California Tech v. 127:7, January 16, 2024

The California Tech VoL. CXXVII No. 7 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2024 Hidden Camera Title IX Case Drags to an End After 16 Months Cristian Ponce, The unexpected length of the THE INCIDENT Maxwell Montemayor case has come at the expense of According to a letter from the other students in the suite the Title IX Office sent to the Managing Editors (the "complainants"). Four of complainants and reviewed News these students, who were inter-by Tech, suite residents viewed by the Tech, say they are the alerted Caltech disappointed by the numerous Security af- ter discovering a device in the In a Title IX case characterized by incessant non-disclosure delays, and frustration, agreements, conclusion was finally reached late last November. The case dates from July 17th, 2022, when a student participating in the Freshman Summer Research Institute (FSRI) hid a camera in a communal bathroom in a Bechtel Residence suite. Within first 72 hours, the owner of the camera was identified, video footage of the camera's installation was discovered, and members of the suite received an apology letter from the owner of the camera. However, despite the prompt discovery of an abundance of evidence, the case took more than 16 months to resolve. delays and lack of consistent shared bathroom. Security communication from the Title took the camera into their pos- IX Office. "T'd be having a good session, conducted a sweep of day, and then I'd get an email the and notified from the Title IX Office... of the suite members recalled. the Pasadena Police Depart- ment (PPD). The device had "I just wanted it to be done. the appearance of a charging ...and once you re done reading it, put it somewhere it belongs or throw it away. As long as I've been on campus, one thing has been prominent outside of Red Door. The COVID tents have come and gone, the windows have broken and then been repaired, one thing the litter. has not changed: Inside Red Door and outside it alike, receipts and napkins scattered across the floor, empty food packaging lays on the ground next to the trash cans, and, now, copies of the Tech are left Pick this up... Yakov Shalunov Opinion indiscriminately on surfaces by irresponsible readers. It's an embarrassment-you made it into Caltech, surely You have the capacity to do better—and perhaps more importantly, it just looks ugly. It's not only rude to the CDS staff it's an Honor Code violation. A minor one, but a violation nonetheless. So next time you're eating, do CDS and all your fellow students a favor and pick up your fucking trash. And when you're done reading, don't just leave thi on a random table. Take it witl you, throw it out, or put it back wherever you got it. Do better. The Deans' Office expelled block and contained a hidden the respondent on Novem- ber 27th, marking the end of camera and microphone. It allegedly recorded individuals a painful saga. The timeline without their consent from ap- was triple the length of what proximately 4:00pm, July 17, complainants were told as a 2022 until 3:30 pm July 18 best estimate by Hima Vatti, 1O24 Caltech's Title IX Coordinator, The student in the suite at the onset of the investiga- who owned the camera (the tion. Some of the complainants "respondent") admitted to even accuse the Title IX Office of "deflecting Caltech Security he was the and delaying owner of the and working to protect the had intended it to record, that Institute's image during the he had set it up and enabled re- drawn-out process. cording, and that he intended to do something with the mate- continued on page 13 rial recorded, according to the letter from the Title IX Office "yum, microplastics..." (Photo credit: Yakov Shalunov) Note from the Tech Editor-in-Chief: We want to hear your perspective! Specifically, I'd love to hear it from YOU directly, even and especially if you're not a student. We live in a society with e-mail technology; it is not difficult to communicate with us. The Tech receives emails very rarely, yet to my bewilderment, I frequently hear people's complaints about the Tech second-hand through my friends in student leadership. Caltech's Office of Strategic Communication even contacted me via email claiming to have received "several comments and questions" about a recent Tech issue. Why these comments and questions were sent to the OSC instead of the Tech is beyond the comprehension of my feeble physics-major mind. For those unaware, the Tech is a publication independent of Caltech, run by the Associated Students of Caltech (ASCIT). We strive to represent every voice in the Caltech Community with fairness, accuracy, and impartiality in our news reporting. If you think we missed something, or just want to share your thoughts about a topic we've reported on, I encourage you to submit a Letter to the Editor. Feedback, positive or negative, is always welcome and appreciated. Cheers! Send submissions or contact the Tech editorial team at -Mich"print journalism" ael Gut"is not"ierr" dead" ez Editor-in-Chief, The California Tech tech@caltech.edu Ay '25, Dabney/Ricketts (Due by 12 p.m. on the Saturday before each biweekly Tuesday publication) Corrections In the previous November 28, 2023 issue of the Tech, the article titled "Vice President of Student Affairs Addresses Controversy Over Discontinuing Rotation Events" incorrectly stated that undergraduate women were first admitted to Caltech in 1960. The correct year is 1970. In fact, Caltech first hired a woman as part of the tenure track faculty (Profes-sor Emeritus Jenijoy La Belle) in 1969, who subsequently had to fight for ten years to obtain tenure. Additionally, admitting undergraduate women War not a change "forced on students whether they like it or not," as stated in the article. Rather, it We Set Fire to a Pair of Pants. came about as a result of ver strong student advocacy as well We Put Out the Fire. as support from the faculty and administration in 1967 and a special push by Caltech presi- We Cleaned It Up. dent Harold Brown in 1970, despite opposition by some alum-ni. Thanks to Richard Wright They Kicked Us Out of (BS '68, Fleming) for this info. Campus Housing. Michael Gutierrez We all have our "Typical Frosh Editor-in-Chief L" moments during our first terms at Caltech. Some people drink too Editorial much at their first party. Some peo- ple say dumb shit without thinking This is two-years-old news by now, or complain loudly when they 'only because the Tech wasn't publishing got a 90% on an assignment. Some much in 2021. But I feel it's an im- people rank House first on portant story to document neverthe- their Rotation Picks List. For me and four of my friends, It was Fall Term, 2021 - the first ours was deciding to reenact a long-dead South Hovse tradition... and term back on campus since COVID, Ricketts and the first term ever on campus for burn something in the both freshmen and sophomores. Hovse Courtyard. In the article titled "Caltech Unionization Effort" published October 31st of last year it was claimed that ¾ survey respondents had personally witnessed or experienced some form of bullying or discrimination. The survey that (N=251) actually found "more than 46% of grad students and postdocs who responded reported experiencing or witnessing bullying behav-ior, sexual harassment, or discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, race, dis- ability, or immigration status." See also: Jessica Goodheart's January 3rd article in The American Prospect magazine. continued on page 12 Inside This Issue: 2 Caltech Graduate Students and Postdocs Will Vote on Unionization 5 Meet the Humans of Red Door 8-9 Art, Comics, and Photos 11 ASCIT and IHC Meeting Minutes 15 Updated HSS Requirements Flowchart Best of: TQFRs 2 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Caltech Graduate Students and Postdocs Will Vote on Unionization David Abramovitch, Postdoc Fellows voting under Sam Whitehead nanenze eneraly socakille rostaoctoral rellow Iramee Opinion are mostdoes who are tlindedi through November 2023, Caltech grad students and post-docs filed union authorization caras win the natonal abor Relations Board (NRLB). Ear- are external but researchers would join over suu,vou academne workers readv Unionvee mun JAW. and (altech itselt woulld join of other Sales. also reached an acreement lo have wo Dar-gaining units which means postdocs and grads will bargain but continue to coordinate closely. including Universily of California, MIT, stantora university or wash- ington, University of Southern California, Columbia, Harvard, Mt. Sinai, and the National In- stitute of Health. deliver a letter to Provost li- Tell. sianed v over no0 traus and postaocs, requesting a fair union election process and that runon lacues. Uncary 111l authoradon cares siened ov a signineant manority of all erads and postdocs was a major mile- conversallois SIIICC calluary 202½. On January 31 and rebruary oft signed union cards at the National Laboi nulO Workers Ine election is by secret ballot and will be conducted by the NLRB. Votes 1 person in Ramo auditorium from 9 a.m. 1 p.m ana ‹ o.m ou davs except for a small number o eligible mail-in voters assigned to work outside the LA area have rapidly reached an election agreement wu