Bahcall explains distribution Women’s soccer dominates Walk the Moon performs in of dark matter • A4 in NCAA • A12 Wiegand Gymnasium • B5 SCITECH SPORTS PILLBOX thetartan.org @thetartan November 17, 2014 Volume 109, Issue 12 Carnegie Mellon’s student newspaper since 1906 Alpha Conflict Kitchen reopens after threats Uber gets Sigma Phi Pittsburgh comes to license BRIAN TRIMBOLI campus News Editor CHELSEA DICKSON College students around Staffwriter Pittsburgh were disappoint- ed early last summer when Given the many time an investigation by the commitments and respon- Pennsylvania Public Utility sibilities the average Carn- Commission (PUC) led to egie Mellon student juggles cease-and-desist orders for daily, it could be hard to both Uber Technologies Inc. understand why one would and Lyft Inc. On Thursday, want to find yet another however, the PUC voted 4–1 reason not to sleep. Yet for to grant an experimental li- some undergraduate men cense to Uber, allowing the at Carnegie Mellon, the op- company to operate across portunity to create a new Pennsylvania. Before, Uber community of friends and and Lyft were both operat- leaders was too exciting to ing under temporary au- turn down. thority from the PUC. Alpha Sigma Phi and Phi Uber and Lyft were Delta Theta are the new- founded in San Francisco est arrivals on Carnegie in 2009 and 2012, respec- Mellon’s ever-developing tively. Both companies use fraternity scene. Alpha Sig- an app — available on iOS ma Phi is still in the early and Android — to give “colony” stage of forma- rides to users from drivers tion, while Phi Delta Theta at a cheaper rate than most was officially designated a existing taxicab services. chapter in October 2013. Uber, which serves over 200 Alpha Sigma and Phi Delta cities worldwide, came to stand as the most recent Pittsburgh earlier this year, examples of the continually Justin McGown/Staff Photographer followed closely by Lyft. expanding fraternity life on Conflict Kitchen, which closed after receiving a letter containing death threats, reopened last week with support from organizations like the University According to the terms Carnegie Mellon’s campus. of Pittsburgh’s Students for Justice in Palestine, which staged a sit-in in support of the restaurant. of the PUC’s decision, Uber At least one new fraternity has to meet several de- has started every year for JUSTIN MCGOWN which aims to promote cross- in Palestine. The quotes, some and understanding about mands within the next 30 the past 5 years. Staffwriter cultural understanding, Carnegie Mellon students the current Palestine-Israel days to continue operat- Alpha Sigma Phi, found- currently offers a menu of and media outlets said, are conflict. They left numer- ing in Pittsburgh, includ- ed in 1845 at Yale Univer- Despite gray skies and authentic Palestinian street anti-Israel. ous messages of encourage- ing enforcing background sity, began forming a pro- near-freezing weather for food. Conflict Kitchen received ment and support for Conflict checks on drivers and en- spective group of brothers most of the day, Conflict Conflict Kitchen attracted a death threat the week be- Kitchen — both as a concept suring that drivers inform after they learned that Kitchen’s reopening last local and international media fore last, causing the restau- and as an establishment — their personal car insurers Carnegie Mellon’s Greek Wednesday — after it closed attention as a result of contro- rant to temporarily close. In attached to the front of the that they are driving for the life was eager to expand. due to a recent letter con- versial statements printed on the meantime, the Univer- store, which were still there company. Every driver, ac- According to L.T. Piver, co- taining death threats — was pamphlets distributed along sity of Pittsburgh’s chapter during the reopening. cording to the decision, has ordinator of expansion and met with all-day traffic and with meals at the counter. of Students for Justice in Culinary Director of Con- to agree in writing to tell growth for Alpha Sigma enthusiastic support. On the The pamphlets contain a col- Palestine organized a series flict Kitchen Robert Sayre said their auto insurers about Phi, Carnegie Mellon has a day of the reopening, a line lection of quotes from Pal- of sit-ins. that the reopening had good their ride-sharing activity. long history with Alpha Sig- stretched from the counter to estinians both locally, in the Students met for an hour energy, and that they saw the ma Phi. In 1915, the Alpha the edge of Schenley Plaza, U.S., and in the Middle East Nov. 10–12 and showed sup- same number of customers as Sigma chapter at Carnegie accompanied by a visible po- on subjects related to general port for Conflict Kitchen’s “Subject Mellon was the first non- lice presence. The restaurant, American perceptions of life goal of spurring dialogue See PALESTINE, A3 departmental fraternity to certain on campus. Although that conditions, chapter closed