STEPHEN HAWKING'S

~ CBranerNew Wore!

Friday, March 15Write ["rthe TUh, and TanUlw and K~"ln will n,,\ic~ W>\1

Co-president!

KEVIN BARTZ

In his testimony last Wednesdaybefore the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee, Provost Steven Kooninwarned lawmakers that America isunprepared to recover from poten­tial "dirty bombs," conventional ex­plosives specially designed to dis­seminate radioactive waste.

Would-be terrorists have fairlyeasy access to materials for build­ing dirty bombs. Just scrounge forresidue from any old X-ray ma­chine, hospital lab or nuclear powerplant, said Koonin, and half the jobis done. From there, a terrorist in­serts the radioactive sample into anexplosive shell and detonates it withconventional gunpowder.

However, any such dirty bomberwould have a hard time accumulat­ing anything more than an infini­tesimal amount of the readily avail­able forms of toxic material, spe­cifically iridium and cesium iso­topes. And even with a liberal esti­mate of three Curies-nearly awhole gram of radioacti ve iso­topes-Koonin foresaw only fourmore cancer deaths to the annualtqtal of 20,000 in a population of100,000 people.

Due to the relatively small tollcaused by such a device, Kooninfingered fear as the true culprit. "Weare talking about a weapon of massdisruption more than destruction,"he said. "These weapons are notabout terror. They are about psycho-

Continued on Page 2, Column 3

FeaturesSr, Co-President ,5Dengue Fever , 3Counseling , "", 4Crippling Depression .... 7

. . InsiHe tIle 1!'eil1 ., <

Tl1e UsualCommentary 3ASCIT Minutes , 4Outside World .. , , 5Dean's Corner 7

The California Tech Archives

Provost Steven Koonin urged the Foreign Relations Committee lastweek to prcpa'te for the "mass disruption" that a radioactive "dirtybomb" could potentially bring.

Vice President Kel1y Klima '03,Secretary Mona Sheikh '03, Trea­surer Sindy Tang '03, KristinShantz '04 and Iram Parveen Bilal'04.

In the general student meeting,Bilal was elected as one of the twoRegional Student Newsletter edi­tors. She wil1 be responsible for thewinter edition of the Newsletter in2003 for the whole region.

The National President-elect forthe 2002-03 term, RachelMcQuil1en, graciously took sometime to speak with us about the con­ference.

"It is nice to come to regionalmeetings like this. In other confer­ences like the national ones, wedon't normal1y get time to talk topeople and especial1y students onan individual basis," she said whilealso referring to the national con-

Continued on Page 2, Column 1

Courtesy of I. P. Bilal

"h" .....t",. of the Society of Women",.o"n', annual gathering.

Female undel:gr:adsEngineers

By IRAM PARVEEN BILAL

The Society ofWomen Engineers(SWE), which is now celebrating50 years of leadership, held its Re­gion B conference in Albuquerque,New Mexico from February 28 toMarch 3, 2002. Region B, one ofthe ten regions in the US, brings to­gether the SWE Sections of fivestates: California, Utah, Nevada,New Mexico and Arizona. The con­ference primarily consisted of semi­nars on teambuilding, leadership,and entrepreneurship with engi­neering, tours around Albuquerqueand informal sessions of student­professional intermingling. From apolitical standpoint, it was also atime of electing the new student Re­gional Representative and the newStudent Regional Newsletter Edi­tor.

This year, Cal tech was repre­sented by six SWE members,namely President Emma Kang '02,

Proposition 41Passed with 51,7% in favor. This proposition, which

grew out of the 2000 presidential vote count contro'­versy in Florida, authorizes the distribution of $200mil1ion to counties for modernization of current vot­ing systems.

Proposition 42Passed with 69.0% in favor. This proposition requires

that al1 gasoline taxes be spent for transportation pur­poses only.

Proposition 43Passed with 71.5% in favor. This proposition explic­

itly amends the California Constitution to state thatevery legal1y casted 'vote shal1 be counted. The mea­sure ensures that vote-counting wil1 not be stoppedbecause of lack of time

Proposition 44Passed with an overwhelming 79.6% in favor. For a

chiropractor who is convicted of insurance fraud a sec­ond time, this proposition wil1 require the state BoardofChiropractic Examiners to revoke that chiropractor'slicense for ten years.

Proposition 45The "Term Limits Act" was rejected with 57.7%

against. This proposition would have relaxed currentterm-limit rules by allowing lawmakers to run for ex­tended terms if they gathered signatures from 20 per­cent of the voters in their districts. California's termlimits are currently the toughest in the'nation.

in State Primaries

Schwartz, who contactedabout solving this

who studies physicsnnl vnnpr'~ to take

contactedGrubb, an expert in polymer syn­thesis. Together, the three of themcame up with a plan to make theperfect replacement lens, one whichcould be adjusted easily after theoperation to correct for any distor­tions produced by the healing pro­cess.

The three decided to try to use thephenomena of photopolymer­ization, in which laser light can beused to stimulate small moleculesto assemble into larger ones. Theyplanned to imbed monomers in asilicone lens. Shining light on thelens would stimulate the monomersto join into larger molecules whichcould change the refractive indexofthe lens. If they could selectivelycontrol where these long polymerswould form they could delicatelytweak the focusing properties of thelens.

A cataract operation using thenew lens would involve three vis­its to a surgeon. First, the traditionaloperation would be performed, us­ing the new adjustable lens as thereplacement. A few days wouldelapse in which the eye would healaround the new lens, deforming it.The patient would return to the sur-'geon who would determine how thelens needed to be adjusted. If hewanted to increase the index of re-

Continued on Page 2, Column 3

Davis, SimonBy ROBERTLI

On Tuesday, March 5, thousands ofCalifornians wentout to the polls to let their opinions be known in thegovernatorial primary elections and on six ballotedstate propositions. Results are as follows:

GovernorPolitical newcomer Bill Simon captured the GOP

nomination and won the right to challenge Democraticincumbent Gray Davis next fall in the Californiagovernatorial election, Davis won the Democratic pri­mary, by an overwhemling 80.9%, beating out threelittle-known opponents. For the Republicans, earlyfavorite Richard Riordan, former Mayor of Los Ange­les, lost to the more conservative Bill Simon by 31,6%to 49.4%, In the last ten weeks, Simon, a conservativeLos Angeles businessman overcame a 40-point defi­cit. He also took advantage of a $9 bi11ion advertisingcampaign Davis launched against Riordan.

Proposition 40Passed with 56.9% in favor. This proposition autho­

rizes California to sell $2.6 billion in bonds for con­servation of natural and historical resources. It will allottens of millions of dollars to protecting ,he Lake TahoeBasin, San Francisco Bay, and other such placesthroughout the state of California. State parks and re­serves would get nearly $225 million, while otherneighborhood and regional parks will share over $800million.

Courtesy of J. Kornifeld

Julia Kornfield oversees optom­etric research that may improveeyesight for cataract patients.

In her March 6 Watson Lecture,Prof. Julia Kornfield that

recorded cata-a fifth century B.C.

He advocatedto

thelens of the

cured cataractwhen the lens becomes ob-

sight), but also preventedthe patient from being able to fo­cus on anything ever again.

Luckily, medicine has advancedsignificantly since then, and thereis now an extremely common sur­gery in which the old lens is re­moved and a new intraocular lensis inserted.

The procedure is common, andworks well, but has one majordraw-back. The implanted lens iscarefully produced to be the rightshape, but following the operationthe eye heals around the lens in an

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Advertising:Announcements (Mints):Letters to the Editor;UnsolIcited Articles

Published weekly except during vacationand examination periods by the AssociatedStudents of the California Institute of Tech­oology. Inc. The opinioos expressed hereinare strictly those of the authors and advertis­ers.