calvech. and pelleve Its a testament to the momentum of the CGPU campaign. Although Caltech objected Trainees being in- cluded in the bargaining unit, evental tev acreed to allow all postdocs to vote, with 50 A yes vote in the upcom Without a union. the C'altech ing election supports forming administration makes all de- relating graduate graduate students and locs to negotiate with Caltech and postdoc workins conallons. Many Craas Through a democratic process postaocs believe this and process which would provide a power has failed to provide adequate ful voice to improve our work- wages, healthcare benefits, inst cons will have the ds ace and prot and conduct, allotk other issues. WIlaL For example. less than 10% of sues to nroritie and vote to reshondents elect bargaining committees of to a postdoc CGPU workplace survey grads and Ultimate- believe the institute provides y, all grads s and postdocs accountability in cases of abu- to ratify ally coll sive COLLUMしい and Slau tracts before ther into ef- students signed a petition pro- fect. By forming CGPU, Caltech testing cuts to their healthcare "Latinx' Pronouns, language, and gender. Lilia Arrizabalaga Editorial The gar propien incorrect. people who still find this objectionable, but I would argue that using the word latinx You have rohahlv heard the term latinx. You may have ever And if you're friend of mine, you've probably neara me complain apour Becioner as a more inclusive and gender-neutral alternative latino/latina, nembers it sets included) have problems with To start with, the term latin/ o/a/x is nationalities arouss people of many dentities under one label. While this he usefill for grouping data or creating community instead is llist much worse Lastly. my main problem with the word is that it is not when in Sian Spanish. mv head. I can notice mvself nronouncing with noticeable Spanish accent and latinx in a very American way to pronounce the the end of the word and even nronouncing is distracting and jarring in Latine Latinx was to make gender diverse and non-oinarv includen people Teel more I don't think this is accomplished bothering making the word distinctly as one describing unpronounceable Their nationality ndeed even short, grouping all people from Latin gender-neutral ending countries together data problems. There can be a wide variance in data even among the laun American countries. In addition, that I would argue the use of the word is Words work in Spanish, latenes can veter to either a groun men or of mixed gender while latinas refers to a only women. referring a crous ol inlixe ender, including trans or non naw neone with innnos 19 pronounceable way to end It predominantly non- Latin Americans, and it is even seen hu some to he noistic imperialism" This slightly might misleading, as Latin coined by the people, queer nar onv‹ Dercent or Laun Iults have heard of and 11c latinx (according っつつつ Pew study). most While I assume mean well, te trend ste asine people overcombensaun? atino Illustration by Arturo Magallanes, hispanicexective.com in order to be "woke" while ignoring the realities of the Public Playlist situation, or, in short, virtue signaling Now don't think I would write whole comn aining this witholt offering a solution: Latine America, but its use has been spreading to the United States Lanne succeeds where lann fails in my mind. The "e" suffix is pronounceable and consistent suffix on other gendered terms. In addition. it does not sound 011t of nace when lisen in othei words. Some people have even Tech Playlist #16 January 16, 2024 begun to use which is te How we're feeling which is masculine). et ourse, Id ont speak for Add your vibes! person. doubt you're as to how personally, But non-binary person of Latin descent, I think step in the righ direction. Andi hey, the option to use scary. The California Tech the average 0ee Furthermore, averace vearv Tase granc trom 2011 tO 2022 Wa: just 2.9% (unprecedented 21% evell contrast. umon parcamine ro cesses have made significant working years, grad students and post- docs al olner universiues. In cluding craos at caltech Tival MIT and nearby UCs and USC, have ratified contracts with unprecedented ments to healthcare, childcare, ana alsapillly accommodd- tions: enforceable protections against harassment, abuse, and discrimination; and searchers. By helping to ensure al researchers neeas are mer we belleve These imnrovements benefit not only grads and post-docs but Caltech and science as a whol Leading up to the election, Staas and postdocs involved with CGPU-UAW will continue holding info sessions, hours, informal discus- sions with their intormation veers. ncludin Callis union contracts othei universities, frequently asked and information international the CGPU web- site at caltechgpu.org. Previous stories. including an editorial previously published The California Tech are available at vear craquare student in A0-nied Phusics. Sam Whitehead is a postdoctoral scholar in Bi- Latina The Califorma Vech Journalistic Principles i arteles shal be clearly a e clearly and expli Edit labeled as either News or Opinion/ articles report on topics that have Entert to be Editor iles entien while the who not other cole of the An exception to this is Editorials, which re written by Tech staff and represen be held to the same standard as News enorts. but there is no promise or ex-éctation of impartial coverage. If an assertion is made by a source Quotes and Attribution of Infor-radiana quotes that were not collet-attributed. Articles the purposes of a story. Sources appropriate We on tir an or toure pa with stic integrity. We because ll not pinions and a unwilling to reveal he source and their quotes were take his also applies for Letters to the Ed pinion submissior Corrections to articles will be immedi-priate, the tiling Tech print issue. Honor Code Applies Tony one isng absence of clarity, the The California Tech Dear Orange A genuine advice column telling the stories of Caltech students Dear Orange What is this column about? This is the first time I'm seeing Dear Orange in this paper or nearine about ll ar all Ior thal matter. Please Tell me more. Sincerely, Curious Well, hello curious! I am new very nrst leature in the paper and I've got to say I am so happy to be here My name is Or- and the way to explain this column is that I'm here for you. A Caltech spin-off of Dear Sugar bv Che i Strayed (also associated with • Be watch it the sfooe Hulu), Dear Orange is a plat- Torm to ask a question that may be dwelling on your mind heart, think through a pickle som thn th toning you or anvunine in between. Orange. You serousiv ex- pect me to air my dirty laundry out in front of the entire school paper? You trippin. young reader, for every submission will be completely anonymous to the nublic. Only I willi have your name when you sub- of information submitted wil remain between you and 1, anc that's my word. The ONLY time Ol MIly on brain would bede mere was a concerne nouor of harm to yourself or anyone around you. Beyond that. it's just you ad any er lager to this privacy, I will be an anon- Question the Quail! A SATIRE advice column about alive, ahaha, and everything in between! Quail, are you a reliable news sourcer vOUT MAWA7C represent thnse The California Tech and its Ladies and gentlemen, teemen readers. fellow ot ahsolute triith it has come to my unwavering our enlightened audience mav nave regrettablv. failed to discern the regnlendent bril. liance of my attempts to satire. Alac mi cloak the words seem to have been mis- Taken Tor ani endorsement the ver ansirditiec | val1ant- ly sought to ridicule. Fear not, Submit your story to Dear Orange! ymous person too. You may be well you all high what and mighty equipped with all the answers lo our woes? I'll To Tell vou that 100 not nave all the answers and there is a both sav ual an an unolased enur similar. Inis co 1mn advice that we Call ev- THAT urselves anc next time, Beavers. With love, Orange dear enthusiasts of the written word, for I shall endeavor polde the canvas of satre with strokes. using nues so whrant that even the most my. opic observer cannot misconstrue them for the bleak shades reality. henceforth that known the manut of satirical mastery shalli TeST pon these shoulders, guiding ost souls through the labyrin of humor with unparalleled clarity. However, if you think that the quail is attacking you and your absurd decisions mavbe taking a long look at yourself and try to understand why you reel this way. To submit questions for next week's "Ollection the Oi1a1l". 