in 1935 due to the Great Depression, the we believe current colony will become Hebert named head of Robotics Institute that this an Alpha Gamma chapter Hebert’s recent promotion new type of because of the University’s to director is the latest devel- historical relationship with opment in a long and success- transportation the fraternity. ful career at Carnegie Mellon Alpha Sigma saw Carn- University. He has worked service can egie Mellon as a promising in the Robotics Institute for be of great expansion site because of over 30 years, after emigrat- certain perceived charac- ing from the Parisian suburb benefit to teristics of the university’s of Chatou, where he was the traveling undergraduate students. born. Throughout his career “We know the type of stu- at Carnegie Mellon, Hebert public.” dents at CMU,” Piver told has focused on computer vi- The Tartan via email. “Our sion and perception, which organization was found- involves teaching comput- — PUC Chairman ed on high literary prin- ers how to understand visual Robert Powelson ciples at Yale in 1845, and data. Understanding visual we knew that CMU was a input is a skill that can im- and Commissioner very academically focused pact a wide range of differ- Pamela Witmer university with students ent types of technologies in that would continue to fields like personal comput- “Subject to certain con- uphold that value of our ers, construction technology, ditions, we believe that this organization.” or military field applications, new type of transportation Jeremy Applebaum, a ju- Hebert said. service can be of great ben- nior chemistry major, is the “Any system that interacts efit to the traveling public secretary and a founding with its environment must and should be certificated father of Alpha Sigma Phi. understand its environment, by the commission,” PUC When Piver approached just like we need to see,” He- Chairman Robert Pow- Applebaum about becom- bert explained. “Vision is not elson and Commissioner ing a founding father, Ap- the only way to understand Pamela Witmer said in a plebaum was excited about the environment — one can joint statement. the chance to help shape understand by touching and PUC Vice Chairman and establish a fraternity on so forth — but in my case, I’m John Coleman gave the campus. working with the vision part.” dissenting decision at the “It truly is ours to craft,” Hebert’s research has far- hearing, saying that he did Applebaum said via email. reaching implications for any not think that Uber would “One of the things I like most technology that interacts with meet the PUC’s stipula- about Alpha Sigma Phi is the its environment, from smart- tions, citing the fact that dedication to forming better phones to personal robots to Uber and Lyft both con- men. We truly try to better autonomous vehicles. In fact, tinued operating, despite the world by portraying our Hebert worked on one of the heavy fines, after the PUC values (silence, charity, pu- first autonomous vehicles in issued the original cease- rity, honor, and patriotism) 1988. and-desist orders. While its in our everyday lives.” Hebert emphasized not fate was undecided, Uber As of now, Alpha Sigma only his own research, but appealed to its Pittsburgh Phi is only a “colony,” and Courtesy of Martial Hebert also the work of other cam- user base with emails and hopes to become an official The Robotics Institute recently announced that Martial Hebert, a professor of robotics, will take over as head. pus members. “It’s not just my petitions to keep the com- chapter in May 2015. A col- work,” he said. “It’s the work pany in the city. ony, Applebaum said, has CHLOE THOMPSON became the director of the 6. Hebert, who specializes in of this community.” Carnegie Mellon stu- to meet many requirements Senior Staffwriter university’s Robotics Institute computer vision and percep- Hebert has an appreciation dents are glad that Uber before it’s chartered. as of Nov. 15, after the Robot- tion in autonomous systems, Carnegie Mellon robot- ics Institute announced the will replace robotics professor See FRATERNITY, A3 ics professor Martial Hebert change in leadership on Nov. Matthew Mason as director. See ROBOTICS, A3 See RIDESHARING, A3 A2 « thetartan.org/news The Tartan » November 17, 2014 FEATURE PHOTO NEWS IN BRIEF Donors give $8 million to Tepper Quad HCII celebrates 20th anniversary Carnegie Mellon Presi- Morewood parking lot. Plans dent Subra Suresh recently reveal the first building will announced that an addition- be 300,000 square feet and al $8 million was donated for house a new university wel- the construction of the new come center, an auditorium, Tepper Quadrangle. In total, spaces for the Tepper School $104 million has been do- of Business, dining and fit- nated to the project, most re- ness facilities, and rooms for cently $5 million by Carnegie the Simon Initiative and vari- Mellon Trustee David Coulter ous other Carnegie Mellon (GSIA ’71), approximately $1 programs.