Letters and announcements are welcome.All contributions should include the author'sname and phone number and the intended dateof publication. The preferred submissionmethod is to e~mail tec!l@/tgcs,cllltecheduwith the body of the article appearing in plaintext. Alternatively. you may submit copy(preferably on Macintosh 3.5"' disk) to theTech mailbox outside SAC room 40. The edi­tors reserve the right to edit and abridge allsubmissions for literacy. expediency. etc. Allarticles are the property of the authors. Au­thors and columnists retain all intellectualproperty rights.

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The Calfornia Tech Archives

Provost Steven Koonin briefedthe Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee last week on threatsposed by nuclear "dirty bombs."

EDITORSKevin Carl Bartz

Tammy Yee Wing M_a

VOLUME cm, NUMBER 19MARCH 11, 2002

THE CALIFORNIATECHCaltech 40-58. Pasadena. CA 91125

editorial desk: (626) 395-6153advertising desk: (626) 395-6154

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ADVERTISING MANAGERDana Sadava

manner in which the glycoproteinsare arranged. The computer-gener­ated images show a highly varie­gated structure ofglycoprotein mol­ecules that are evenly dispersed, butwith a surprisingly complicatedpattern.

The structural domains of the gly­coproteins that have been false-col­ored blue in the image are thoughtto be involved in receptor binding.The ones coded yellow are thoughtto be responsible for holding thescaffolding together.

The new work could lead to drugsthat will bind to the virus to pre­vent it from entering the cell, orperhaps from reassembling once itis already inside the cell.

Dengue fever is a mosquito­spread disease that is foundthroughout Latin America, theCaribbeans, Southeast Asia, India,and is currently at epidemic levelsin Hawaii. The related dengue-hem­orrhagic fever is a leading cause ofinfant mortality in Thailand.

the group estimates the up to 98%of all patients can have their visioncorrected in this way. A start-upcompany, Calhoun Vision, hasformed to develop and market theselenses, called Laser AdjustableLenses (LALs).

LALs have implications for morethan just cataract patients. A LALcould be implanted between theexisting lens and the cornea of apatient with poor vision. As an al­ternative to laser correction surgery,this method promises to produce aneven more dramatic improvementin eyesight, since laser surgery pro­vokes a healing response by the eye,and is thus always less than perfect.

In fact, the incredible level oftweaking afforded by LALs couldchange our notions of what perfectvision means. No single lens is per­fect, especially not the ones naturemanufactures for our eyes. Addinga LAL could allow for surgeons totweak it to perfect a person's vision.It would be possible to create "su­per-vision", which would enable aperson to see with higher claritythan is naturally possible. Kornfieldpresented a dramatic visualizationof what the Statue ofLiberty wouldlook like from three kilometers with20-20 vision and with LAL cor­rected sight.

Benjamin Franklin's invention ofbifocals in the 1780's created quitea stir. When contact lenses becomefunctional in the early part of the20th century they similarly spreadquickly in popularity. Recently, la­ser correction surgery has becomewidespread in only a few years.Will LALs be the next big step invision correction?

PASADENA-Scientists have de­termined the fine-detail structure ofthe virus that causes dengue fever.

Reporting in the March 8 issue ofthe journal Cell, Caltech biologyprofessor James H. Strauss, leadauthor Richard J. Kuhn, and M.Rossman and T. Baker, all three ofPurdue University, describe thestructure of the virus they obtainedwith a cryoelectron microscope.The map shows the inner RNA coreof the virus as well as the otherspherical layers that cover it. At thesurface is the glycoprotein scaffold­ing thought to allow the virus to in­teract with the receptor and invadea host cell.

This is the first time the structureof one of the f1aviviruses has beendescribed, Strauss says. Thef1aviviruses are a class of virusesenclosed with a glycoprotein outerlayer that includes minor projec­tions out of the lipid layer due tothe geometry of the scaffolding.

The surprise was the unusual

Continued on Page 3, Column 1

L P. Bilal/The California TechKings, queens, constables and downs adorn the stage in this term'sfinal pedorm~nceof S~akespeare'sLove's Labour Lost last Saturdayby the Theatre Arts at CaItech drama troupe.

are also doing other preparations tomechanize the actual observing

Palomar Observatory engineerHal Petrie says the mountain crewis currently busy linking the newtelescope with an existing weather­monitoring system at the nearby 48­inch dome, where another auto-

'Ptometrist OutlinesPath to (; rfect Vision'Continuedfrom Page 1; Column 4

fraction for the center of the lens,he would shine a laser light on justthis section. The light would stimu­late the monomers in this region toform into polymers. Over the nextfew days diffusion would occur,and the remaining monomers wouldspread evenly throughout the lens.The final visit would involve shin­ing laser light on the entire lens,locking all of the monomers into apolymer grid. The center lens nowhas an increased density of mate­rial, and thus an increased index ofrefraction. The laser light does notprovoke a healing response fromthe eye, so modifications are notdestroyed.

In what Kornfield called "one ofthose wonderful fortuitous discov­eries in science," the group foundthat their method was even morepowerful than they had planned.Diffusion of the monomers causedthe lens to change shape, dramati­cally increasing the power of theeffect. With this increase in power,

LOOKOUT FOR'DIRTY BOMBS,'SAYS PROVOST

Continued/rom Page 1, Column 5

logical fear and they are about eco­nomic destruction, not casualties."

Hospitals would be ill-equippedto handle the worried hordes andconcerned businesses would moveout of town. Legislators wouldthrow vast sums of money to speedup what would already be a multi­year cleanup effort. "The psycho­social effects would be enormous,"Koonin said.

In the end, Koonin pointed tomass hysteria as the more substan­tial end result-albeit a mass hys­teria the nation's medical staff islikely unprepared to handle. "Thereare enough screwballs out therewilling to risk or even give theirlives to use [dirty bombs]," saidForeign Relations CommitteeChairman Sen. Joe Biden.

they pass into the line of sight be­tween their host star and Earth. InNovember, Charbonneau and hiscolleagues made international newswhen they discovered the first plan­etary atmosphere outside our ownsolar system.

But that work was done with theHubble Space Telescope. The yet­to-be-formally-named telescope atPalomar Observatory will certainlybe more modest in cost, but everybit as ambitious a program forsearching out other worlds.

At the fore-end of the new instru­ment is a standard 300mm cameralens. Charbonneau settled on a tele­photo lens because he reasoned thatthe optics have been honed to a finedegree of precision over the yearsand that the lens would be robustenough for the duration of the three­year project.

The CCD, a standard imaging toolin astronomy for the last couple ofdecades, is a $22,000 item that ac­counts for the largest part ofthe in­strument budget. The CCD will bemounted in a specially constructedcamera housing to fit at the back ofthe lens, and the entire device willbe fitted onto an equatorial mount.

Meanwhile, the Palomar staff hasstored away a 20-inch telescope soCharbonneau will have a smalldome for his new instrument, and

archives and engineering and pro­fessional information available onits website so that it can serve as.aresource to women nationwide andeven internationally, if possible.

She admits that through her yearsin SWE, she has found the societyto be excellent in career guidanceand counseling. She comments onthis, " It is interesting to reach thestatus of President and look backand see the personal touch and ref­erence. The successful formula toleadership, I think, is to put the rightskill in the right job and withinSWE, we try excellent at that."

She goes on to comment that stra­tegic planning has allowed SWE towork as a group. There is now acertainty in pursuing tasks withchanging terms because now thegoals are long-term ones. However,she admits that it is a huge respon­sibility to steer these goals.

"Sometimes it feels a little over­whelming to manage a 5 millionplus organization!" SWE is themost funded engineering society ona nationwide basis.

The mission of SWE is to con­centrate on stimulating women toachieve their full potential as engi­neers and leaders, to expand theimage of the engineering professionas a positive force in improving thequality of life and to demonstratethe value ofdiversity in their lives.