1ll out the google form: https://bit.ly/41rEQ1N Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Chemist? Nah, Definitely A Secretary or Pageant Lady Victoria Davis Managing Editor tv+ ACADEMY AWARD• WINNER BRIE LARSON Column 3 My friend read the popular book. Lessons in chemistrv. ov Bonnie Garmus. It is a fiction early in that t sex ch Career ups ana aowns or chemistry technician LESSONS in CHEMISTRY Life rarely follows a formula the stor behavioral Hannah, sexually Conce hire tor her Meisperse says with Despite picked this, up mint review each in chemistry. Hastinos who makes Ood? Yes , though." nove TV+ and elent-ensode the lab assienments to run her university- would seal from his lab. Evans appears to be a struggling pro rescor or researcher who refis es to do work and is on his last with the university. Now late-night She 1s threatened with losing her 10b... unless she agrees to It this pageant, Evans stalk lott and become more and more intatiated with her as she is forced to do a literal song and 1e a macters- evel chemist from UCLA, he starts with her during lunch and eats lunch. he teraly eats her while picking her brai anout ner researen 1deas.Ul timate v he puts in a reques to have her transfer to be a lab technician in his lab. We lear Zort wanted to get her Ph.D. in Chemistry at WCT A. but thing. didn't pan out for her. Through entering rooms oc upyle anu Closine Lue co mine tem. we cer an likii that there might have heen a darker side to why Zott left UCLA with a masters. While reaction to alk of aboral ory stien to no lad classes. no gloves when handling chemicals, eating and drinking in the lab-was one of horror, upon investigation, this an unrealistic portraya of laboratory safety standards during the 1050S. The U.S. chem1ea Safety Koar established in the 1990s and only became operational The flagrant chemis- puns tossed in throughout The ensode made my eves toi hack more than once | doih that and talking to each other about elemental compositon the human bodv or chucking to one another cautioning that they don't lose their electrons, because they should really keep an ion them! I cringed when Zott mispro- nouncer hasie chemical name. lile "amine" and "itrate " The makers of the show clearly did ico consul ac. No whith man e cringe more than when Lo as ahle to tell that a chemi wasn't converting his carbonyl comply imply taming a hi flask with her naked eye. Truly At one point in the episode, Evans smells a woman's screams at her that he has a benzaldehyde allergy runs out of the room vomiting. According to the NIH, chnica renorts of an alleroy to henzall dehyde are rare. Benzaldehyde is considered a safe additive in cosmetics and food as it degrades to benzoic acid and does not accumulate in the body-it is excreted in the urine. So the image of Evans projectile vomiting after one whiff of a lady's perfume is not only ridiculous-startling, it is also scientifi- cally inaccurate. T laughed at the scene where Hyans and loft worked in hic lab together trying to set up a rotavap. They setting it up like ent a long time it was com- plex machinery. This scene was anacnrontsTe_ the rotavan was only invented in 1949 and was 957. commercialized it is historically in- accurate. that two chemists in LA would be setting un a commercial together 1951. Likewise, rotava I'm not quite sure why abiogenesis research require a rotavap, this glassware setup removes sovent rom cestee synthetic products, whereas abiogenesis experiments were cases lo elecue soarks lo l0m comblex organic molecules. cimulating primordial atmo- spheric conditions. My final critique of the first episode focuses on the use of the term "sex discrimination When Evans asks Zott why she an't apply for a research fel lowshin she answers with "se› discrimination. year 2024, are well-aware of this term, it was not actually coined until Ruth Rader Gins berg began hitigating discrim-id. Re in ais of sex via I commend the author of Les sons In Chemistry for her idea To showcase discrimination and sexism in the criannac This idea should be explored, but it done so with accu- and authenticity- thing this show sorelv lacks am interectento SeA where onicado o tazoc ne hit I toor Il am in for some more eye-roll-1g and disappointmeni at the laccurale and uureausuc oor Trava Ot a Woman In chemistr Stay tuned! 4 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Feel Free to Cancel Me, Umran Koca Opinion It's Ok To be fair, we are all struggling with an impossible workload to content for article came dooul over midnight coffee al Ked Door Cate was sitting atmo- grew heavy and quiet. We were all afraid of saying the wrong thing. Finally, I broke the tension. "Have I told you about the time my East Asian friends can-We burst out in laughter, and the conversation got going. In truth, most of the things people are afraid to say - the jokes opinions, Incorrect - least once Is worring a you have friends around yo vho can 1) take a joke 2) afraid. thats shen se is hei lege Free Recording to did an on Foundation lation for Pude idual Rights and Expressio (FIRE), Caltech earned a title of night v below Average nac-ing 144th on the list of 248 uni-last at #248, but that 248a art being dead Cose a a priest atschis rankne was pased on survevs ot 112 undergradiates Students have expressed that they feel afraid to voice opin-ons different from the accept- d few set forth by admin an The suboosed ma one on cam-n11c. A crinent trom the Caco of 2025 writes. " I felt COVID velsults. nowevel, wilet we rel ule crance. Iu is marked D umia and retracted statements. stuff that has been said before, approved and adopted by the general campus community. such an environment, growth We KeeD cling back to the same issues. the same set of accepted opin- Gottlieb puts it non a 2020 New York Times 1 ₴ 2020 niece 2ho11t the list of hannen words developed by Stanford's Pamela Paul Fewer col able expressing disagreement, the to be, beonelie sheep". In such a high stakes environment. more and more college students develop anxiety selves cism by closing themselves off to anv and all meaningtul ex-pression. In my time here at Caltech, been acutely aware of the boundaries when it comes to what I can and cannot say. ! nave veen called out ana callea insensitive on numerous occa sions. I appreciate the people Decause was lenorant. now am i nitennino comenner cthis wor- something that should merit ried I would ve percervea further discussion? These Teckless... IT I exoressed These the questions we should be ask- views." Even when they did, the ing, and yes - 99% of the time student admits they acknowl- neonle are insensitive because edged that " they are ignorant. If all of those ried ace their heath are wor- people receive divine pete resee don mish. Too often we fall into the diately self-censor rap of "in my opinion" "it is one else, what are the chances lifferent for everyone That They will remain 1gnorant can see how some people might and atra1d? When did makino feel like cop mistakes become such a taboo? outs lo acuan manus a Domi Recently, It should not be the case that to has been rocked by changes make a point, you must be im- traditions . It should the blacker Hovse notato can dents in Caltech are worried 2023 non. In the October 7, 2023 issue of the about damaging their reduta- Montemayor (ME '25 Blacker) tion hecause someone misunderstands something they have reported that Caltech Admin- istration has banned the firing aid or don It speaks volumes ot the notato cannon as part exact number of Blacker rotation of Republicans that live in my events." The reason behind this House. ban was evidently because the It should not be the case that 61% of students in Caltech are worried about damaging their reputation because someone misunderstands something they have said or done. ion piece, In his 2022 LA Toots in- cannon would make students (ottlieh who come Tom war-tom coun high school senior. character- Tries. or who have exmerienced izes the problem school shootings. uncomtort. the abili- able. In an email to the commu- ty to think critically. In one of the hest sluM schools in th word it le actolindino how we Studen Kevin Gilmartin and President can think critically on math- Thomas Kosenbaum "No matter how stronaly wo11 chemistry more without and much disagree with Dutine 1 they have the right to hold and same amount of effort into di alogues on controversial topics. express their views." to share my views. Allow me California Institute of lechnology The California Tech Overall 43.85 Slightly Below Avg. losro 234th Support: 0 Sanctions; 0 Support: 0 Support: 0 Disinvitations; 0 "I didn't aaree with someone's stance on abortion rights, but I felt that it would be frowned upon if I said anything. - Class of 2025 Ive avoided commenting when I teel like trans issue. are being excluded from conversations" - Class of 2023 3.20:1 $56.364 Full details of the survey are available at https://rankings.thefire.org/rank/school/california-institute-of-technology I by no means come from In the insular environment If you ask me, this is scarier a war-torn country, but I that we are creating with these than any violence or instru- Know the leenne or walkine Dy chances. we are nol carryine ment of war. a bus ston that took the life of 37 people in a suicide bombing a message or safety and toler ance. We are showing incom- anxious if I will also become ing students that they can only a number in the take away opinions their traditions that opinions coincide with what is come from a place of laughter deemed appropriate and comradery, like the potato cannon, we are giving unneces- We are showing incoming students right situation, a knife could be a weapon of murder. that they can only have opinions as nowever. a Kulie coule aso oe long as their opinions coincide with the key component to a com forting meal. I wA focus on what is deemed appropriate. something might mean, rather than what it means, we are not protecuns arivone. we have seen campus cul- ture