[email protected] VOLUME CVIII, NUMBER 8 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA NOVEMBER 13, 2006 O p e n Tsai Photo by Jonathan House Garners Student Input BY: NATALYA KOSTANDOVA Although the Open House, held in the Ruddock Courtyard on Wednesday, was an informal discussion of the proposed mu- ral policy, many felt that it was a productive meeting that will have some impact on the issue. Some of the concerns that were voiced during the Open House include the new draftʼs regula- tory tone, its willingness to place more emphasis on the comfort of Caltechʼs visitors rather than of its students, as well as the way that censorship of mural content would be defined. Jeff Kranski, President of Dab- ney, noted, “[The Open House] is a good idea because there was Students ask the Master of Student Houses, Cathy Jurca, questions about the new mural policy during the Open House last week. a lot of student uproar over the draft. Itʼs always good to bring rate some of the issues that were model [of student governance] us to make rational decisions.” of what is legally required from together faculty and students to brought up during the meeting. under which houses operate Many students found the policy Caltech,” said Woods. discuss issues.” Among the central concerns seems to be working very well” restrictive in terms of the content Catherine Jurca, the Master of The view was shared by Tom voiced during the Open House and reassured that the proposed that will be allowed in murals, Student Housing, further reas- Mannion, the Assistant Vice Pres- was the extent to which students policy is only intended to estab- arguing that the comfort and self- sured that the draft is prelimi- ident for Student Affairs, who will have a say in the issue. Cur- lish more collaboration between expression of Caltech students are nary and is open to reasonable stated, “I donʼt think that students rently, each house has its own mu- the students and the administra- more important than the comfort changes. For one, she pointed out realized how much of a dialogue ral policy. If the draft is passed, tion. of the visitors of Caltech, who that although some regulations this is. After we are done discuss- some of the housesʼ power will Some students, however, ques- only experience the murals for a may be placed on the content of ing this, we can put together a re- be removed. Both the students tioned the intent of the draft. John limited amount of time. murals in dining halls and other vised version of the policy.” and administration, however, ac- Hasier, member of Blacker, ar- However, Mike Woods, Secre- public spaces, they will not be Indeed, only two days after the knowledged that the student input gued that “The basic overtone of tary of the Interhouse Commit- completely prohibited, as it states Open House, the Stewardship into the operation of houses is the draft is [that] when it comes tee, pointed out that the need for in the original draft. Committee has revised the pro- significant. down to it, [the administration] a change in the policy stems from posed mural policy to incorpo- Mannion noted that “the whole will take charge – it does not trust legal premises. “It is a question Continued on page 3 Huge Party for 2007 Damaged Cable Results in Power Outage interview. The current pairings Photo by Chandra Barnett BY: HAROLD MARTIN are Blacker and Avery, Dabney and Page, Fleming and Ruddock, On Saturday, January 13th, and Ricketts and Lloyd. Caltech will celebrate the reopen- According to ASCIT Social Di- ing of the South Houses with the rector Chris Gonzales, the house schoolʼs largest party in recent pairings are intended to unite the history. The event is also widely community and to have as many seen as an opportunity to reignite people as possible working to the Interhouse Party tradition of build the parties, since construc- previous years. tion cannot begin until the South “Weʼre bringing back the (In- Houses are reopened in Decem- terhouse) tradition and the South ber. Gonzales also said that there Houses at the same time,” said would not be an overarching par- Tom Mannion, Assistant V.P. ty theme, instead each house will of Campus Life. The party will decide on its own theme so that start in the afternoon with a cam- “each party expresses the indi- pus wide barbecue, followed by viduality of the houses.” a concert and a short fireworks Each of the four parties will re- show, and then the opening of the ceive $5,000 for construction from House parties. Housing and an additional $2,500 The four South Houses will for food and beverages from Tom each host a party in their court- Mannionʼs office. Other elements yards. They will be paired with of the