PASADENA-In an age whennearly all astronomical work re­quires really big telescopces, DavidCharbonneau is something of ananomaly. The Caltech astronomerwill soon begin a multiyear surveyfor extrasolar planets at PalomarObservatory-not with the 200-inchHale telescope, but with a tiny desk­top-sized device he and JPL re­searcher John Trauger assembledlargely from parts bought at a cam­era shop.

Basing his instrument on a stan­dard 300mm tele-photo lens for a35mm camera, Charbonneau willbegin sVveeping the skies this springin hopes of catching a slew of "hotJupiters" as their fast orbits takethem in front of other stars. Admit­tedly, the charge-coupled device(CCD) at the camera-end of the lensis a good bit more costly than thelens itself, but the total budget forthe project, $100,000, is still a pal­try sum when one considers that thenext generation of earthbound tele­scopes will likely cost upwards of$400 million apiece.

Charbonneau, a recent import tothe Caltech astronomy staff fromthe Harvard-Smithsonian Centerfor Astrophysics, is one of theworld's leading authorities °on thesearch for "transiting planets," orplanets that should be detectable as

Courtesy of L P. Bilal

Being a women engineer doesn't mean all work and no play. Here,Iram Parveen Bilal '04 and Mona Sheikh '03 enjoy themselves on theway to this year's annual Society of Women Engineers conference.

Continued/rom Page 1, Column 4ference, which will take place thisOctober in SWE headquarters inChicago.

McQuillen is a Civil and Trans­portation Engineer with a Bachelorsand Masters Degree from the Uni­versity of Iowa. Apart from volun­teering for SWE, she has her ownprofessional job. She is very mucha family woman too and a full-timemother, with two sons, ages 5 and12.

Her major goals for her term arefirstly, to recruit as many membersas possible and more importantlyretain members in the society," Wewould like our students to becomelife members." .

Furthermore, she wants to specifi­cally try and increase the opportu­nities for professional developmentfor all levels of membership.

Very relevant to our section hereat Tech, she wants to support theSection Vitality Task force (SVTF)that is focused on strengtheningsections. For instance, we needmuch more attention and participa­tion at Tech and this might be fixedwith standard ways that the SVTFsuggests.

In addition, McQuillen wants towork on the SWE website and makecertain features like online member­ship payments available soon. Shealso thinks that SWE should have

Annual Sighlights Engineers

altech strononter Hunts 'HotJupiters' With Commercial Camera

eforlllrandllla

BUDGET HOTELSfur as little as

Google, the future is now! That said,I present myself as a highly quali­fied person from now.

But unfortunately for my plans forworld dictatorship (and fortunatelyfor the rest of democracy), e'."ery­one, even Mr. Bartz, our illustriousTech editor, can also present him­self as a qualified person from now.

The conclusion shOuld by now bepainfully obvious. Any decisionsrequiring the preference of thepeople should be based on the pass­ing comments of any nearby per­son or persons, and no more.Should some sort of voting proce­dure, perhaps any sort, take place,we will be relying on the uninter­ested, uninformed knowledge ofthe peoples of yesteryear.

Our great fore-fathers predictedsuch a dilemma--so was the cre­ation ofthe Electoral College. Theyexpected that some smarter menwould act as a futuristic leader com­mittee to decide what people reallyneeded. Then the whole thing wasviolated when Alexander Hamiltongot into a duel with Henry Fordover who he voted for in the elec­toral college (George Washington,I think), and so the Party System,hence inherently unstable "democ"racies" based on what people think,was formed.

london $332Paris•....•...•.•$328Amsterdam.....$422Madrid.••••....•$413Rio de Janeiro.••$649San Jose ...$425

This insight led me to questionwhether a group of voters reallyknows what it needs. Sound ridicu­lous? Not to my parents, when I toldthem that I really really need themto buy me a Porsche 911 Turbo,even when I explained to them thatit passed by unanimous vote. Itdoesn't sound ridiculous, either, tomodern-day doctors, looking backto medicines sure to cure the sickin days gone by, such as blood-let­ting or limb-removal.

K. Bartz/The California Tech

Abe Fetterman '05, failed candidate for ASCIT's Director of Aca­demic Affairs, pins his loss to the so-called "Jesus Christ Principle."

This leaves us with two options:to optimize the people's happiness,or to figure out what the true ne­cessities of the populus are. As weare at Caltech, the prior alternativeis out of the question.

But who would know what thepeople really need? Only peoplefrom the future. Well, folks, accord­ing to AOL advertisements and aquick search for "the future" on

"This led me to wonder:How in the world did Ilose my last electionforARC Chair?"

By ABE FETTERMAN

you want to be conservative, aboutone in 6,000."

Compared to other research pro­grams in astronomy, the search forhot Jupiters is fairly simple andstraightforward to explain to thepublic, Charbonneau said. "Anamateur could do this, exceptmaybe for the debugging of thesoftware.. .It's easy to understandwhat's going on, and cheap to buildthe equipment. That's why every­one thinks it's an ideal project-if itworks."

The new Palomar telescope is thefinal instrument in a network ofthree. Of the other two, one is lo­cated in the Canary Islands and op­erated by the National Center forAtmospheric Research; the other isnear Flagstaff, Arizona, and is op­erated by LoweIl Observatory.

The iarge span in longitude ofthe three-instrument network willallow Charbonneau and his col­leagues to observe a patch of skywith one telescope while the patchis above the horizon in the nightsky, and then pass it off to the nextwestward telescope as the suncomes up.

These days, everyone and his 88­year-old grandmother are talkingabout election reform (especiallythe losers of elections, and their re­spective grandmothers). This ledme to wonder: How in the worlddid I lose my last election for ARCChair?

The obvious answer was that Iwasn't nearly as qualified as myopponents, but I did not cave intosuch logical answers. No, I sensedsomething deeper, something... in­explicable.

Much later, attending one of myhumanities lectures, I learned of the"Jesus Christ Principle." That is, ina voting system such as ours, ev­eryone votes for himself first andfor Jesus Christ second. Good 01'JC, however, votes for someoneelse first. Clearly, then, he is the firstto be eliminated, despite being thepreferred candidate.

Could such a thing have happenedto me? Has our complicated votingsysfem joined the ranks of ineff0c­tive democratic methods such asbutterfly ballots and that gamewhere you have someone's name onthe back ofyour head, and you haveto guess wh« it is? Sadly, it may beso.

questions in life answered - to a cer­tain extent anyway.

So does hotomot.com solve all ofour self-image issues once and forall? Unfortunately not. For one, itdoesn't really add any new infor­mation. In the deepest corners ofour consciousnesses, all reasonablyperceptive people have good ideasof what others think of them. Wealso have ideas for what we thinkwe should be and not be. Our self­perception is a composite of all ofthese images, forming the core ofour illusions. For the most part, wejust assimilate any new informationinto our existing images of our­selves, interpreting liberally as nec­essary. When it comes to what oth­ers really think, we are better offnot knowing.

hrist, lectionur 88-year-ol

An Insider Doubts ASCIT's Polling Legitimacy

•,--_.- ,.....

servatory will allow him and hiscolleagues to get spectrographicdata, and thus, the mass and com­position of each planet.

"Once you get the mass and size,you have the density," he said.

Weather permitting, Charbonneauwill be able to get up to 300 imagesduring art ideal night. Assuming thathe can have 20 good nights permonth, he should have about 6,000images each month show up in hiscomputer.

The ideal time will be in the falland winter, when the Milky Way isin view, and an extremely highnumber of stars can be squeezedinto each photograph.

"It's estimated that about one inthree stars in our field of view willbe like the sun, and that one per­cent of sunlike stars wiIl have a hotJupiter, or a gas giant that is so closeto the star that its orbit is about fouror five days," he says.