limited not only by a ban in traditions but also by calls In a recent to tee pub man in he Ten Arrizabalaga '25), Jannev Hovse stewara. Dut a positive spin on this change. They remind the reader that and that this is an opportunity to pro- duce new art. However. I am not nearv as ontimistic ah0111 this change as they are. I see this policy as yet another lim- we call Valill Hew Hurals, vu Is nor vecause we have come To realize the or murals are no longer timely or humorous. It is because they are deemed of self expression that is being diluted for the goal of offend- no the least amount of neonie "admin is taking away dents to eniov themselves and teel Jke a nart of C'altech. an environment with rampant mental health problems imphe thin issue with changes like this is the lack of a student vate tcopma antae that the people who live in the house they waget decide what to see around them what they want Incoming treshmen to know aho11t them However, they are largely be ing left out of the conversation up, by from speaking fear of retaliation from "administration" The here is not that the administra. tion is wrong, and we should be rainst them: rather. we shoul el comfortable in offering ou owil voice issues that pre- dominantlv affect us. the com- A mural in Venerable House scheduled to be painted over. allegedly because it is too "violent". Photo Credit: Marcos Perez THE CALIFORNIA TECH LLM-FREE SINCE 2023! The California Tech Free As In Speech, Not As In Laundry Alem Snyder articularly tumultuous as the The change to an electronic Opinion do orevousiv used a swula sustem oroduces two now ev- system in Avery. However, they dent issues. Firstly. felt that it was inconvenient to some stu- dents had previously had their The laundry machines in all Caltech Undergraduate Hous have recenuy swilcnea from an iD card-operated payment system to a smartphone y-based co, la swipe their sy and the swipe their student card was charted thei bursar account Bechtel Residence and Avery House have had this new system for a few years, but recently made to retrofit the existing North and South rouse washing machines with the WASH-Connect control panels. The start mechanism re nect aoy, Wastes ma personal niornason. ano enabling Bluetooth. mixed. pay for laundry as it required a laundry covered in thei bank account if one financial The Housing Of to avoid the fee associated with nce stated in an emall to me: "In exchanane morev. recares to students who other stildents have have had the cost of using the positive atti machines Dab-after tance such inancial aid is first time successfully using are currently looking into this the app. with the Financial Aid Office. "In regards tostudents who mayhave had the cost of using the on-campus laundry machines covered through tuition assistance such as financial aid, we are currently looking into this with the Financial Aid Office. Many students have yet to Blacker) al ll was neroiul wal une a oaned the user when laune was hinished. hilt added that 1i was often wrong and that it was nore convenient to use the stu An international student and resident ot the south hovses noted that the cwten to the WASH-Connect system was not download The au- Secondly, as the laundry thor has observed three per- (mostly) dependent on the WASH-Connect software, what downlode and set uo me woule naoven u tere was some WASH-Connect the laundry rooms while talllre or custem maltunction? hen is the bout the The hous mth fice office states that software or ardware should be filed as a lacinues service request unaei nemper getung an emal nother said, "You think I read that sh**?" the student nousing portal. Tuesday, January 16, 2024 5 RD Meet the Humans of Red Door Damian Wilson Humans of Caltech the favorite memories on I think favorite What about your position might surprise the average Techer? Red Door, the campus inextricable from café Caltech yistence that it remiires no in. nourishing the endless onslaught of Tech- ers that come its way-deserve as mulch anvone Tor Thein voices to be heard in The California Tech. The following in-conducted with Assis- tant Manager Paige Gilli, is the inaugural entr or a new series with that very aim. Lively to men, how Raise: you come to join Caltech's most beloved scar-let-doored eatery. That's a beautiful way of putting it. I apF position and was lucky enough To be offered this nosition lAS- Manager inctead came across the job posting on Indeed, and that's exactly how I got introduced to it The students here are the best Even Anytime plan and it being such a busy place. You guys are so natient and so wondermil to serve. I've worked a lot of plac-and I feel like the customers here don't compare to anyone else. That's so sweet of you! As Assistant Manager, would you how describe •ole Red Door Camous life? would Caltech he as Caltech with- Definitely not. We were ac-discussing amongst all the onlv niace that s onen hit on holidays, we're the only dining place that's here. Red Door has a lor or wavs. and it tep tie the ldentitv of student ite There isn't any role that I don t play. That's one of the tur about sition, I step into the barista posinon. and-even thouen m name 1s Manager—m mostlv on the floor like everyone else. I just ghost around more. Wow. What di -to-day challenges might you face There are lots of challenges working here. I'd say he volume that we do is abso lutelv the biggest challenge in working in slich a small snace And, trying to cater to everyone's needs-this college does oughtful ind of considerate ot dietary needs ot religiou neprc everything alth atindDnta nood With limite staff and being here until 2:00 don't out of here until 3:30-it can be very challenging somedavs. Exactly one South House dryer has a coin slot. (Photo credit: Michael Gutierrez) The Housing sent a campus Department We mav have access to la1n- wide email dry machines at a rate slight- "dent matte cling crale laurur ibel are machines were to nave a Duelovul chavieu de installed. his. however. came vice lover which we have utte some time after the new laun- control), use a proprietary app dry system had been installed app or otherwise no convenient way to do laundry for at leas a week. In addition. this emaili was misleading, as the washing were alread allu merely had their WASH Blue- Toon controller removen. email further claims that in the "South UG/SAC" laundry room achines with "WASH ID# [... vasher mu, briers rh& t com operated" systems Caltech will notice that this claim is evidently false as many machines soille unknown corporation wnich. ler Dellg give KnoW not its use. nIS 19S11 of electronic devices is not one unique to those of the cleansing become all too common for the devices most crucial our evervaav lous TO ne TIncTona V 01T of ou control. I cannot modify the closed-source WASH-Connect pp to operate as I please. An 11s oremse Is common lo LI vast malonn or abolcanons and general sottware lisen hi and downloaded onto person electronic systems owned around the world The author, after his light clerical additional error were Is Talsenoodl Ine statement indicatino that or ers #5 & #6 can be operated by the room has had the Bluetooth in- Terrace removed. But these changes are symp toms of a broader problem , In particular with con sumer electronics. room. wollid like to suhmit ? xit request for machine (the new numbering). akes a horrid screeching. 16 failed to start on one occasion 17 shakes whlle running. Hotor c noto. tho nuthor to submit these noes and ae one 1,0r For today, we had four call- offs. Were verv ucky to work with staffing agency here. That's another beautiful. tin dinars erase when someone calls off though that doesn't change the challenges you then face. Anything you'd like to sign on with: Just that it's a pleasure to work here. what might happen at the Red Joor! And, of course: What's your favorite item on the menu? What do you wish were on the menit Thank vou so much for vour time. Paige! You and Ste fateria Door deserve all the appreciation in the wOrd. Currently, that is the menu sandwich is my now, the go-to. What 1 wish were on the menu is more old items really wish we hani pasta salad and More wo potato salad. be lovely. Even just deli sandwich- es mlat cold and ready go would be a really niee addi- ton. And anvime we cerve the bowls on the weekends-those could intro more of them. Yet, with ingredients really limited based on our space, we have to use them across the board and in as many as possible. It's challenging to have a really big nenu: but i would like to see . bowl that's avallable every day. 6 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 The California Tech The California Tech Tuesday, January 16, 2024 The California Tech 7 Galactic Furnace Theory Monte Dale of that distance from the fiery Letter to the Community Galactic Furnace. Warming is a direct result of increasing IOAILILIL Greetings. fellow space trav- lo the center or me Muky vav elers. Mu name is Monte Dale. The mass extinctons I am 56 years old, and the Earth's past have been attribut- quintessential Virgo. ed to change reathe numbers and data, and The Melavorze slatstics ana 1nll01- volar ice caps began shrinking mation. • have honorable 55 millon years ago, as our sun ascharge trom the U.n. Army. entered the penultimate