Does Caltech Care About Us?, by Jialan Wang Does Caltech care about its undergraduates?
Recent decisions regarding budget cuts, health care, the Ricketts firepot, and parking have tested the conviction of those of us who still think so and have given more ammunition to those who are discontented. Timing, in this case, seems to have been of the essence. Not only have several major changes been announced in close succession, but they also come against the backdrop of the largest donation ever to a university. Of course, it is not fair to simply use the Moore gift as a reason Caltech should allocate more funding to undergraduates. However, its symbolic influence is powerful and magnifies the devastation on morale. It is difficult to keep believing that Caltech cares when the institute receives unprecedented generosity as our health insurance is slashed and when we see new buildings being built all around us as our own living environment continues to decay. Some of the gift is rumored to be dedicated to the renovation of the student houses, but now many students doubt that mo