"One-tenth of this I percent willbe inclined in the right direction sothat the planet will pass in front ofits star, so that maybe one in 3,000stars will have a planet we can de­tect," Charbonneau added. "Or if

myself wor.rJering, "Is that reallywhat I look like?" For those of usnot beautiful enough for primetime,turning off the television is neverso relieving as when we are on it.Thus, it is perhaps very fortunatethat our eyes are positioned suchthat we rarely see ourselves exceptin controlled situations when we arepurposefully staring into the mirror.

Mirror-gazing itself is a very cu­rious activity. In image-centricAmerica, mirrors are everywhere.From locations ranging from eleva­tors to gyms, our reflections beckonus with lurid appeal, like a carwreck painted on silvered glass. Amirror image is much more thandispassionate photons bouncing offof our faces and feet and thighs. Inthe split second between perceptionand consciousness, all objectivity is

lost, and the image in our mind's' Jesuseye is a collage of what we are, what _we want to be, and what we fearbeing. We stare intently into theeyes of our reflections admiring,searching, trying to reconcile ourinternal perceptions of ourselves:oexternal reality. How can I makemyself look better, and how can Icha:lge myself to better fit in withsociety?. Recently, a new twist has beenadded to the mystery of self-percep­tion in the form of a website:www.hotornot.com. The websiteallows people to submit images of- themselves for the judg­

ment of millions ofbored teenagers acrossthe globe who rate at­tractiveness on a scalefrom I to 10. On oneside, this website finallyallows us to find outwhat people really thinkof how we look whileretaining the option ofrejecting any unfavor­able result, or at least a_rough estimate of this.On the viewer's side,the site allows us tocompare our standardsof beauty with popularopinion, and compareour own looks to others.HowrY/ot.com not' onlydirectly addresses ourdeepest insecurities andshallowest vanities, butit is also a strangely andpowerfully addictivegame.

FinaIly we can haveone of our most burning

ot Jupiters' Caught Cold

.HALANWANG

As everyone knows (or shouldknow, at least), th;~ correct answerwhen a girl asks jf she is fat/ugly/otherwise unattr;cctive is always"no." While mos~ of us have a de­sire to know how we are viewed byothers, this desire is overwhelmedby tk crippling fear of the truth.Reality is harsh, unfair. and unfor­giving, so all of us labor under illu­sions and false hopes that help usget through our daily lives. Our self­perceptions are goverened by illu­sicms of who we think we shouldbe and how others will accept this.

One of these illusions is that weare physically agreeable. By illu­sion, I don't mean that the notion isnecessarily faise, but that it is inde­pendent of reality. No matter whatour actual appearances are, we allneed to know that we are not hid­eously ugly. In order to face humaninteraction, we need to believe thatothers are not constantly thinkingor observing our negative physicalattribuces. People without a healthyself-delusion about their appear­ances are prone to such afflictionsas anoreXia and the collective self­hatred that many modern women(and men) share.

Glimpses of reality such asphotographs and home videos areoften strange and startling. Afterseeing myself on tape, I often catch

Continuedfrom Page 2, Column 3

mated telescope is located. The sys­tem monitors the atmospheric con­ditions to determine whether thedome should be opened.

"The new telescope is a very gooduse of space," said Petrie. "The po­ter,tial for results is very exciting."

Charbonneau will be able to pho­tograph a single square of sky, about5 degrees by 5 degrees. That's afield of view in which about 100full moons could fit. Or, if one pre­fen;, a field of view in which anentire constellation can be seen atone time.

With special software Char­bonneau helped develop, he willcompare many pictures of the samepatch of sky to see if any of thethousands of stars in each field haveslightly changed. If the softwareturns up a star that has dimmedslightly, the reason could well bethat a planet passed in front of thestar between exposures.

Repeated measurements will al­low Charbonneau to measure theorbital period and physical size ofeach planet, and further work withthe 10m telescopes at the Keck Ob-

Courtesy of J_Wang

Personal beauty has long been a mixed bless­ing in society's view. How one is viewed maynot always be how one views herself.

------------

,

e're

Meeting adjourned at 6:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,ASCIT Secretary

will be coming down at 5 p.m. (sharp) Mon­day. He will email the people who havesigned up to schedule interview times forWednesday.

Marcus reports that the joint ASCIT BoD­IRC meeting to appoint CRC reps will besometime on Tuesday, because that's whenoutgoing CRC Chair Aaron Robison is avail­able, and the appointments need to be donesoon. Marcus has also located a drill withwhich to create the final hole necessary tohave a working DVD cabinet. Please, pleasefinish it.

Basit reports that there are still no ARCReps from Page or Ricketts, but that the restof the houses have elected their representa­tives.

Jialan reports new members of the Execu­tive Social Committee: Alan Somers(Dabney), Xiao Peng (Fleming), Elaine Gee(Blacker), Alice Lin (Lloyd), Raajen Patel(Ricketts), Joanna Cohen (Page) and MeganKennedy (Ruddock). Spencer Rarrick(Jamroom Manager) is also on the commit­tee, and Jialan will try to find someone fromAvery, too.

Andrea put up signs advertising the upcom­ing survey on March 15. Clubs, don't forgetto register with Donut in time to be includedon the list! The results of the survey will havesome bearing on funding for next year.

Officer ReportsTed has scheduled the big interview-and­

appointment BoD meeting for this Wednes­day at 7 p.m.

Joe reports that signups for the variousaforementioned ASCIT-appointed offices

\ K. Bartz/The 'alifon1ia TechLed by President Ted Jou '03, ASCIT's Board of Directors debates an election holdupsparked by the sudden withdrawal of one candidate from the Senior Class President race.

Mannion). Essentially, they are going to keepall of our books and manage our various pay­rolls, for free. We maintain control over ourown finances of course, but they take care ofthe paperwork, including filing taxes. Itdoesn't get any better than that. We're alsogetting a credit card (finally), which will beconnected to a Caltech Credit Union account.A system will also hopefully be setupwhereby clubs will once again be able tocharge dues through DID's, with ASCIT asthe middleman.

A rumor that the Tech business managersare still paying themselves 10% each (ratherthan 10% between both of them) surfaces,despite the BMs being directed to do the lat­ter by Martha-Helene and the 2001-2002BoD. This will be investigated. We're goingto be running a tighter ship with regards topublication finances in general this year, sinceall the necessary records will be on campusand close at hand. Article XIV of the Bylawsgives the ASCITBoD "ultimate" control overall publication salaries.

In another signup controversy, one personrunning for Senior Class Co-President wishesto switch running mates (with the runningmate's consent). The BoD is inclined to letthis happen only with the approVal of everyother candidate in the same race, since anychange obviously affects them.

Continuing a disturbing development, vari­ous people announce plans to go toCopenhagen, Cambridge, Uzbekistan, Mars,etc. sometime during the next school year.Marcus surmises that by halfway throughnext year, there won't be any voting BoDmembers left (appointed replacements can'tvote).

MARCH 8, 2002

ere to Help

General MeetingThe Capra retreat is set for the weekend of

April 12. This multi-day budgeting and funsession will set the tone for the rest of ourterms. One need only look at how a singleviewing of "Bring it On" defined the last BoDfor confirmation of this.

The BoD also decides to eat dinner in a dif­ferent house each week, possibly holding ourweekly meeting afterwards in that house. Wewill also include Avery. The idea (it wasTed's, and a good one) will increase expo­sure and allow us to get input from many dif­ferent segments of the student body.

ASCIT is getting a pretty sweet deal fromthe Caltech Office of Financial Services(OFS) and Caltech Auxiliary and BusinessServices (CABS-let's hear it for Tom

PresentBoD: Ted, Joe, Janet, Marcus, Basit, Jialan,

Neda, Andrea. Absent: Vikram (Cambridge)Guests: Kevin Bartz (Tech editor), Krista

Ehringer, Ryan Samson, Dee Datta

Meeting called to order at 4:37 p.m.