spiral and a degree in Geology from all the Fibonacci spiral In 2015, I wrote and self-pub- segments represented in my lished revolutionary lneory, Only one las vesinnine Teach inallisitive minas ena DOlI the fundamentals Chess trom the alactie center - - the I conceived a theory one that is now which solves the mysteries that close. afflict modern Cosmology • lave Deem studving spiral we begin to spiral inward for the first time galaxies since the Voyager mis- 0 5n mllon vear sions belebed in the if have • I have Hoh: Warming 1c not an- never believed in the the theory, simply because there is not a single scrap of visual evi- when the polar ice caps time began dence to suppor It. 1o lacr. La- aminisnue correlates wit une lache meroers are direct visia! rise of mammals. One could ar. evidence against a Big Bang or- gue that Global Warming has gin. But there must be a logical lternativ all. seeking fame honor for this discoverv: I am merely attempting to save humanity from a lethal miscal-solution simple, it has been completely overlooked for more than 100 years All the stars 1n all the sniral galaxies are not orbiting their all ing INTO their centers. solral calaxy very clearly exhibits the motion of matter from the edge towards the center; any This is thi the Milky Way Than sah "Global Warming is a direct proximity t at 220 km/sec. not because of Dark Matter. This exolains the formation of the spiral arms, and why the centers of terouse ute he thierse. benters to alex The centers of galaxies are eternal — only the matter spi- raling inward is less than 14 billion years old. The centers feed on the inbound material and eject elementary particles ack into space: a peremial c le nt creatton and destr1et10 his simple, elegant and col I paradigm shift dictates th the ba: Matter, Bad the Vei verse is not exnanding. once the centers eject matter definition they cannot be black One minor change in nersnec- Tive does explain everything that has been an enigma to cos-mologists. But, alas, it also por tends that the Global Warming crisis is much more dire than the scientina communiv 11n- derstands. In the century-long quest correct, the Bin moderr mology is overlooking the key componentto calaxy evoluton. nd. sibseniently. the oreatest threat to our continued exis-tence. measured the Fibonacci spiral to lillictrate that cir Clin hac nnt heen or. biting 26,000 light years from the Galactic cente years, as is commonly believed she has It would indeed be tragic if it all came to an aoruor ena vecause or a logistical misconception The beginning of the Indus- trial Revolutior merely vestiges of the shrinking polar ice caps. but correlation is not causaton nar, the oceans wil directy bear. absorb the vill qui come inhospitable to all Life. ve must Take accon Immeal- ate v to ensure our tuture sir-vival. Of course, the first step to solving any problem, is to rec ognize the problem. Man cannot survive in space our current nhvsiological condition. Andl the Moon and Mars are not viable options, either - they lack water and atmo-sphere. our existence. tically prolong must make a conscious evollition. ary step, and begin Low-Earth Orbital Genesis (LEOGen): the conceiving cotte senerations ong on ans n microravi. It is estimated that human. ity is 10,000 generations old. It may take another 10,000 LEOGen one Minis physilogically fi venture Into deen space. possible unth the current low. orbital technology, Earth and would use of Earth's resources; free from the caTastronnie etects of Global Warming. Population could be strictly controlled. It's a long shot, but the alternatives are not favorable. The oceals are already be- ginning to rise un. Ilme is running short. The polar ice caps are the hourglass for hospitable living conditions on Earth. Our very but Mankind has shown that where there is hope, there is possibility. My white paper can be downloaded at GalacticFurnaceThe ory.com. You can't teach a man any-thing; you can only help him to find it within himself." — Cali- leo Galilei r Sun formed more than on center; we are currently at 2.5% REPORTERS & COLUMNISTS WANTED Calling ALL members of the Caltech community - not just undergrads. The California Tech is the voice of the people, and we need you to speak! Visit tech.caltech.edu/write (or QR Code) to see story ideas and open positions tech.caltech.edu/submit tech.caltech.edu/discord tech@caltech.edu oh god how did i get here i am not good at communicating thoughts and feelings in a healthy and effective manner are you good a join the tech! communicating thoughts and feelings in a healthy and eftective manner NEW SIGN-ON BENEFIT FOR TECH REPORTERS: AWESOME 'PRESS' FEDORA! 8 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 The California Tech The California Tech Tuesday, January 16, 2024 9 MISSING PET "Watch tower" by Sarah Bass "First Night to Now" by Manal Sultan Amongst the Mist by Manal sultan Benito the Beaver Last seen January 3, 2024 If you find him, please return him to Cesar in Dabney 246! Thank you! 559-759-2888 Catech URITY "Chimkin" by Anonymous RAPHOO - NOV 2023 "Reflections" by Nat Hernandez "Aspen Glow" by Juan Luchsinger Hey, you stole my look! by Raphaela Kang "Rosy Lavender Gale" by Sarah Bass "Micro Mountain Range" by Manal Sultan 10 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Caltech's first and only student-run newspaper presents... The California Tech JOURNALISM & NEWSWRITING Warkshop The California Tech SATURDAY January 20th Open to undergrads, grad students, postdocs, faculty, staff... No experience necessary! 11 AM - 12:45 PM CATERED LUNCH 1st Floor Conference Room in Dabney Hall of Humanities by Tom Mannion We are hosting a journalism and newswriting workshop, taught by Prof. Richard Kipling, former Managing Editor at the L.A. Times and advisor of the Tech. Participants will learn the basic principles of news reporting, as well as writing for a print medium, leave prepared to be star journalists for the Tech! Follow us on Instagram to keep up with story updates and exclusive content! @thecaliforniatech PLEASE RSVP HERE: tech.caltech.edu/rsvp ©THECALIFORNIATECH The California Tech Tuesday, January 16, 2024 1] ASCIT Board of Directors and Interhouse Committee Meeting Minutes - January 14, 2024 ASCIT Board of Directors • student faculty athletic • guranteed 1100 to each Meeting event before finals mouse January 14, 2024; 9:00 PM; • HSS flowchart updated • if saving is possible for fall Hameetman rotation, may be good idea V.P. of Non-Academic Affairs • math club submitted an Call to order: 9:00 (Sophie): event funding request • houses: use joint funding Officers present: Gabriella VPSA Agenda: Twombly, Jonathan Booker, • Bechtel room picks Social Director (Snigdha): Alex Burr, Ava Barbano, (priority) • Top events are: Snigdha Saha, Ankita Nandi • Avery grill nights? • DIY Valentine advocacy convention? • ASCIT Pancake Day Presidents present: Meg • Campus Campout Robertson, Andrew Pasco, • Pasadena fire department Tomas Wexler, Emily Choe, is fining Caltech for broken • Off campus newsletter stuff Leo Williams, Parul Singh, exit signs and they are in the works - Ashlyn will Aditee Prabhutendolkar passing on that cost to the write column in the tech on house budget (somewhere off weeks President's Report around $2k per sign (Twombly): • VPSA meeting 22, fill out agenda doc • ihe meeting tuesday • SAC updates: • bought new things for ascit screening room • documented and cataloged damages • new student gov office; store records • study rooms getting improved • screen printing room! • volunteer event: • Y reps • mad day • encourge more sign ups • cans for mans • reminder: accessible meetings, clarity, open communication for house • boc reps -> ideal to have upperclassmen, but ma lot be feasible for this cycl • new ra for dabney: hiring sastent to apply or ra • fill out ra survey • can ihc purchase decimeters with budget? • mixer available through jam room and ascit • ath relations reating mou with at based off of what th houses want wouidat, talisions Secretary (Ava): • -no updates AJOURNED: 9:55 Interhouse Committee (IHC) Meeting January 14, 2024; 9:00 PM; Hameetman Present: Emma Isella, Sophie Emily Choe, Andrew Pasco, Leo Williams, Parul Singh, Tomas Nexler, Meg Robertso ISCIT: Twombly, Snigd aha, Ava Barbano, Jonatha ooker. Alex Burr. Anki • Feedback on events: • ose is now having ras and rics do events once a term • send calendar for everyone via holiday card V.P. of Academic Affairs (Alex): • study spaces? • access to classes and buidlings after 7 • shelter in place safety concern • elections: arc reps in contact with alex and jena • option advising on president's day permits to wedding hotographers to go ir ront of house • alumni relations vs alumni association Antictor of Operations • club midterm funding reports Treasurer (Jonathan): • avaiable funds for equipment to check out Call to order: 9:03 pm [redacted] Meeting adjourned: 10:08 pm Respectfully submitted, Emma Isella HC Secretary 12 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Pants Fire Fire Statistics 2022 continued from page 1 an old, smelly pair of pants which one of Year Location as a sacrifce. They didn't even burn that well. Ine whole attali was an exercise in absurdism: 1170 E. Del Mar Taio Cruz's