party, such as the barbecue, one of the North Houses and Av- fireworks, and alumni reception ery for construction, using pair- are expected to draw funds from ings determined by the InterHouse other sources, although fundrais- Committee (IHC). “We had some ing work is still being done. The conditions, and everything fell total cost of the party is expected into place quite nicely,” said IHC to exceed $85,000. Despite Caltechʼs efforts to provide redundancy, a power outage struck the morning of October 30th, Chair Craig Montuori in an email Continued on page 3 2006. The story on page 5 explains how this event occurred and preparations for future incidents. In This Issue Margo Marshak Students Advance in Speaking Contest Page 3 Gradiators Prepare Resigns Babel Fails to Meet Expectations Page 4 to Fight Cindy Reviews Lady Sovereign Page 5 Page 3 Dr. Pepper Faces Pibb Page 8 Pages 2 and 6 2 THE CALIFORNIA TECH NEWS NOVEMBER 13, 2006 The Outside World Announcements sion has a 20GB hard drive and ATTACK ON GAZA lacks the wi-fi. BY: VIBHA LALJANI The United States vetoed on Saturday a UN Security Council INTEL SUPPORTS Caltech Gradiators 2006 DONALD RUMSFELD, resolution urging an immediate VIETNAM IN A $1 RESIGNS, MAY FACE withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and condemning an Israeli BILLION DEAL Event Opens to Everyone CRIMINAL CHARGES attack there that killed 19 Pales- Vietnamʼs ambitions for eco- IN GERMANY tinian civilians. nomic success have been given a about Gradiators games, check The US-based Centre for Con- boost after Intel said it will triple BY: EVANS BONEY Nine of the councilʼs 15 mem- GSC SOCIAL CHAIR out http://www.its.caltech.edu/ stitutional Rights, representing bers voted for the measure, while investment in the country. ~gsc/gradiators/ a Saudi detained in Cuba and The worldʼs largest chipmaker, four (Britain, Denmark, Japan The GSC Social Committee Get together with your house, 11 Iraqis held in Baghdad, has Intel, will invest $1 billion build- and Slovakia) abstained.But the is proud to present Gradiators major, option or form a team with launched a complaint against for- ing two production plants in a sci- “no” vote cast by US Ambassador 2006 to the Caltech community. your friends; the only rule is that mer US Defense Secretary Don- ence park outside of Ho Chi Minh John Bolton — his second since Gradiators is a Caltech tradition teams must have at least 8 mem- ald Rumsfeld. City. he arrived at UN headquarters in that goes back some 13 years, bers. Team captains must regis- German law allows the pursuit In February, Intel said it would August 2005 -- was enough to kill traditionally pitting Grad students ter their team by Thanksgiving of cases originating anywhere in spend $300m to develop a single the resolution. against one another in all the by emailing [email protected] the world. The centre made a sim- plant. At the time, Intelʼs commit- The Hamas-led Palestinian wackiest of semi-athletic com- (no roster required, only a team ilar request in 2004 but German ment to the fast-growing nation government said that the veto petition. This year, however, the name). Donʼt have a team? Do was the biggest investment by a prosecutors dropped that case. depicted that the US backed Is- event will also be open to under- the same thing, and state clearly US firm in Vietnam. The Centre for Constitutional raelʼs action. But US Secretary graduates, and we are encourag- that you donʼt have a team. There Rights claims that Mr. Rumsfeld of State Condoleezza Rice said ing inter-house rivalries. are likely to be a few hodgepodge was highly influential in the abus- the resolution that was backed HUMILIATED FRAT This yearʼs Gradiators will teams running amuck. es committed at Guantanamo Bay by Arab, Islamic and nonaligned BOYS SUE OVER take place on Sunday, December If you are interested in helping and at Abu Ghraib jail in Bagh- nations, and formally proposed BORAT 3 beginning at 12pm. Lunch will to plan, run, or ref for Gradiators dad. The lawyer group has argued by Qatar — served “a one-sided Two fraternity boys from a be provided to the attendees, and 2006, weekly meetings will be that Mr Rumsfeld personally ap- political agenda” and included Southern Carolina University beverages will also be provided held at Broad Cafe on Fridays at proved of torture to be used to an unsubstantiated claim Israel want to make a lawsuit against throughout the day. Think of it as 3:30pm. Beverages will be pro- extract information from the pris- had violated international law. ʻBoratʼ over their drunken appear- a good study break during read- vided. If you are unable to attend, oners. “We do not believe the resolu- ance in the movie.