GuestsKrista picks up Blacker's Multihouse fund­

ing for the term. Marcus (for Spencer Rarrick)and Ryan, respectively, pick up the Dabneyand Page Interhouse funding for the year.

for staff, faculty and students and those whoshare an interest in their concerns. A goodsource of support, the group meets at theHealth Center's conference room on the firstand third Tuesdays of the month at 8: 15 p.m.

The Counseling Center also has resourceson our website that cover a wide range ofissues Cal tech students face: OvercomingExcessive Worry and Anxiety, Depression,InternetAddiction, Procrastination, Shyness,Panic Attacks, Obsessive Compulsive Dis­orders, Overcoming Post-QuaIs Let Down.It's common for students to read somethingabout a concern they have on our website andthen come in to talk with us about it.

As you can see, help for the stress of sec­ond term comes in many different forms. Youmay always consider coming to one of theprograms being offered or come talk to us-­we are here to help.

Counseling:

The IRC would like to thank everyone whovolunteered to for the positions of IHC Sec­retary, Ath Man, and Food Committee Chair.From among a very qualified applicant pool,the following officers were chosen:

IHC Secretary: Elise KleemanIHC Ath Man: Shane RainierFood Committee Chair: Natalia Deligne

KLEEMAN, RAINIER,DELIGNE PICKED

FORWILLIAMS' IHC

By KEVIN AUSTIN, Ph.D.

Most undergraduates think of the secondterm as a particularly tough term and the num­bers of students seeking help from the Coun­seling Center does increase during this time.There are a number of reasons for this termbeing particularly difficult including the senseof excitement that comes with the new schoolyear has worn off and it's a long while untilthe end. Students come to the Center now forall the same reasons as they do other terms(e.g. relationship issues, cultural adjustment,and uncertainty about their desire to continuein science) but concerns about stress and de­pression increase noticeably.

One of the things the Counseling Centerdoes to help students cope is to offer work­shops on issues that students face. This termthe Counseling Center offered programs onstress management, body image and relation­ships. We will be offering another programon relationships next term.

Because a number of students experiencedepression for the first time at Caltech weare providing training to groups of studentson "How to Help a Friend Who May Be De­pressed or Suicidal." The focus of this pro­gram is to help students identify the signs ofdepression and suicide and how to be of help.Ifyou are concerned about a friend who maybe depressed or is experiencing any kind ofemotional problem, our website offers spe­cific information on how to help: http://www.counseling.caltech.edul.

Here are some other services we offer thatyou may find valuable:

International Student Programs and theCounseling Center otfer an ongoing groupthat helps International Students with thechallenges of adjusting to a new culture andboth American and International student onrelating across cultures. The group meets atthe Women's Center Lounge on the secondtloor of the Center for Student Services fromnoon to I p.m. on Mondays. The Center forStudent Services is located on Holliston nearthe parking structure.

The Staff, Faculty Consultation Center andthe Counseling Center offer a Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual and Transgendered Support Group

IN LIKEA MAYAN, OUT LIKEA...

K. BartzlThe California Tech

Power tools, plastic bags and' broken planks lay strewn about in the aftermath of Ruddock's'''MayanTemple" party, which drew throngs of students the Saturday before last.

by Abel Bourbois

Upcoming EventsContact Greg (gregf@its) for ad­

ditional info on any event.Symposium (3/13, 7 t09 p.m., BI

Auditorium). Discussion on the his­tory, mechanisms, and current sig­nificance of the proposed Interna­tional Criminal Court. Presented byPeaceful Justice Coalition(peace@caltech).

Community Service (3115,2:30to 5 p.m., Pasadena). Volunteersdesparately needed! Come spendtime with kids at the Pasadena Boys& Girls Club. Contact Joy(jo.ljoy@its) for more details.

Community Service (3/16, 6 to9 p.m., Pasadena). Cook dinner for-50 recovering homeless people atUnion Station. Transportation andmeal included. Contact Abel(bourbois@its).

Decompression (3116 & 3/17,6 to10 p.m., Winnett Lounge). Comeenjoy the tradition! Tons of FREE

food, fun and acapella music. Vol­unteers wanted! Sign up in yourhouse or e-mail Susan (ayer@its).

FactoidThe Y began Make-A-Difference

(MAD) Day in April 2001. Thisyear, we are planning a sequel forSaturday, April 6, 2002. This is agreat opportunity to do some posi­tive service for the Pasadena com­munity, meet new people with simi­lar interests, and learn about newservice opportunities. Signupssheets will be posted at Decompres­sion.

Y Not Join Us?There are many opportunities to

help the Ycontinue to serve the CITcommunity. All meetings are OPENto students, staff, and faculty.

ExComm: every Monday, noon.Community Service Commit­

tee: every other Thursday, noon.Contact: niki@its.

Outdoor Committee: everyother Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Contact:homalln@its.

All meetings take place in the YLounge. The Y (x6163) is locatedon the tirst tloor of the Student Ser­vices Building, south of theHolliston parking structure.

If you are in any way interestedin getting more involved with theY or have questions about the Y, feelfree to e-mail the Vice President Cv­veep@ugcs).

Signs of Economic RecoveryDuring the Federal Reserve monthly meeting, Chairman Alan

Greenspan decided to leave interest rates unchanged after IIrate cuts in 2001. This along with encouraging signs from themanufacturing sector and consumer spending have fueled a rallyon Wall Street. The Dow Jones In­dustrials posted nearly a SOO-pointgain during the first two sessionsof the month and is positive forMarch. However, uncertainty inthe war on terrorism and instabil­ity in the Middle East may limitpotential economic growth and thereturn of a bull market.

Kmart Closes Stores, Cuts JobsAfter filing for Chapter II bankruptcy on January 22, Kmart

has decided to close 284 stores and cut 22,000 jobs in an effortto emerge from bankruptcy. It also plans on liquidating morethan $1 billion in inventory through sales. Kmart's bankruptcywas brought on by competition from Wal-Mart and Target aswell as poor business decisions in the 1990's.

Violence Escalates in Middle EastOver the past week, more than 100 Palestinians and Israelis

have died in acts of violence. The latest includes a shooting at aGaza settlement by a Palestinian gunman on Thursday; the shoot­ing killed five Israeli men who were studying at a religious schooland wounded at least another 20. Hours after the shooting, theIsraeli military responded with attacks on several Palestiniantargets in northern Gaza City as well as a strike on Khan Youniskilling 32 Palestinians according to Palestinian sources. How­ever, amidst this escalation in violence, Israeli Prime MinisterAriel Sharon has called for ceasefire talks after internationalcriticism and sharp words from President George W. Bush. Thiswas a change in his position from a week ago when Sharon saidthat a week hiatus in violence was necessary before ceasefiretalks could begin. Also, President Bush has sent special Mid­east envoy Anthony Zinni to the region in an attempt to calmthe violence.

Operation Anaconda Under WayEarlier this week, Operation Anaconda began with the goal of

neutralizing hard-core al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters that hadgathered near the city of Gardez to supposedly coordinate anattack on the interim government ofAfghanistan. However, thisoperation was announced when a Chinook helicopter was takendown by enemy fire at the beginning of the week and sevensoldiers were killed when the helicopter was ambushed on theground. As of Friday, eleven allied fighters, including eightAmericans, have been killed with 70 more wounded and 450enemy fighters have been confirmed dead. The U.S. and alliedforces have gained control of high ground using an aerial as­sault and ground troops, but there are no signs of surrender fromthe al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

No Alan AIdaTo give commencement address.Hunter S. Thompson?

To schedule Ditch Day:We can do that, no problem.It is tomorrow.