Dynamite the background on alu socakes as w huddled 2021 Ricketts House round the flames. which bar provided enoligh neat To warm our hands. I was almost Kickers house disappoist t that I wouldn't hose The California Tech Cause of Fire Number of Injuries that Resulted in Treatment at a Medical Facility Number of Deaths Related to a Fire Value of Property Damage Caused by Fire Outlet arching/fire $100-$999 Pallet wood burned Student burned pants 2022 430 S. Catalina None Stairwell/unk cause $O $0 $6000 fain, a dely main mattha moment, y at thai our 1Us — alla also phose ottonino students who happened to be ti the cou gyard does ed the quickly assured the Dlace better Than we toune it. A couble of us spent the better part of an hour power-washing the bricks sur- I'm not this to defend our actions. was qumb and Immature best. While will emnhacize that we took reasonable safe- JL CACUSC CLLYLLLLLS writing this because of how the Deans' Office responded. The RA's pictures of our IDs made their way to the Deans. So we all got to have super fun naivaual interviews wi Associate Dean Kristin werman. as well as an appeal meeting with Interim Dea during which our case. rvidenuy. Il was ue cided that our case would be handled by a Deans Investiga tion instead of the Conduct Review Committee.) In that final Pay proper dach 3 2023 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. Ricketts House is the only Caltech student residence in the past four years to have fires without cau Finally, the sanctions. For all sethets, however, humans ate ed in your appeal that the sanc-partment of Education could seven of us, bystanders includ- tion of removing campus housing is arbitrarv and unholding the tion, which wouldn't be • Work together with the other stu-aents invorvea to nost a llle sarery program, in coordination with the office, Campus Security each of the undergradente resi • Caindet Probat academic 2021-22 year for just the five Butthe best part as s saved its secrets to humankindi the leader of the gods, could no let this intraction so unbunished After all, it was a major safe ode violation. Zeus decided th ne lair thme to ao was lo chal. Prometheus to a rock dill 10I involved. vou think our aaministrator I draconian now. imagine hou things would be with the feder actively breath ing down their necks.) The Clery Act defines "arson" as anv intentional setting of fre, even to one's own proper y. So if you've ever lit a candle (strictly for- nd Zeu Caltech's Housing conlact. concials. vou le al arsonist too! • Removal trom Institute Housino for the remander of the academic year 2021-22, effective January 3, 2022. This was one of the gifts of all time to receive on December 14, 2021, as 1 turned my phone Jack on aller uv ucol 10m to Florida for Christmas. I had a lot of feelings about getting to spend my winter break or goose chase for affordable short-term lease options in rasadend, to degln in Darely two weeks. at the height of the COVID Omicron wave! hindsight, we can see that it was not the comes off as a bit of a tyrant, rather than as the benevolent manage- Orelalion of the Policy boils al twne that he was. Prometheis down to, "We can punish you comes off as the hero, humanity's however we want.' "Zeus, the leader of the gods, could not let this infraction go unpunished. After all, it was a major safety code violation. Zeus decided that the fair thing to do was to chain Prometheus to a rock and allow an eagle to eat Prometheus liver... benefactor, and the embodiment and way the Deans telt tre need to crack down on this. In accion to ure peme a sens-tive topic in general for Califor-nia, there have been multiple Gilmartin's credit, he did push hack the effrei, our eviction to the of March 2022, allowing us the winter term lo Ina an apart ment. And we did. We llicked out and found a place near Caltech we could rent for nonths, up until the end of the summer. It was fine. (It actual • ended un vene cheaper mar Caltech housing, all told.) cific moral or call to action SlOry. It's aniv 1ust wanted to Tell 1L. I had a lot of feelings about getting to spase for atordable short tea gease options in Pasadena, to begin in barely two weeks, at the height of the COVID Omicron wave! ly remember Dean Nye's final words to me. She spoke them with a single quantum of light in her eyes. "Hey, Michael..? Stay away from tinder.' I have no idea if that was meant to be a pun. esult of the pro- cess was a delightful four-page document rriving just in tin r the holidays. titled kicke House arson investigation". Here are the highlights: "The students admitted to spend-let have a water hose he they The Dears probey thought were protecting Caltech connuur ron us But on the contrary. this rul-ino trom the lieans calised the Community rally gratitude; satesmad. toncally. ll was one of the first times I felt tru-I we come at Maltech Sewerall upperclassmen offered to help us search for off-campus hot 1112. Despite it not being their problem. execurve com- mittee of Dabnev House (mv primary house membership) stuck their necks out to write Deans' Office de- intone tine a water dose nea any other materials be added to tho PA intamoned anp told the students to put out the fire." Quite a way to spin it. Yes, pre-meditate non-flammable vicinity for the fire and precautions to prevent the re from spread- cision. some members or the Interhonce offered to do the same. and also created a (well-intentioned, appropriately public change. rg petition. A beloved forme faculty member and protessor of a frosh core class even wrote to argue our case. Throughout human history," h did, in fact, result in the more materials maerts before or acri approached And as for the twn lininvolven ctildents? "The Investigators find that [the hustanders did not adeniately intervene hu alerting an authorit foure such as Security or an RA or trying to put it out... ranno af thic idos in aur mattha. not can he tound in the ctory of reciet that The gods, having humans were n entire v reliable creatures. had chosen, purely for safety reasons to withhold from them the secret of fire. The mischievous titan Pro-worshippers' advancement.' Unfortunately, none of those petitions were acknowl- eased by certeen administra- ton. The Caltech Student Affairs Policy on Fire Safety (available on studentattairs.caltech.edu), or which we were Tound to be in violation, states: institutional memory. course. the Camous Fire Safe. i kioht-to-know Act and tha lery Act legally require univer sities to report all fires in cam ous hostion to the youre anna.org/facilities-manager. Winlationa ot this Polic the-campus-fire-safety-right- esult in investigation and disc to-know-act) If those numbers linary action by any of the fol get too high, owino. includino but not limite unding could a letis federal legitimately to: the Housing Office the Con. threatened. or worse • the De- duct Review Committee, the Dean of students. the Vice President toi student Attairs. the Dean of trad uate Studies, or the Graduate Review Board. In addition, the cooperation and good will. Why miss a chance to earn it?' REPORTERS & COLUMNISTS WANTED Calling ATI, members of the Caltech community - not iust undergrads The California Tech is the voice of the people, and we need you to speak! Policy Visit tech.caltech.edu/write (or OR Code) to see story ideas and open positions tech.caltech.edu/submit tech.caltech.edu/discord @tech@caltech.edu this was our firs oh god how did i ahove nassage would seem to get here i am not mile at the naeelnit ot naino evicted from our dorm rooms. good at c the administrator ir laL SC I reviewing our second appeal of the decision, Presidentof Student Affairs Kevin Gilmartin, did not see it that way. are you good at join the tech! nd I do not find that it indicates ny ustifiable reason to overturn the recommendations... You stat- The California Tech Hidden Camera continued from page 1 The responden was relo cated Trom bechtel to another house on the night of July 18, The IX Office der between the or- complainants ana me responaent. wno lert Caltech campus some days lat er due to the Title IX Emergen cy Removal process The letter also stated that on faxed an apology addressed to all his suitemates through the priter in the uite or shees, aying forgiven "I tried to do hat breaks the trust you all ha in me. On July 22, 0022 ลam- email was sent by Assistant Vice tions and Title IX Coordinator. intorming The walteen commu- nity that a hidden camera was found in a private the device was secured, of devices, sweeped and that the owner or the device was no longer on campus. According to the complain-ants, the respondent Caltech classes remotely for the 1022-2< academic vear. This is in-line with Caltech's rocedures for omn aints o Sexual Misconduct Under Title and the California Education Code, which 1 states that "Com- plaints will be investigated and resolved within a reasonaov prompt time frame after the coy aint has beat date, en that updates es end are pro ded "every thirty (30) days. 2022, the complainants received a letter informing many ye in the in fert of tion. The delay was due to the time required for the investigator to interview the numerous parties and witnesses," and for a Campus Security Responder material captured on th on the de- ccording to the letter thi complainants draft would receive first iteration eviden of tere (the evidence coils at lesley litle IX investigation on N THE INVESTIGATION A visual timeline of the investigation is also below Seven of the students in the sure Tied a Torma combiani to the litle Ix Ulnce, which decided to pursue an investigation of the information was municated to the complainants va emalled letters Trom the 11-tle X ofice. 