs!" ex­ models of calcium dynamics in claimed Fletcher. Zygourakis added spines. Another will rely on micros­ that the BoD "talked about the kind copy to study the organization of of things ASCIT should or calcium sources and sinks in spines, shouldn't fund. The policy of not as well as calcium distribution. A funding political organizations, for third, which will be centered in Dr. example, was thrown out. That de- The AS CIT BoD convenes for another Wednesday meeting on the Olive Walk. They recently completed Kennedy's lab, will develop and test cision was based partly on our be- the 2003·2004 AS CIT budget, which also included $12,606 allocated to Caltech clubs. ====~~~~====~~======~~ kinetic models of enzymes regu­ lated by calcium; and a fourth will use advanced imaging techniques to Astro. Team Tracks ew Evidence of Forming Stars measure calcium signals and their to diesel soot that are interspersed either a large number of hot, young a certain size of a galaxy to grow regulation in individual spines. By ROBERT TINDOL between the stars in galaxies. Based stars or by the energy released as from an initially almost uniform The program will be highly inter­ New distance measurements from on their unusual spectra, experts matter spirals into a black hole at universe and to become enriched disciplinary, Dr. Kennedy said. faraway galaxies further strengthen have thought it possible that these the core of a galaxy. The radiation with carbon, silicon and oxygen Three physicists will be among the the view that the strongest burst of "submillimeter galaxies" could be is detected at a longer, redder wave­ from the first stars. The time when team members in her lab. Work at star formation in the universe oc­ found even closer in time to the Big length, having been Doppler shifted the submillimeter galaxies shone the other institutions, as well, will curred about two billion years after Bang. by the rapid expansion of the uni­ brightly can also provide informa­ involve specialists from disciplines the Big Bang. Because the JCMT cannot see verse while the light has been trav­ tion about how the sizes and outside biology, making for a Reporting in the April 17 issue of details of the sky that are as fine as eling to Earth.- makeup of galaxies developed at unique mix of talent from the sci­ the journal Nature, California Insti­ details seen by telescopes operat­ All 10 of the submillimeter gal­ earlier times. entific and humanistic pursuits. tute of Technology astronomers ing at visible and radio wavelengths axies that were detecled emitted the By detecting these galaxies, the "Once we have a better quantita­ Scott Chapman and Andrew Blain, and because the submillimeter gal­ light that we see today when the Caltech astronomers have provided tive understanding of signalling, it along with their United Kingdom axies are very faint, researchers universe was less than half its an accurate census of the most ex­ will be possible to ask much colleagues Ian Smail and Rob have had a hard time determining present age. The most distant pro­ treme galaxies in the universe at the 'cleaner' questions about what kind Ivison, provide the redshifts of 10 the precise locations of the submil­ duced its light only two billion peak of their activity and witnessed of drugs will treat certain conditions extremely distant galaxies which limeter galaxies and measuring years after the Big Bang 12 billion the most dramatic period of star and under what circumstances," she strongly suggest that the most lu­ their distances. Without an accurate years ago. Thus, the submillimeter buildup yet seen in the Milky Way said. minous galaxies ever detected were distance, it is difficult to tell how galaxies are now confirmed to be and nearby galaxies. Now that their Mary Dr. Kennedy is the Allen produced over a rather short period much energy such galaxies pro­ the most luminous type of galaxies distances are known accurately, and Lenabelle Davis Professor of of time. Astronomers have long duce; and with no idea of how pow­ in the universe, several hundred other measurements can be made to Biology and recently was also one known that certain galaxies can be erful they are, it is uncertain how times more luminous than our investigate the details of their power of five Caltech faculty members seen about a billion years after the important such galaxies are in the Milky Way and 10 trillion times source and to find out what galax­ elected to membership in the Big Bang, but a relatively recent universe. more luminous than the sun. ies will result when their intense American Academy of Arts and discovery of a type of extremely The new results combine the It is likely that the formation of bursts of activity come to an end. Sciences. luminous galaxy - one that is very work of several instruments, includ­ such extreme objects had to wait for faint in visible light, but much ing the Very Large Array in New brighter at longer wavelengths - Mexico, the world's most sensitive ~be (!California ~ecb is the key to the new results. radio telescope, and one of the 10- This type of galaxy was first meter telescopes at the W: M. Keck Caltech 40-58 found in 1997 using a new and Observatory on Mauna Kea, which Pasadena, CA 91126 much more sensitive camera for are the world's largest optical tele­ observing at submillimeter wave­ scopes. These instruments first pin­ lengths, longer than the wave­ pointed the position of the submil­ lengths of visible light that allows limeter galaxies and then measured us to see, but somewhat shorter than their distances. Today's article in radio waves. The camera was at­ Nature reports the first 10 distances tached to the James Clerk Maxwell obtained. Telescope (JCMT), on' MalJ,lla Kea The Keck telescope found the ill Hawaii.- " faint spectral signature of radiation Silbmilliq:ieter radJation is pro-. that is emitted, at a single ultravio­ duced. by warm galactic "dust" - let wavelength of 0.1215 microme­ micron-sized solid particles similar ters, byhvdr01!en !ras excited by