Qualifications:• Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology or a related field with a strong publication record and a

proven ability to develop and implement robust research strategies.

AmCyte is privately held and well financed. The company operates in a modern, spacious andwell-equipped facility located in Santa Monica, California. We offer a competitive salary andbenefit package. Interested candidates should contact us via email athrcode123@AmCyte.comor b fax at 310) 453-6178.

Senior Director I DirectorAmCyte, Inc., a leader in cellI tissue transplantation, is seeking a highly qualified individual todirect the Molecular Cell Biology Group. As a key member of leading scientists focused onproliferated islet cells, the candidate will be responsible for advancing our research in cellproliferation and differentiation.

We are currently seeking the following candidates:

Senior ScientistsConduct cell biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry research related to the growth anddifferentiation of pancreatic 13 cells. Contribute to the development cell therapies for the control ofdiabetes and its complications.

Qualifications:• Ph.D. in cell biology, or related field with a strong publication record and a proven ability

to develop and implement robust research strategies.• Biotechnology or biopharmaceutical company experience andlor tissue engineering

experience highly desirable.

Qualifications:BAIBS degree in Life Sciences. 2 years experience desirable.

Research AssociatesResearch Associate will be involved in cell and tissue culture, immunocytochemistry, DNAcloning, and RTPCR.

AmCyte, Inc. is focused on h'e transplahtation of microencapsulated insulin-secreting cells (islet~

of Langerhans) with the objective of alleviating diabetics of their need for supplemental insulin.This proprietary technique of protecting the islets within a membrane or microcapsule has allowedthe Company to develop a procedure whereby diabetics may be cured of their need ofsupplemental insulin by a simple injection of the encapsulated cells into the abdominal cavitywithout the need for lifelong immunosuppression. This product (BetaRx™) is expected to be thefirst widely available, effective, long-term therapy for diabetics.

Robin Mayes & Marcus W:tlliamsFor co-presidentsRobin and Marcus are good.Campaign with haikus.

Tony Nannini & Kevin Tse

Yeah, you know us.We're the two guys walking on the Olive Walk always

towards our next activity. It might be an IHC meeting, aBigT or CORE curriculum meeting, or probably just a plainold soccer practice. But we're also never too busy to stopand say hi to everyone along the way. We've both contin­ued to shoulder some pretty heavy responsibilities through­out our years at Tech, but if you ask most people they'llsay we've done a pretty good job.

We'd like a chance to do so much more for our class, andif elected Senior Class Co-Presidents we will continue toexcel. As organizers of Ditch Day and commencement (andthe Senior gift) we'll do our best to make sure that yourexperiences associated with these events will be memo­rable. We possess both the leadership and the communica­tion skills necessary to reach out to the Caltech commu­nity and make the voices and ideas of the Senior class areheard and taken to heart. We've actually already had a greatdeal ofexperience organizing some large scale events bothon and off campus, and have dealt with members of theadministration on a variety of occasions.

Together, we will make your senior year kick ass.

of Us...Marc Popkin-Paine & Joy Qiu

Julia Salas & Mona Sheikh

I. P. BiiallThe California Tech

When we graduate, we want 'to remember not the hard times, but thefriends Tech gave us, and the fun we had with them. We are running asCo-presidents to make sure we all have great memories of our last year atCal tech to take with us when we leave. In view of the recent history ofCommencement, it is particularly important that the concerns and prefer­ences of th" administration do notcirown out the voice of the GraduatingClass of 2003. We will work towards making sure our collective choice isthe Commencement Speaker. For us, Ditch Day epitomizes much of whatsets Caltech apart and makes our experience that much more unique. AsSenior Class Presidents, we will work extensively with the undergradu­ates and the administration to ensure that our Senior Year culminates in atruly memorable Ditch Day, bringing back freedoms of Ditch Days past.The Senior Class Gift is a Caltech tradition that has lost its significance.As senior class presidents it will be among our top priorities to make oursa meaningful, useful and long-lasting contribution.

We earnestly hope that you will give us the opportunity to serve as yourSenior Class Presidents. Thank you.

Courtesy of W Yu

First of all, we just want to say that we are honored to run for SeniorClass Presidents. We understand that the position comes with a lot ofresponsibilities, but we are ready to take on the huge challenge. We be­lieve that senior year is all about fun. By now, I'm sure you are all tiredof staying up late and stressing about homework. That's why we want tomake senior year a little less torturous. If we are elected Senior ClassPresident, our mission will be to bring fun (e.g. sex, drugs and rock androll) to Caltech. We also believe in democracy, so anyone with any sug­gestions can feel free to e-mail us. Thanks for reading our mission state­ment.

James Tong & Wingho Yu

T. VanesianlThe California Tech

The position of senior class president requires responsi­bility, dedication, and trust. We have all of these qualitiesoozing out of our ears. We are both very active inside andoutside of our houses. Joy has organized community ser­vice events through the Y and helped plan various houseevents; and Marc has been an Ath. frosh and Assistant Ath­letics Manager for Fleming and is currently the secretary.We have shown our exceptional work ethic and earned therespect of our peers.

If you vote for one candidate this election, then your votewill be thrown out. But if you vote for two, vote for us. Wehave known each other for a long time and have formed afriendship that crosses house lines. With our wide networkof inter-house connections and our passion and integrity,we will best represent the entire senior class. Furthermore,our signatures are hard to forge, so you' can be sure thatyour voice will be heard in the commencement speaker se­lection.

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the trail started by typing in "HonorCode"). Other help can be found inthe pages on "Intellectual Property"which contain a copyright tutorialand a statement of Cal tech's Policyin this regard. From there one canalso reach an excellent U. Texas site(there are other sites too. like theU. of Rochester site recommendedrecently by a colleague) Of coursethere are also less formal places likearticles in the Tech·the Student pa­per. where some of these problemswere discussed as recently as Jan28. Yes and there is a BoC rep toconsult in each house--we live andwe breathe the honor code.

Me: You know what? Monday9am passed. and so did Tuesday andWednesday·the reporter did not call.But it was not a waste of a weekend'we all should have to look atthis stuff once ina while .. Do sobefore finals') A bientot l

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CRC, with other problems. The de­cisions are reviewed by the Dean,and can be appealed. They are notmeant as punishment:. but as edu­cational tools. The BoC aims atnullifying the advantage gained bythe defendant. by removing aca­demic credit wrongfully gained.and to protect the rest of commu­nity by taking action which willhelp prevent recurrences. Of courseif these remedies have no effect.then the student may be asked toleave the institute for an indefinite(i.e. possibly permanent) basis. TheCRC's decisions. whi Ie not couchedin the same terms. also aim at edu­cation, and preventing recurrences.

