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There is more than one way to support the Caltech Y. The following examples are some easy ways to make a difference. AmazonSmile Christmas is fast approaching and you can support the Caltech Y while you do your holiday shopping. When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Caltech Y. You can designate the Caltech Y as your charitable organization of choice after signing in. Bookmark the link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/95-1684790 and support us every time you shop! Using Google Chrome? NeverNotSmile automatically takes you from https://www.amazon.com/ to https://smile.amazon.com/ whenever you’re shopping. Support the Caltech Y through the Ralphs Community Rewards Program If you have a Ralphs Rewards card you can now register your card online to the Caltech Y and support us when you shop at Ralphs! To register your card you will need to set up an online account. Visit www.ralphs.com to set up your Ralphs account and once logged in, search for CALTECH Y or by our nonprofit number TG312 and then click Enroll. Further instructions can be found here. Remember to swipe your registered Ralphs Rewards card or use the phone number related to your card when shopping to make each purchase count! If you do not have a Ralphs Rewards card, you can pick one up at the customer service desk of any Ralphs store.

Read the winter edition of our newsletter here.

Thanks to the Studenski Fund and the Caltech Y, this past summer I traveled to Japan to study Japanese cuisine. I spent my days in Tokyo and Kyoto learning the nuances of each region’s cuisine and the meaning behind each ingredient. After a long flight, I landed in Tokyo starving. As I took my first step off the plane, I had one goal in mind – to find something to eat. The trepidation that had been building completely disappeared when I took my first bite of the onigiri I unwrapped in my hands. I have found that food has the ability to completely calm nerves and bring about a sense of comfort, even in a foreign world. A few days later, I started my first intensive cooking course in Tokyo and I immediately fell in love. I loved the idea that every ingredient and dish had its own purpose, such as adding a sprig of mitsuba to add color for a tamago dish or that neba neba dishes in the summer help prevent natsubate, or summer fatigue. Neba neba is food with a slimy and slippery texture prepared in a way to retain as much of the ingredients’ nutrient content as possible. The minimal cooking and the refreshing nature is ideal for the hot and humid months of summer. There was so much detail to cooking that I had never realized before. Even the order in which the ingredients are added to a recipe can make it easier to blend in ingredients. For Japanese cuisine, the order follows “sa, shi, su, se so” or sake (sweet), shio (salty), su (sour), shoyu (soy sauce), miso or sanota (others). I have found that food has the ability to completely calm nerves and bring about a sense of comfort, even in a foreign world. All too soon, my first course ended and I was off to Kyoto and away from the hectic bustle of Tokyo. I really appreciated the calmer atmosphere of Kyoto and I spent afternoons relaxing next to the river on a hot summer day. On one side, I would see a group of students learning a dance together and on the other, a family picnicking. There are subtle differences between the two cities and I was surprised to discover just as many differences in the cuisine. Kyoto is in the western region of Japan, or Kansai, and Tokyo the eastern region, or Kanto. The Kansai dishes I made, in general, were light and salty compared to the dark and strong flavors of the Kanto region. In Kyoto, I also learned how to prepare my own mackerel, starting from a fresh fish to sashimi. The need to cut with long smooth strokes rather than sawing motions remains ingrained in my mind. The first results in beautiful pieces of sashimi while the second results in mush. Afterwards, I returned to Tokyo for a home cooking course. This course taught me how to incorporate Japanese cooking into my everyday life and the nature of cooking at home in Japan. My favorite recipe out of everything I made was the takoyaki in this course. I had takoyaki several times in Japan both in Kyoto and Tokyo but this recipe stood out among them all. Takoyaki is made of six key ingredients: flour, starch, dashi, egg, salt, and octopus. This recipe had the perfect ratio of each of these ingredients for a flavorful and perfectly chewy takoyaki. It seemed perfectly fitting that the last dish I learned was not only my favorite dish to eat in Japan but now also my favorite recipe to make. I am very grateful to the Studenski Fund and the Caltech Y for giving me the opportunity to explore the world of cooking. During my time in Japan, I learned a lot about not only cooking, but also myself. Each day I felt excited to learn and it helped me realize that exploring what I love does not have to end here. Rather than let my degree define who I am, I will continue to explore and figure out exactly what I can do in the field of cooking, because what can I say - I loved every second of it! The Studenski Memorial Award is a grant established in the memory of Paul Studenski, a Caltech student who was killed in an automobile accident while traveling across the United States in 1974. It is awarded to a Caltech undergraduate who has reached a crossroads in life and would benefit from a period away from the academic community to obtain a better understanding of self and to explore possible directions for the future.

