Local Happenings in Pasadena

Local Happenings in Pasadena

This past Sunday, thousands in and around the Pasadena area left their cars at home and dusted off their rollerblades, skateboards, and bikes to take the (hopefully not) once in a lifetime chance to traverse the closed Arroyo Seco Parkway. The six lanes and six miles of the winding freeway were closed to cars from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m on Sunday.
Quail Halloween

Quail Halloween

Q Help! The triangle man is after me! What do i do? -Pythagoras A Did you eat those mystery berries again? Have you considered that the triangle man is not real and it may just be the mystery berries, you moron??? Ugh, but I guess its too late for that. Here’s what you can do now since you can’t stop eating these berries:
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.
Housing in Pasadena: A Zero-Sum Game?

Housing in Pasadena: A Zero-Sum Game?

While Caltech is able to house all undergraduate students who wish to live on campus, this is not the case for graduate students. Only G1’s are guaranteed housing from the Housing Office; thereafter, graduates must enter an extremely competitive lottery to live in Caltech-owned apartments.
HSS Course Offerings: An Analysis of the Past Five Years

HSS Course Offerings: An Analysis of the Past Five Years

A common concern heard among the undergraduates on registration day these past few terms is “there aren’t enough hums!”. Broadly referring to all Humanities and Social Science (HSS) courses offered in a given term by the word ‘hum’, what specifically does the statement mean? That there aren’t enough advanced humanities courses being offered in any given term (i.e. not enough_ total HSS courses)? That there isn’t enough breadth of courses to satisfy their interests (i.e. not enough “interesting”_ HSS courses for any given student)? That there aren’t enough courses that fit into their schedule (i.e. not enough HSS courses at a given time)? The Academics and Research Committee (ARC) has compiled the following data to understand the source of the concern.
New Changes in Caltech Athletics and Recreation to Fix Old Problems

New Changes in Caltech Athletics and Recreation to Fix Old Problems

At the start of 2023, students began to hear rumors of major renovations coming to Braun Athletic Center and Scott Brown Gym. We heard that the distribution of gym equipment would be changing, that the athletic training office would be moving, and circulating most of all, that the locker rooms were to see major renovations. For students and members, athletes and otherwise, this was an exciting change. The locker rooms had been outdated for a long time, both in their facilities and the ideas they reflected, and in April 2023, this much needed change began.
Question the Quail

Question the Quail

Q I’m a grad student looking for club funding. How do I go about applying for money? -Madeline Hatter A Simple! Just follow this 4-step plan:
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.
To Unionize or Not to Unionize

To Unionize or Not to Unionize

On Friday, September 29, 2023, the Caltech Graduate Students and Postdocs United (C/GPU) hosted a rally to celebrate reaching a majority of signed union authorization cards. For those unfamiliar or just confused about the process, this was not a vote. Those in charge of the union effort made it clear that according to their recorded numbers, enough graduate students and postdocs currently support moving forward to a vote to force the issue. These same leaders have also been very vocal about the fact that a vote would not have needed to be forced if the administration had simply consented early on to let us hold one.

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.
Barbies, a.k.a Feminism 101?

Barbies, a.k.a Feminism 101?

Over this summer, the blazing-pink cinematic nuclear warhead that is Barbenheimer – the sobriquet of the dual releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer – hit theaters worldwide.
Blacker Olympics - The Frosh Perspective

Blacker Olympics - The Frosh Perspective

Following Dabney Boat Tours, Chill at Page, and Ricketts Open Mic Night, the team-based, tournament-style competition centered around the promise of a massive water fight at the end, which participants could use their tickets to prepare for. Up for sale were water guns, tubs of water balloons, and defensive materials like mattresses and cardboard. To earn tickets, participants competed against each other in a series of games - ranging from lock picking to tug of war.
Caltech Men’s Soccer Rising to the Top

Caltech Men’s Soccer Rising to the Top

The Caltech Men’s Soccer team has been having a groundbreaking season this year, displaying a level of excellence and resilience that has made the institute proud. Their prowess on the field has been nothing short of phenomenal, displaying a level of excellence and resilience that has resonated across the campus.
Caltech Y Annual Yosemite Hike: An Odyssey

Caltech Y Annual Yosemite Hike: An Odyssey

In the mystical realm of Yosemite National Park, where towering sequoias whisper tales of centuries past and granite giants stand as stoic sentinels to the whims of time, a brave band of Caltech students - prefrosh, returning undergrads, and grad students - embarked on a four-day backpacking and camping odyssey as a part of the annual Caltech Y hiking trip.