Frosh Survival Guide Dilbert! see page 2 see page 7 THE CALIFORNIA TECH VOLUME XCVIII, NUMBER I PASADENA, CALIFORNIA SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21,1996 Avery House Opens To Mixed Reviews ~lrn~.~ ~ ~ ~,he b~ilding b~,ilt th~ '-= 7 _ Ipm= @-, BY BOB CARSON in modern residents. The cat policy was. re- ,:::~=L~l i~l; ~ > . I - I i MedIterranean style whIch seems cently changed to reflect the deSifes =t~ ~: (:~ ~ S.ta~ton ':r;If'1C,' :fu:;J:3E1' _- ,. II ,. "._ .- r-:- I R. Avery do- to be quite popular on campus. of the residents; previously there -, u _s~E{:;'T~~!:r- ':"! Il ~ for Avery house wIth the I~ea ~hough. that the design of the build- fear that the cats would damage the .. rcJ;' ~-- t" I Lz that the hou~e would be a shnne lOgs wIth the towers looks vaguely furniture or the carpet. Through dis- _ II =-~ to the busmess man. Many like a prison or a mental institution. cussion through the Avery council {~.~~Il ~l-.~.i.ll ..-.••... ' .... [] ""'flOOR. things went intn. the design of Oddly enough the doors seem to system, this dissatisfaction was ~ r;::-1~" = i Avery house WhICh cen~ers the have door c~osers .WhiCh some reSI- br~u~ht to. the attentIOn of the ad- i ~V.. ":.:r--' L house around a commumty type dents find distra~t~ng. mI~IstratlOn who changed the D'~" ). 1"'---" ~ " ffl of standard. There are grad stu- The polIcies WhICh govern polIcy. ~ndergrads f~culty . ,. ,. I. 10 J dents, and Avery seems to he what the admin- The infrastructure of the 011'1.1':. r. ~ who wIll hve together wIth the istration would like for the most part huiIding is improving according to I J cJ express goal ofmore mteractIOn as opposed to the wishes ofthe resi- one resident. "They forgot to put _' .1'1 ' between the diverse groups. dents. The administration seems to trash cans in..." This oversight was ='L~.t"~="-= _l_=-:,--_.. _____ _ The house since it has be receptive to change the rules soon corrected but apparently the '1.. .J been completed is the latest of when the rules are intolerable to the (sl)Avery House SEE AVERY ON PAGE 6 Biologist Revel Becomes New Dean Student Shop to hold BY AUTUMN LOOIJEN AND open house Sept. 24 VALERIE ANDERSON BY CHRIS ANDERSON "My plan is to be the best Dean that you've ever seen. I The shop is a large metal don't know what that means, machine, wood machine, and though," said Jean-Paul Revel, hand tool work facility that is eyes sparkling. Revel, who acccessible 24 hours a day, 365 was appointed Dean on Sun­ days a year. day, September 15, already During the club fair on has several changes on his Tuesday, Sept 24, the shop will agenda. host an open house. Committee "Usually [students] will members will be available from come talk to me because they 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to give tours and have some problem," said explanations, renew member­ Revel, "and that's something ships, and issue new member­ The student shop I would like to try to change ships. ...I would like to also see The Student Shop, located are many members of the people who don't have next to the Central Engineering Caltech community who are troubles, who just come be­ Services (CES) receiving dock, skilled craftsmen who are happy cause they want to come." has recently been rebuilt, reor­ to give advice. "I was born in France," he ganized, cleaned up, and resup­ A volunteer committee runs explained, "and where I was, plied. It has a lathe, mill, gas the shop, checking on supplies, no student ever went to see the and arc welding, drill press, issuing keys, providing instruc­ Dean except ifthe Dean called drills, band saw, table saw, wood tion on the tools, and maintain­ "For Luck... " him to his office and said, lathe, power sanders, radial arm ing safety standards. Currently, 'Young man...'." saw, circular saw, power hand there are about 100 members, The Dean is considering to be difficult to handle. And in detail. This year, the topic drill, power coping saw, and a about half of whom are holding a weekly open house so I worry about the advising will be AIDS. large assortment of hand tools. undergrads. to make himself more acces­ system. ... If it isn't used, "We'll teach you every­ Newly added are five conve­ Membership costs $30 per sible to students: it's no good." thing we think you should niently spaced workbenches and year, renewable each September. "People could come and Revel is seeking student know about biology, or that we expanded shelfstorage space. It Membership is open to all we'll have bagels and lox or opinions about how to im­ know about biology, by talk­ is especially convenient for late undergrads, grads, faculty, staff, something. People could prove the current system: ing about AIDS," he said. hours or last minute work when and JPL staff. All dues go to come by and just talk," he said "I would be very happy to "Even an electrical engineer other Caltech facilities are purchasing new tools and sup­ Changes in the advising hear ... the students come to who doesn't think that biology closed or overcrowded. There plies. Suggestions are welcome. system may also be around the .me, or send me e-mail telling is for him or her will discover. comer. / .' me what to do with the advis­ that there are some things that IN THIS ISSUE "[As an advisor,] I fihd' ing system, what an advisor might be worthwhile." sO~"pel')ple As a biologist, Dean Revel I end up having ought to be, or how to make THIS WEEK'S a very good relationship with; them more useful," he said. had the answer to a bit of THE USUAL we talk often," the Dean said. The Dean is looking for­ Caltech trivia. Where did the STUFF FEATURES "Other people, I only see them ward to teaching BiI, the new frogs in Baxter Pond come Cats in Avery 2 if ... something terrible has core biology course, third from? "Spontaneous genera­ Announcements 8 DILBERT 7 Freshman Survival Guide 4 happened and I have to do term. It will explain basic bi­ tion," he explained with a IMPACT CanceIIation 2 something about it.... It gets ology by covering one topic smile. Radio Shows 6 2 September 21, 1996 OPINIONS THE CALIFORNIA TECH LETTER TO THE EDITOR The Outside World tory. History has shown Political and ."-- us that if you imprison - ','.,.,-- , media abuses will people because of their by Shay Chinn beliefs you start a move­ WASHINGTON D.C. - House step for those veterans who o'r South Korea. cause revolution ment and ifshoot people votes to override had fought for years to get because of their beliefs Clinton's veto banning this affliction acknowl­ Caribbean -A volcano Dear Editor: you start a revolution late term abortions. The edged by the US govern': erupted in the Carib­ (sic). I hope we all read Senate now has to vote ment so they could recieve bean destroying much There are many our history. by a 2/3 majority to treatment from Veteran's property in the capital good people in our coun­ make the bill into a law. Hospitals. city of Plymouth, try who believe that our Parmer Thompson This bill would not allow Montserrat. The Large country is in trouble. Abilene, Texas the proceedure where PERSIAN GULF - More United eruption caused no they believe that a vari­ the fetus is partially re­ States troop arrive in the deaths because of ad­ ety of causes may have Yes, the editors definitely agree that movedthrough the birth Persian Gulf to shore up the vanced knowledge ofthe brought this trouble, being a gun carrying nazi is canal. coalition presence after dangers involved with the best way to live. tacit withdrawel ofkey sup­ the volcano through these include, the loss of -eds. our national sovereignty, WASHINGTON D.C. - The US port for the missle attacks geophysical sciences. the restriction of gun government has ac­ and the "No fly" zone. rights, the changing knowledged the possibil­ WASHINGTON D.C. - Presi­ ethnicity of the popula­ ity that 5000 troops sta­ RUSSIA - Boris Yeltsin is dent Clinton announced tion and oppressive laws tioned in the Persian gulf transferring power to his that the "Mission to that stifle freedom. Now during the Gulf War Prime Minister during his Mars" will use robots in­ the politicians and the might have been ex­ heart bypass operation. In­ stead of humans. The media have gone acter posed to Iraqi biological cluded in this power is the plans of a manned flight these good people, call­ weapons. This is is a so called "Nuclear Button" were canceled after ing them names like great otherwise known as the conciderations of the extrimist, racist and launch code sequences costs and risks involved. other vile names. Now for launching a nuclear There is also talk of re­ that these good people assault. moving authority from have been labeled it has NASA to consolidate pro­ made it easier for the SOUTH KOREA ­ grams and use the pri­ politicians and the media Seven North Ko­ vate sector. The hopes to advocate imprisoning reans were shot behind this is to stretch and shooting them in­ in a political the "US Space Dollar". stead of addressing their move by the concerns, What the poli­ South Koreans BALTIMORE - Spiro Agnew ticians and the media who see the dies at age 77.