There are many parallels between science and politics. For instance, the push for greater gender, racial, and ethnic diversity is stronger than ever, and the need for better communication to restore public trust is growing across both these sectors. Through the Caltech Y's Washington, D.C. Science Policy Trip, 25 of us had the incredible opportunity to meet with policy makers, science advisors, and lobbyists. Through presentations and round-table discussions, we learned about the intersection of science and public policy, as well as our role in the transitional political landscape. We kicked off our arrival in D.C. with an alumni mixer – a surprising numbers of Techers find their way to the Capitol through programs like the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellowship. It was a fun and enjoyable event to get a taste of programming to come. On our first full day, we met with directors and fellows at the Department of Energy (DOE) and the AAAS. Steven Winberg, the Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy, along with other members of his staff shared their efforts in making coal a safer, cleaner and efficient source of energy. We also discussed the potential in renewables and learned about the flow of human capital and resources across departments within the organization. At AAAS, we met with Rush Holt (Chief Executive Officer), Joanne Carney (Director, Government Relations), and Erin Heath (Associate Director, Government Relations) who emphasized the importance for scientists to be advocates for science. Scientists are conditioned to embrace the uncertainty in answers to various problems while much of the population would rather see absolutes. To bridge this gap, we must help strengthen science education and the public's understanding of the value of science. Through presentations and round-table discussions, we learned about the intersection of science and public policy, as well as our role in the transitional political landscape. In the following days, we visited Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House (OSTP) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the evenings, we met with fellows and new professionals for informative sessions, including: Rebecca Adler Misserendino (State Department) Yi Pei (Office of Management and Budget) Fadl Saadi (ARPA-E) Caltech lobbyist Michael Ledford John Andelin, former Assistant Director at the Office of Tech Assessment (OTA), Mike Nelson, former science advisor to Vice President Gore Bill Colglazier, former science advisor to Secretaries of State Clinton and Kerry Dr. Steven Walker and Dr. Peter Highnam, Director and Deputy Director of DARPA, talked to us about the role of project managers and programs. For four years, project managers work on an innovative project they are passionate about. We reviewed the benefits and offsets of having such a "memory-less" program, and were encouraged to become a part of it. While none of us are currently involved with DARPA, many graduate students on the trip are engaged with the NSF and it was particularly fascinating for them to learn about the grants from individuals who influence the application process there. I found the OSTP visit to be the most memorable, partly because it is near the White House. While the size and influence the OSTP changes with each administration, is it always committed to help the White House stay informed on issues like quantum computing and drug discoveries. On the subject of drug discoveries, we wrapped up our trip with a visit to the NIH, which has a campus so massive that its like a town of its own. From being equipped to handle past Ebola cases to housing the nation's specialists for a variety rare diseases, the NIH is truly a special place. Furthermore, it was a breath of fresh air to hear from a panel of women, and in-particular, women of color who are in charge of the organization's voice and funding. Across all these different organizations, each working on a diverse array of issues, there is one common theme: "budget is policy." Our agenda was jam-packed with all these unique and valuable sessions, but we still managed to squeeze in trips to the Smithsonian’s museums and memorials. My personal highlight was a morning run with a few other Techers along the National Mall to visit the Lincoln Memorial and the White House's Christmas tree. Two years ago, I came on this trip as a freshman, and loved it so much that I was eager to help organize and participate in it again this year. I find speaking with experts at the forefront of science policy and having them impart their wisdom and perspectives to be a truly valuable experience. With the ever-changing landscapes of science and politics, there is something new to gain from every conversation. Any student who is interested in talking about, thinking about, or taking part in solutions to domestic and global issues would find this trip incredibly valuable. By becoming more aware of the relationship between science and policy, we, as scientists, can make a greater impact. This trip would not have been possible without support from the George Housner fund as well as the time and efforts that people invested generously to enhance our understanding of science policy. Hopefully, the Caltech Y's D.C. Trip will catalyze more Techers to get involved with science policy, and perhaps even work on the Hill!

