Campus

Are Privacy and the Honor Code Compatible?

Are Privacy and the Honor Code Compatible?

On October 1st, the day of move-in, an email was sent out by Emily Sanger, the Bechtel RLC (resident life coordinator). The email contained 63 temporary room codes, opening every frosh’s private room in Bechtel. These temporary room codes, while allegedly only lasting a few days, gave access to many student’s personal belongings. It’s unknown how many students these codes were sent to.
The Unstandardization of Caltech: Bathrooms

The Unstandardization of Caltech: Bathrooms

After arriving at Caltech, one of the first things I noticed about the campus once I finally had time to wander around was that, from what I could tell, this place lacked a consistent architectural style. There’s a mix of Spanish-style architecture like Beckman Institute, more modern-looking buildings like Chen, and silly guys like the Beckman Hall (and also ugly ass ones like Downs-Lauritsen). This mixing of styles continues inside, with some buildings like Bridge keeping their old-fashioned style but Gates-Thomas deciding to modernize. That’s all neat and cool, but it goes a little further than what you see walking up and down the halls. The place I noticed these tiny details is a sacred place where you have time to yourself, a place free of distraction, a place of relief: the bathroom.

Blacker’s Potato Cannon Banned After Over 20 Years of Use

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).
ASCIT Social Calendar 2023-24

ASCIT Social Calendar 2023-24

While houses throw a significant portion of the social events during the year, ASCIT throws events open to the entire student body every term. We’ve listed an overview of the events that we both host and help out with, often with our advisor, Tom Mannion, the Senior Director of Student Activities and Alumni Engagement.
Profile: Michele Judd, Executive Director, W.M. Keck Institute for Space Studies

Profile: Michele Judd, Executive Director, W.M. Keck Institute for Space Studies

In 1988, Mobil Oil Field foreman Michele Judd stood on top of an oil platform in Paso Robles, California. She did not give much thought to the day ending or the stars coming out. To Judd, this simply signified that the workday was finishing and most of her workers would be heading home, leaving just a skeleton crew to work through the night. But years later, she remembers looking up into the darkening sky, wondering what it would be like working on projects high in space rather than working with materials deep in the earth.
Is the Housing “Crisis” Really a Crisis?

Is the Housing “Crisis” Really a Crisis?

Caltech Students: Please fill out the IHC’s feedback forms about Housing and Rotation before July 1st, 2023! thanks :) When the news broke that 271 students committed to Caltech for the Class of 2027, current students and faculty panicked. How would Caltech accommodate around 40 more freshmen than expected? Suddenly, the rules for upperclassmen picking rooms on campus were changing and students scrambled to update their plans. But why did so many students feel cheated, and is there really a housing crisis on campus?
New Undergraduate Dean Appointed

New Undergraduate Dean Appointed

“I can say that when I was first asked about it, it obviously seemed like a challenging role, but I genuinely believe that I can stand up to the challenge,” chimed Dr. Jennifer Jahner, newly appointed Dean of Undergraduate Students.
The Admin Corner - Lesley Nye

The Admin Corner - Lesley Nye

As we barrel towards the end of another academic year and prepare to say “au revoir” to our soon-to-be-graduates, I hope we can all take a moment to appreciate the time that we have been able to spend together and reflect upon what we have overcome in the past few years, both as individuals and as a community.