Yes that's what I'll say to that re­porter, and it is all packaged in avery few words. Oh it does notmean that we don't need elabora­tion and "outside" help and guide­lines. The students are given a firstglance at the Honor Code. at FroshCamp. The Honor Code Handbook.is given to all students when theyarrive on Campus. and also sent toProfs. The same material can befound on the web (http://www.cco.caltech.edu/-ascit/boc/UGHSBook.htm\' or by following

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films. Do­ing so may end up

in abridging the preroga­tives of everyone on Campus, andso is interpreted as taking advan­tage of other Techers

I have to say I imagined that rightthen the reporter would stop me andask how did I know that the ruleswere being followed? Of coursethere is no way to know with abso­lute certainty, but we do havemechanisms in place to make surethat the Honor System is upht:ld.When something suspicious hap­pens the person discovering the al­leged violation reports it to the chairof the Board of Control, a group oftrusted students elected by theirpeers, or to the Conduct ReviewCommittee, led by the AssociateDean and an elected student, andcomposed of Students, Faculty andStaff. The BoC deals mainly withpossible academic problems and the

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bench top is on the wrong side), andhaving to disassemble it again·

Now let's see'? Right! We havethis unique system at Caltech, start­ing· way back· when? Hmm I'llhave to look at my notes· Anxietyattack· was it 192D? This little thinggets so big I leave the gardenbenches and other domestic tasksundone and drive to Caltech. Twohours later I emerge with my notes,and a copy of the little T of MarchI, 1944 (VoI.XXIV), prepared un­der the auspices of the Cal techYMCA (that's what it was calledthen) which states that "In 1920 (re­lief) Herbert B. Holt, then ASBPresident for the second time,"(ASB was the predecessor ofASCIT, I believe)"initiated an in­stitution which has since becomeTech's most sacred tradition: theHonor System. Based on thethought that the happiest manner ofliving at college is in mutual trustof your fellow students, the HonorSystem is more than merely a codeapplying to conduct in examina­tions; it extends to all phases ofcampus life. Not only does it per­mit men" (remember that was writ­ten in 1944)" to take examinationsin rooms without faculty supervi­sion, but it also allows a person toleave belongings anywhere on thecampus with the knowledge that hisfellows will not disturb them, andto be treated in his dealings with thefaculty with utmost confidence inhis honesty." Having gotten this far,I realized that although it was nicefor us insiders to know about whodid what, when, the cursed journal­ist responsible for this turmoilwould probably not care·it was allwasted time to dig up this·

I could just say in a nutshell thatthe Honor Code consists of the con­scientious application of the ideathat none of us at Caltech take ad­vantage of others. It is taking ad­vantage of others to present ideasas one's own when they are not (i.e.not referencing authors" plagiariz­ing books, notes, and ofcourse sim­ply copying another Techer'sexam). It also extends to breach ofcopyright by distributing music or

by Jean-Paul Revel

Ring Ring Ring

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PR: This is Susanna (fictitiousname) in Public Relations·

Me:Hi l

PR: Hi! We have a request from anational newspaper (purposely leftunnamed). Would you be willing to

be interviewed on the topic of howCal tech deals with Honor code vio­lations, and disciplinary matters?

Me, to myself: Just what I need!I'll talk to them and spend half anhour on the phone, and an articlewill come out which will be readeverywhere, with the facts alltwisted up. On the other hand wehave such a unique way of doingthing, what with the major role ofthe students and our wish to edu­cate rather than punish·May be I'llpostpone this to Monday, that's isfar away, good way to not have todeal with something unpleasant(Jimminy Cricket, in my ear: Youare procrastinating,procrastinating·do it NOW, NOWand get it over with)

Me, to PR: Yeah I'll do it Mon­day at 9 a.m., yes noon EasternTime·Is that OK? Sure sure, I'll talkto them then. Bye!

Me, to you: And so, having freedmyself from the burden of havingto answer queries cold (that's thecharitable way to rationalize myactions, but I am sure you can rec­ognize the fallacy) I go back to deal­ing with the IMPORTANT thingson my desk and after dealing witha humongous (what else) pile ofstuff, eventually saunter off for awell earned, restful weekend.

The peaceful feeling does not lastvery long-Even that Friday evening,watching Gwenn Ufil and her col­leagues discuss the events of thepast week, my attention is diverted.Scenarios for the interview playover and over in my mind. I regretpostponing the interview. I feelsheepish, remembering all the timesI have been talking to studentsabout the consequence of puttingthings off till tomorrow. All throughSaturday the postponed phone callhaunts me and takes away the re­laxing pleasures of the week-end. Iam distracted. I make mistakes in

THE CALIFORNIATECHCaltech 40-58

Pasadena, CA 91126

One of the newest benefits of your Caltech Student Health Insurance plan is the option of havingprescriptions mailed directly to you. In addition to the convenience this service provides, it alsosignificantly reduces the cost of maintenance medications - those that a student would take on an on­going basis, (i.e.. anti-depressants, asthma medication. etc.) For a 90-day supply your co-payment is$12 for generic drugs and $20 for brand name drugs. For more information, including how toa mail order prescription, check out the Health Center's web page at: http://www.heallhcenlCl:cailech.eduI.Click on insurance Policy, Prescriptions, and scroll down to 'Throughthe Mail.'

Information on New Tax Benefits. Looking for information on the new tax benefits of paying foryour Caltech education') The Financial Aid Office has several publications to assist you in preparingyour income tax returns. Stop by our office if you would like copies of the materials. The Cal techFinancial Aid Office does not offer tax advice and you should not rely on the publications withoutconsulting a compctcnt financial professional. reading thc actual tax regulations, or contacting thc IRSTax Questions Hot Linc. Thcse materials arc for informational purposes only and may hclp clarifysome of thc most commonly askcd qucstions. Although the published materials are believed to beaccuratc, no guarantee is made with rcspcct to accuracy or applicability to your financial situation.

The Los Angeles Council of Hostelling International - American Hostels (HI-AYH) issccking candidatcs for its 2002 Travel Grant. The grant, a $500 award, was created to assist a deserv­ing student betwccn the ages of 17 and 26 to rcalize an cducational goal through travel. Candidates forthe grant should be planning to travel this summer, and bc willing to share experiences with HostellingInternational upon their return. To receive an application. callthc HI-Travel Center at 310-393-341In addition 1.0 the application, you need to submit a proposal with your travel itinerary whatyour educational goals arc for the trip. The type\·.Titten proposal should about two pages long. Theselection committcc will considcr the following media in awarding the writing, photogra-phy, film, art or thcatre. Within ninety days following completion of the award winner willshare his or hcr travel expcriences in the manner previously approved by the committee.deadline for submission is March 15th. The recipient will be by April 30th.

Soroptimist International of Los Angeles is offering its annual fellowship to an outstanding womangraduate studcnt. You must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of California and either agraduate student now or planning to be by the fall of this year. This award of $3,500 is for the 2002­2003 academic year. The field of study is open, but consideration will be given to the student's poten­tial contribution to society. Finalists must be available for a personal interview in May, 2002. Thedeadline is March 15,2002 and applications are available from the Fellowsbip Office.

Attention Writers I The Literature Faculty is pleased to announce the 56th Annual McKinney Com­petition. The Mary A. Earl McKinney Prize is awarded each year for excellence in writing. Only full­timc students officially registered at Caltech as undergraduates are eligible to enter the competition.This year, prizes will be given in three categories: poetry, prose fiction, and non-fiction essays. Allsubmissions must be typed and double-spaced. Include your address and phone number. In the poetrycategory, entrants may submit up to three poems. Submissions of prose fiction should not exceed12,000 words. Essays may be ones prepared for a humanities class or any good piece of originalwriting on a topic.relevant to the humanities. The prize in each category will be $300. Each student isentitled to only one entry ineach category. Contestants should submit their work to Professor JenijoyLa Belle, DiviSIon of the Humanities and Social Sciences, 101-40, by no later than March 14,2002.No cntries will be returned. Each category will be judged by a committee from the Literature Faculty.Essays will be judged on the quality of thought and the effectiveness of the writing. Winners will beannounced in May, and the names of the winners will appear in the commencement program. TheCommittce may divide the award in each category in ease of more than one outstanding submission.Previous winners in anyone category are not eligible for the competition in that category. If you haveany questions, contact Prof. La Belle, ext. 3605, or Barbara Estrada, ext. 3609.