'They were suhse quently reviewed by the Tech. than a month after the incident, companants received a letter Trom vatti. IT outlinedi the procedures for the inves-igation , and gave an explicit She told the complainants, "I estimate the process to con-clude. with notincation to the parties of the outcome, inclusive of appeals, by December they were informed that "status up- dates generallv will be provided ever 20 maus or otherwise a deemed appropriate. Past the origin let days estimate). 53 Days went by without an Trom varu anvone in the 'litle Ix Othce 'he evidence reports were not sent on Novemened, about the lack of a draft evidence report and Ubaates in general one or the complainants emailed Vatti about these matters on Decem-complailates thiesane day from Vatti which notified them That the release of the drati evidence reports would be pushed January 23, 2023 (70 more days past the previous es-timate). ale ela was necessitated v the need to nrenare a dec? idence, up by the investigator [of the case]." The December 16 letter also asked the complainants to sign (NDA) nibited portion Formal Complaint Vatti tells comnlainants that she estimates the nrocess inclusive of appeals, to end by Dec 2022. 147 2.202 Camera Discovered. Reported Delay #1 Title IX notifies complaintants of a Jul 18, 2022 uvo months of silen. Fall '22 Apology Letter Wisenvered Letter from respondent to complainants apologizing for his actions Jul 20, 2022 Delay #2 & NDA Kennest Titla TV notifies comalaintanta afa they sien NDAs to maintain Investigation Reaccioned Dec 16, 2023 Tua ta nnavnantad ctaffino changes new investiontor is assigned to the investigation Tuesday, January 16, 2024 13 Three months went by with- Hearings were held on July Though Caltech has offered communication from 24-25, 2023. A decision trom resources such as accommo- ne ite X CTe The evi- the Deans' Office was originally dations and counseling to the dence reports were not sent Sep- January 23. "Hima just straigh us suusleu us lor a willle, sall need. one or the combiamnants. An undate was sent on March would Sist all chlal troll valu Hou nea combiamants that the corre party responsible for writing he decision letter needed up to 3 extra emotional Ronsoned to finish the tional davs from the mate). According to the letter the delay smode "Permanent Separation from in the Invesucaron allowed week due to factors, March the [dol ing respondent. 120 davs. 'THH.IMVAC"N anomer 14 cavs. On April 13, sularel o one ha however The ven thou complainants] and delay, delavs one is deflect Told the leen or them. re- ancing the rocess nl the respondent. doubled report was "So we ty confident felt required and extensions complexity larcel unne another esponden port. not ngoing port]." :.... Winer 22 Delay #3 Mar 17. 2023 Delay #4 normation, leading to a two- Mar 24, 2023 Sprine 23 Draft Evidence Report Released evidence report to complaintants after months of delays. Apr 13, 2023 Apr 23, 2023 Accommodation #3 Resnondent oven anothe ccommodation, final repot release date is settled May 10-22, 2023 Final Fvidence Report Released May 31, 2023 Appeal Denied, Expulsion Finalized Nor 27, 2023 Fal 23 Hearings Held Jul 24-25, 2023 Decision Made, ppeals Ope n 15.2 14 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 ARC Tip of the Week: Upcoming January Dates: Friday Jan 19th noon-1pm: Ombuds Training Wednesday Jan 24th: Add Day Friday Jan 26th noon-1pm: Student Faculty Lunch More on those... Ombuds training is this Friday January 19th over lunch in CSS 360 (the 3rd floor of the CSS building, CTLO Workshop Space). If you are an ombudsperson or planning to become one, please attend this training! Lunch will be provided • Add Day: Wednesday January 24th is Add Day. This is the last day to add courses, switch between practical and analytical sections of math and physics, and finish E's. Student Faculty Lunch: see below Student Faculty Lunch January 26th The winter term student faculty lunch will be held from noon-1pm Friday January 26th in Lloyd Dining Hall. The professors attending are Konstantin Batygin (GPS, Planetary Science), Frederick Eberhardt (HSS, HPS), Stanislav Djorgovski (PMA, Astrophysics), Eric Mazumdar (CMS, HSS), Nicolas Wey Gomez (HSS), Hosea Nelson (CCE), and Justin Bois (BBE). Please sign up here: https:// docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffy6o38kgAkmW4vVxB_ XlssSk0gFjWLGX2KJeIF4ufmX7YZA/viewform. The ARC will confirm which prof you will be having lunch with after the form closes on Sunday January 21st at 4pm. Lunch will be catered from Corner Bakery. Research List The ARC is compiling a list of professors who are looking for undergrads to work in their lahs. The Research Tist is now available here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FVi sRcIJ7sLjxnIzzO5rcp0QNRC8MV8DeqQasf f9Q2A/edit?usp=sharing. These are great professors to reach out to about doing research during term and for SURF! We will be adding to this list as we get responses from more faculty. Disclaimer: The research list is not a complete list, and it contains a mix or summer and during-term opportuniues that may be updated as the year goes on. Please check that the position you're looking into is accepting students in your year and for the term you're interested in using the information on the sheet. How to Reach Out To Labs About SURFs SURF application season is approaching! SURF applications are generally due at the end of February, but stuldents tend io start reachino our labs about potential research opportunities from now through January. The ARC's website has MANY resources to help you find research, write your SURF proposal, and learn more about research. The first step is sending a potential mentor an email to express your interest. Please read our tips and example email here: https://sites.google. com/site/arccaltech/resources/research?authuser=0#h.p 2ZELu6cp4D t SURF Application Deadline is Thursday February 22nd! Find letter of recommendation writers ASAP if you haven't already. Updated HSS Flowchart The ARC has updated the HSS flowchart to hopefully clarify what the HSS requirements are (see next page). Please let us know if you have questions/suggestions on how to improve it. The California Tech Caltech's first and only student-run newspaper presents.. The California Tech JOURNALISM & NEWSWRITING Warkshop SATURDAY January 20th Open to undergrads, grad students, postdocs, faculty, staff... No experience necessary! 11 AM - 12:45 PM 1st Floor Conference Room in Dabneu Hall of Humanities CATERED LUNCH by Tom Mannion We are hosting a journalism and newswriting workshop, taught by Prof. Richard Kipling, former Managing Editor at the L.A. Times and advisor of the Tech. Participants will learn the basic principles of news reporting, as well as writing for a print medium, leave prepared to be star journalists for the Tech! PLEASE RSVP HERE: rach.caitac٦:٥ouب Best of: TQFRs by Tech staff Teaching quality feedback reports, or TQFRs provide an opportunity for students to share their experiences, either positive or negative, about classes they have taken. In this new column we will look at some of the most iconic. space s.ructures - Ae/CE 221 And all that we make are folds, Only grad students break the mold Dear Ae221, what say to you? Space is a cool place and they say it gets colder Nobody once told me, this course ou're self-stressed now, wait 'til was gonna roll me, you get older Not the sharpest gore in the balloon volume But inextensional mechanisms beg to differ She was looking kind of dumb with Judging by the miura-ori satellite her finger and her thumb In the shape of a dihedral angle on picture her forehead. The origami paper is getting pretty thin Well the tears start coming and they The Matlab computers getting warm don't stop coming. so you might as well take a Twinkle I saw the Beckman dodecahedron Tea break traumatized, hit the ground falling My world's on fire, how about yours? That's the way I like it and I'll never Didn't make sense, this inextension- get bored al equilibrium nonsense, Most undergrads dropped and PFd FA 2023-24 — Ma 001A the class, the rest of us were dumb. Calculs tt One and Variables and Linear So much to prove, so much to reac So what's wrong with my truncated octahedral prism? You'll never know if you don't fold You'll never pass if you don't code. Hey now, you're a sucker, get your space frame, go deploy Hey now, you're a MechE, get your inner angles, space fill. the vibes - im going to tear my hair out if i hear the word 'partition' again AHAHHHAHHHH- HH oh my god... this class is doable but it feels like vour mind is getting hammered over and over and over and over and over like I've never felt so dumb while doing homework. but it is really satisfying when you final-ly figure out a nice proof. The California Tech Tuesday, January 16, 2024 15 