Maxwell Montemayor

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Like music? Looking for something cheap and cool to do? Want to get to know some locals? Like crappy music? Then you should check out a DIY show! From random backyards and patios to overpasses and warehouses, these shows have some unconventionally cool venues. One such memorable show took place at a skatepark, where people were doing tricks on motorcycles and some guy brought a microwave into the pit. Consisting of the dry, dusty backyard of a suburban household, the “cum house” was another fav

“I struggled in college so there is a personal connection for me, to be there for students who are struggling,” says Dr. Saeromi Kim, Caltech’s new Director of Counseling Services at Student Wellness Services (SWS). Dr. Kim, who uses she/they pronouns and is of Korean-Venezuelan ethnic backgrounds, came to Caltech after

…or Blinterhouse 2024: Gravity Falls.

After nearly 4 years and 8 months, Hima Vatti has stepped down from her position as Caltech’s Assistant Vice President for Equity and Equity Investigations, and Title IX coordinator. Appointed on July 16, 2019 and stepping down on March 15, 2024, Vatti was Caltech’s longest serving Title IX coordinator. According to an email sent to the Caltech community by Julia McCallin, the Chief Human Resource Officer, Ofelia Velazquez-Perez will serve as interim Title IX coordinator while a replacement is

After nearly 4 years and 8 months, Hima Vatti has stepped down from her position as Caltech’s Assistant Vice President for Equity and Equity Investigations, and Title IX coordinator. Appointed on July 16, 2019 and stepping down on March 15, 2024, Vatti was Caltech’s longest serving Title IX coordinator. According to an email sent to the Caltech community by Julia McCallin, the Chief Human Resource Officer, Ofelia Velazquez-Perez will serve as interim Title IX coordinator while a replacement is

From January 29 to February 2, the Tech conducted an anonymous poll regarding undergraduate students’ experiences with Caltech’s Title IX Office. The poll was conducted via a Microsoft Office Form, requiring respondents to sign in with Caltech credentials to confirm their identity, but did not save their identity with the responses. The Tech received verbal approval from the Institutional Review Board to publish the results of the poll in aggregate form. The poll yielded 125 responses from C

Title IX Case Delays Are Not Isolated Occurrences Maxwell Montemayor, Cristian Ponce | News In the January 16th issue, the Tech reported on a 16-month-long Title IX Case regarding a hidden camera incident. Since then, more students have contacted the Tech to share their experiences with Caltech’s Title IX Office. In the interest of privacy, their identities will not be disclosed. Students who filed Title IX complaints will be referred to as complainants, and the subjects of the comp

In a Title IX case characterized by incessant delays, non-disclosure agreements, and frustration, a 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 the 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 apol

There has been a lot of buzz about the vague spectre of “admin” banning undergraduate house events, both during and outside Rotation this year. In continuing this discussion between tradition and inclusivity, the Tech interviewed Dr. Kevin Gilmartin, Vice President for Student Affairs, to get his perspective on the matter. Our conversation focused on two specific issues: Blacker Hovse’s Potato Cannon, and Ricketts Hovse’s Rotation Dinner Skits. Blacker’s Potato Cannon, built for a Ditch Day s

After over two decades ofcontinuous operation, Caltech Administration has banned the firing of the potato cannon as part of Blacker Hovse’s rotation events. Built in 2002 as part of a Ditch Day stack, firing it has been a Blacker Hovse tradition ever since. “The potato cannon was my favorite rotation event last year. I’m disappointed that this year’s frosh [weren’t] able to have the same experience as I did,” says Ethan Labelson (EE ‘26, Blacker/Dabney). This rotation, Techers missed out on he

“Go to a Nordic country and commit a crime that will get you a school term of jail time… do your work remotely from there in luxury and comparative extravagance,” says Josiah Miller (Ay ‘24, Venerable). From burst pipes leaking noxious fumes, to six weeks without hot water, residents of Marks House, myself included, have experienced a seemingly unending stream of problem

“I sold $2,500 worth of FRB shares, for $41,” admits Cristian Ponce (BioE ‘25, Blacker). “I knew it was a risky investment, it didn’t work out.” After a two day long bank run, Silicon Valley Bank failed on March 10 and was placed under federal control. High interest rates and the underperformance of tech stocks caused customers to lose confidence in the bank, prompting a wave of withdrawals. The bank did not have enough money available to pay its depositors, so the bank failed. This collapse w

“I planned accordingly… based on the rules of the lottery”, says Hannah Fisher (ME ‘24, Unaffiliated) “If they had stuck with the original rules, I would have gotten housing in Bechtel. But now I don’t have on-campus housing.” Fisher is one of as many as 20 students who are living off-campus involuntarily, due to the over-admission of the class of 2027. On Tuesday, May 2nd, Joe Bennethum sent out an email to undergraduates telling them that the housing office was “notified by Admissions about

On Tuesday, April 18th, Caltech held its biannual Student Faculty Conference (SFC), an all-day forum between students and faculty about individual majors, and undergraduate academics as a whole. The conference, one of the few times the Caltech community gets to formally have their complaints heard, was held in person for the first time since 2019. Throughout this past year, the Academics and Research Committee (ARC) planned the event, creating SFC committees composed of students and faculty th