The Literature Faculty is also pleased 1.0 announce the Annual Hallett Smith Competition honoringthe finest cssay devoted to Shakespeare. Only full-time, officially registered undergraduates are eli­gible to enter the competition. All submissions must be typed and double-spaced and should notexceed 4,000 words. The essay may be one prepared for a humanities class or may be specificallywritten for this competition. No student can submit more than one essay. All contestants must submittwo hard copics of their work to Profcssor Jenijoy La Belle, Division of the Humanities and SocialSciences, 101-40, no later than April 16, 2002. This year's prize will be approximately $300, thoughthe judging committee may divide the award in case of more than one outstanding submission. Formorc information, contact Prof. La Bell, ext. 3605, or Barbara Estrada, ext. 3609

The CaUech Dance Troupe has free ballet classes every Saturday in the Braun Athletic Centermulti-purpose room. Beginners meet from 2:30-3:30 pm and intermediate dancers from 1-2:30. Wealso have a professionally taught jazz class on Tuesday evenings. lO-llpm. for a small fee. For moreinformation. please see our website: htll':I/troul'e.caltechedu.

The Ballroom Dance club is now offering two new class series: Nightclub Two-Step and Ceroc.Nightclub Two-step. danced to slower, romantic songs,will be taught by professional instructor SonnyWatson. Lessons will be on Mondays (11 March). $25/series or $6/lesson for all Cal tech students: $35(series) / $8 (lesson) for others. Amateur-taught Ceroe. a fast-paced swing/hustle variant, will beoffered on Wednesdays (13 March): $lIlesson (free for frosh and thosc taking it for PE credit). Alllessons take place in Winnett Lounge from 7:30-9pm, followed by a half hour practice session. Nopartner or experience necessary. Refreshments provided. On Mondays after class, we have a freemini-ballroom dance party - open dancing, request or bring your own music.

Les-Bi-Gay-Trans Discussion GroupWhether you are out and proud, exploring your sexual identity. coming out, or anywhere in-between,we invite you to our Discussion Group, which meets on the Ist and 3rd Tuesdays of each month from8: 15 until 10: 15 pm in the Health Center Lounge. The group is a great place to meet new friends andthe atmosphere is generally very relaxed: at the same time, more personal and "serious" discussiontopics can be addressed. This is a confidential meeting and attendance does notimply anything about a person's sexual orientation; supportive students and staffare welcome as well. And refreshments are served! For more information call ext.8331. To find out about LBGT events on campus. please visit the Caltech StudentPride Association (CSPA) calendar at hllp:llrainbow.callech.edu.

Biology Tutor wanted for High School student. The tutor's main responsibilitywould be to create mock tests & review them with the student. This can be done viathe e-mail. Rate of pay is $30 per hour. Approximately 1.5 - 2 hours per week.Contact Tina JJYX@aol.com or 626-585-8656.

Attention all undergraduate students on Financial Aid: The last date to request any change to your2001-2002 financial aid award is Wednesday, May 1,2002. Requests for 2001-02 changes made afterMay I will not be considred. Please contact the Financial Aid Office at ext. 6280 if you have any

questions.

Fceling STRESSED?~? Sign up for the Stress Management Workshop offered hy the StudentCounseling Center. This workshop will include a mixture of informal lecture and experiential exer­cises focusing on basic relaxation techniques and stress management skills. The workshop will meeton Monday, February 25, 2002 from 3 pm 1.0 5:30 pm in the Health Center Lounge. Space is limited.so please call ext. 8331 to reserve your place in the group. The workshop will be facilitated by Anna

Morita, M.A., and Evelyn Novello, M.A.

Are you interested in discussing lifc at Caltech and in the United States') If so, the InterculturalDiscussion and Support Group provides a forum for Cal tech students to explore the process ofcultural adjustment and relating across cultures. The group meets every Monday from 12-1 pm in theWomen's Center Lounge. (265-86. 2nd noor of the Center for Student Services). This group is facili­tated by the Counseling Center and International Student Programs. and is opcn 1.0 ALL Caltech stu­dents, graduate and undergraduate, American and international. Drop-ins welcome. Since lunch isprovided. please contact Jim at endrizzi@caltech.edu if you plan on attending one of the meetings. thiswill guarantee that we have enough food!

As a result of Irvine Foundation funding, Cal tech has a limited amount of money available for diver­sity programs related 1.0 underrepresented minorities and women for academic year 200 i -2002. roposalsfrom students, faculty, and staff are weicome and should clearly address how the program relates toissues of diversity. Proposals should also include a description of the event, including purpose, audi­ence, date, location, and budgct. forms can be picked up at the Caltech Y. An institutecommittee will review the applications an dmake thc awards. For more information, contact AthenaCastro (athcna@caltech.edu) or Greg Fletcher at ext. 6163.

COlllitionof (COl-lEAO) annual scholarships toqualifying students at COl-mAO member schools. (Ca!tech is a member.) The eligibility require-·ments for applicants are as follows: -Applicants must be U.S. citizens: -Applicants must have aminimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale: - Applicants must be attending a COHEAO member schooL ­Only undergraduate students, who are entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year, are eligible toapply: freshmen are not eligible: - Only one scholarship per family per academic year will be awardedCOI-IEAO members and their immediate family members are not eligible for COHEAO scholarships.Further information about the scholarship is only available via the Web at: www.cohcao.com.

Applications for the USA Funds Access to Education Scholarships are now available. Program de­tails and applications are available online at www.us(lfunds.org. The deadline for application is April15. 2002. This year's program will award scholarships of $1500 each for full-time undergraduatestudents, based on documented financial need. All applicants must have an adjusted family grossincome of $35,000 or less. Up to 50 percent of the scholarship awards will be targeted to applicantswho, in addition 1.0 having financial necd, are members of an ethnic minority or are physically dis­

abled.

For more information on available scholarships, please visit the Financial Aid web site at hllp://www.finaid.caltech.edulnews.html. All qualified students are encouraged to

Caltech Library System Presents: The following session is approximately one hour of formal in­struction beginning at noon, meeting in the Sherman Fairchild Library Multimedia Conference Room,328. Walk-ins are we!eome, but pre-registration is preferred. Tuesday, March 12, Noon "Patents."You may register for this and other upcoming classes at: htlp:l/library.caltech.edu/leaming/dejaull.hlm.For further information, please contact Kathleen McGregor at x6713 or kathleen@library.caltechedu.

WEST (Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology) will be hosting a Women's Art Exhibit,Wine and Cheese Social on April 26 in Dabney Hall from 3-6 pm. We will be featuring the art ofCaltech women (undergrads, grads, post-docs, faculty, and staf;). If you have an artistic side that yourarely get to show off and would like to submit your work, please contact westclub@its.caltech.eduby April 5. All types of art work will be accepted, including (but not limited to) painting, poetry,pottery, sculpture, photography, drawing, silk screening, clothes design, jewelry design, ceramics,woodwork, and anything else you'd like to share. All members of the community are invited to view

the showing on April 26.

WEST (Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology) will be hosting an upcoming LunchWith Faculty event. Female students are invited to attend an informal lunch with Profs. Fiona Harrisonand Mary Kennedy to learn about their individual pathways to success, current research projects, andthoughts on women in science. This event will be held March 12 from 12-1 pm in the Carriage House.Please RSVP to weslclub@caltechedu if you would like to attend.

Shades on March 15. Watch for the time and place of this free performance on the Cal tech campus.Shades is Yale's youngest a cappella group, formed in 1988 at a Yale freshman minority orientationprogram. Shades was conceived in order to bring a fresh and unique sound to the Yale music scenebased upon the rich ethnic backgrounds of its founding members. Shades sings and performs musicprimarily from African-American traditions, including traditional music. Gospel, and Soul as well asR&B, Jazz and Contemporary popular music. Shades received the National Collegiate A CappellaAssociation's highest distinction, Number One Group in the country as well as the award for BestMale Soloist on a recorded CD.

To submit a Mint, e-mail mints@techcaltech.edu or mail your an­nouncement to Caltech 40-58 Attn: Mints. Submissions should be nolonger than 150 words. Email is preferred. The editors reserve the rightto edit and abridge all material. Deadline is noon Friday

Unless specified, all mints will run for two weeks.