Humanities and Social Science Requirements Updated for 2023-2024 If you matriculated in 2023 or earlier: 36 Units Hums + 36 Units SS + 36 Units Misc. HSS = 108 Total Units (12 Classes) If you matriculated in 2024 or later: 36 Units Hums + 27 Units SS + 36 Units Misc. HSS = 99 Total Units (11 Classes) 18 Units Frosh Hums + 18 Units Advanced Hum = 36 Units Hums 18 Units Intro SS + 18 Units Advanced SS = 36 Units SS Of the 108 Units, 27 of these Units must be Writing Intensive Advanced Classes 18 Units Advanced Hum + (9 Units of Miscellaneous Advanced Hum OR 9 Units of Writing Intensive Advanced SS) = 27 Units Writing Intensive Arrows cesionare prerecusires Please also rererence the cataloa. Additional resources are avallable at arc.caltech.edu and at the Mss Course Schedule Viewer Department Humanities Social Science Either Miscellaneous Wr 1/2/3/4/50 2-3 Classes Inan crarrind tslroch atrhortDnre tiir uie larririnm cceccmer nd move to frosh hums or (2) take Wr 1 or 2 before frosh hum: Credit No credits for passing out. Go straight to Frosh Hums. 9 units (Max) from Wr 1 or Wr 2 will count as Misc. HSS Credili Yes, vou can take this on p/F dless or when vou cake he courses Additional HSS Courses ute eranion ine con edenced not include Frosh Hums or readino No requirement for writing intensive. Yes, you can take this on p/fregardless of when you Credit Type 2 classes 2 Classes Frosh Hums Intro Social Sciences Introductory Course number 60 or les: Both should be taken Frosh Year; Prerequisite for ALL advanced humanities courses MUST be in different disciplines (i.e. English, history/HPS, philosophy, and visual culture) Chosen from: Either An 14.15 or 16 P5 12 Credil PSV 13 18 units (Max) will count as Humanities-speciric credit: Taking >2 will NoT count toward the 10% tninirrAral Credit SS-specific credit. Taking >2 will Other Details :ount toward the 108 HSS unit total Require at least 4,000 words of composition es, you can take this on p/f, regardless of when Other Detalls Advanced SS must match Intro SS regardless of when you take the 2 Classes Advanced Hums 1 Class Advanced Course number 90 or above Must be taken on grades lust take Frosh Hums BEFORE 1-2 Classes Advanced Social Sciences Course number 100 or above Advanced SS must match the discipline of one of your Intro SS (e.g. Ec 122 having taken Ec 11) Additional Writing Intensive Course Must take 3 writing intensive courses: 2 Adv Hums (see lower left corner) Tha ane athar caurce can hc HPS Humanities either a 3rd adv hum (course number 90 or ahove) or a Music (not PVA!) Philosophy desianated writina intensive Visual Culture 5, or 18 units of advanced Ec, or 9 SS An/PS 127. Ec 105. Ec units of advanced An and 9 units of 129. EC 130. EC 140. PS 99 ALL count as writing intensive Do NOT have to match same advanced Ec to fulfill the advanced SS ab. Ps 120, PS 123, or Ps discidlines as Frosh Hums Muct he taken on aradec Require at least 4.000 words on composition Most are NOT writina intensive BEM 102 does not count all other RFM and Fc Requires at least 4,000 words of composition Credit 8 units (Max) will count as 100+ do No. vou CANNOT n/fthes Humanities-specific credit No vOI CANNOT n/Fthoso Credit 18 units (Max) will count as SS-specific credit No, you CANNOT p/f these A 2023-24 - ME 11: hermal Scienc SP 2017-18 - Ph 106c Topics in Classical Phys- The professor is good, ics but wastes wav too much time com- Physicists, like the drug deal- plaining to his students about my elementary school cheating. I understand this was teacher warned me about, like a large issue last year, and I ful- to get them hooked early. ly support the prof. doing what is nossible to nrevent it. T even gel so get th off bioked wely. sThet a hint of group theory here, scaring students into not cheat- cryptic reference to Noether's ing. That being said, this point theorem there. If you were smart, could have been made about 1/8 you would keep your head down, as frequently and still have been Wolfram your way through to the effective. Every day the good stu- end of Ph12, and wash your hands dents were told they were cheat- of the whole affair. But you're a ers, it sucks as a student. The physics major, and if there's one prof. should BOC the cheaters thing you know, it's that there's and move on with his day. something good hidden here. Something pure. Something you *need*. And so you find™ your way to junior year. You should have noticed something wasn't quite right when your fingers began pattering away of their own accord, engraving a ghostly Stir-ling's approximation into every writing surface you encountered But 107. surelv. was an anomalv-statistical mechanics, after all, is only a few short hops away from the well known and poorly under-stood occult forces of electrical engineering- and with 106a offer-ing ever stronger hits of that real good symmetry, you press on. How could you not? Just around the corner, surely, lay beauty bare, the long awaited wellspring of the high that even now courses through your veins- a generally covariant paradise without a free parameter or delta "function" in sight. And then, halfway through winter term, it stops. No more beauty. No more elegance. Only expansion by spherical harmon- ics remains. the lone testament to your loss. Electromagnetism, to be sure, opens with the same comforting platitudes as every other physics class- focus on the physics, not the algebra. Don't get bogged down in calculations. Try to find symmetry arguments But there are no symmetry arguments to be found. At times, 16 What to do with the Tech after you've read it... by Lilia Arrizabalaga Tuesday, January 16, 2024 What CDS Food an eye-opening personality quiz Option Are You? by Ellie Chen based on atrosh s tirstimoressions 1) Choose a color from the following: a. Red; b. Orange; c. Blue; d. Purple; e. Yellow 2) Choose a word from the following: a. Invitation; b. Solid; c. Indelible; d. Iridescent; e. Open 3) Choose a number from the following: a. 80; b. 125; c. -14.6; d. 31.2; e. 64 4) Choose a water body from the following: a. River; b. Ocean; c. Stream; d. Bathtub; e. Lake 5) Choose a biome from the following: a. Deciduous forest; b. Rainforest; c. Desert; d. Tundra; e. Grasslands 6) Choose a problem from the following a. Confinement; b. Inadequacy; c. Mediocrity; d. Monotony; e. Isolation 7) Choose a solution from the following: a. Community; b. Fulfillment; c. Conspicuity; d. Variety; e. Availability Results Mostly a's: Red Door. You enjoy the company of a variety and multitude of people and, as a result, might feel pressured to always be emotionally available. Remember to keep some time and space for yourself. Mostly b's: Browne. You tend to satisfy the needs of those around you while carrying an abundance of personality in your person. Mostly c's: Broad. You stand out and carry yourself with an air of elegance and presentability. You strive to not be overlooked, forgotten. Mostly d's: Avery Ramen. You are driven by your consideration and unique character. You wish to provide for others what you lack yourself. Mostly e's: House Dinner/Open Kitchen. You are always willing to help out a friend and seek out opportunities for gatherings. You are likely a "social center"; many enjoy your company. The California Tech The California Tech EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Gutierrez MANAGING EDITORS Maxwell Montemayor Lilia Arrizabalga Victoria Davis LAYOUT Alanna Yelland Alicia Zhang Dharshini Anand Annie Hu STAFF WrITERS Cristian Ponce Ellie Chen Damian Wilson BUSINESs MANAGER Jonathan Booker ADVISOR Richard Kipling The California Tech aims to publish biweekly except during vacation and examination periods by the Associated Students of the California Institute of lechnology, Inc. The opinion expresse herein are strictly those of the authors and adver-tisers. Letters and submissions are welcome; email submis sions to tech@caltech.edu, o submit them on our Discord (tech.caltech.edu/discord). The editors reserve the right to edit and abridge all submissions for ally reason. All written work remains property of its author. The advertising deadline is 12 PM on Friday; all advertising should be submitted electron ically or as camera ready art, but The Tech can also do simple ypesetting and arrangemen All advertising inquiries shoul directed to the business manager at tech@caltech.edu. Introducing... #5 The California Tech CalGuesser Every issue we'll show you a different location on campus. Find the place and find the QR code hidden there to sign the log book and win a fabulous prize?!?! ("On campus" is defined by the bounds of the map on caltech.edu/map/campus. The QR code will be hidden somewhere within the pictured area.) End the Climate Crisis! Join us at PBU Caltech Launch Party PLANT-BASED UNIVERSITIES Last issue's winners! CalGuesser #4 - November 28, 2023 Congrats, you found it!!! Leave your name/pseudonym, vear/department, and date tound: indifferent, undergrad senior / MS, 11/28 10:58AM Jonn, 94 cce, 11/20 3.14 Pr Henry, community member, 12/31/23 3:31 PM = Live Music Learning Resources Jan 30th, 5:30-7pm Chen 130 Goodie Bags Q+A with PBU members Plant-based food Raffle for free food from local vegan restaurants Scan QR code to join our WhatsApp! Instagram @PBUCaltech PlantBased Unis@caltech.edu