The Social Activism Speaker Series (SASS) concluded its fall programming with two significant events focused on politics and science policy. High attendance numbers for SASS events continued, with 130 students, faculty, and staff coming to the two events. On November 14, 2018, President Rosenbaum spoke about his experiences regarding academics and the national debate. He shared the key lessons scientists should keep in mind when interacting with policymakers, and provided personal anecdotes as examples. President Rosenbaum also took questions from the audience to elaborate on the specific lessons, as well as comment on his role as Institute President when it comes to making political statements like those regarding travel bans and endowment taxes. The second event was a 2018 midterm election review by Christina Bellantoni, Professor of Professional Practice and Director of the Annenberg Media Center at the University of Southern California. In addition to commenting on the results of the election and the still ongoing situation in North Carolina, Professor Bellantoni talked about her time in Washington, D.C. covering news from Capitol Hill. She recounted her experience covering the 2014 midterm elections in which Eric Cantor, House majority leader from Virginia, lost his seat. With the success of the fall events, SASS is looking forward to hosting exciting and enriching events during the upcoming winter and spring quarters.

My second trip to India started like my first with an hour-long ride to Los Angeles International Airport, followed by an hour-long check-in, and TSA screening. We spent a few more hours in the extravagant shopping area in the Tom Bradley terminal during our wait to board our plane for the 16-hour flight to Dubai. After landing in the middle of the night and crossing an airport the size of a small city, we boarded another plane for another three-hour flight to Ahmedabad, India. We landed at 2 a.m. local time (about 24 hours later) and were greeted by three local students with whom we would be spending a lot of time in the upcoming week. Ahmedabad, the largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat, is bustling, even as the sun rises. Crossing the street to get to our bus was a nail-biting first-person game of Frogger, without the benefit of the neat rows that the cars stay in. The bus was stripped of luxuries – no seat belts, barely padded seats and open windows for air conditioning. We clung onto our luggage when the bus drove over bumps and bounced us above our seats. We were exhausted. A few hours later after much needed sleep, the program began with lectures at IIT Gandhinagar. We learned about the Ramayana, a classic Vedic text that was grippingly retold by Dr. Arshia Sattar primarily to highlight the erasure of its feminist undertones. Hearing of the tragic life of Rama’s wife, Sita, gave a historical and cultural base to grow discussions of sexism in the subcontinent. Later, we learned about linguistic landscapes of India by a professor at the university, Dr. Nishaant Choksi. The number of languages in India is always a question of interest and he expanded on some of the troubles with counting. For example, some locals claim they speak Urdu despite speaking something completely different or different regions with different names for the same languages or the tens of local dialectic differences. Dr. Suraj Yengde, a postdoc at Harvard, presented my favorite talk. He began by showing three videos about violence toward the former “Untouchables,” the Dalits. His presentation showed the gruesome reality of their lives: low college graduation rates, shocking cases of government sanctioned discrimination, and an overwhelming sense of shame most dalits have toward their own identities. While most speakers had a few minutes for questions after their talk, a large group of us discussed this issue with Dr. Yengde for almost two hours after his one and a half hour talk. This issue was on everyone’s mind for the rest of the program and it became common to ask about the impacts of caste dynamics upon the other students’ lives. My green hair and grin, drew a circle of kids to me. I squatted down, stared one boy straight in the eyes, and proceeded to raise my eyebrows and puff up my cheeks. He did the same and smiled. Another highlight of the trip was the few hours that we spent in a local village. We huddled into a small pair of rooms in which the walls were lined with old-fashioned, pedal-powered sewing machines, painted black. A woman worked on each machine, from 14-year-old girls learning to help their mothers fix up pillowcases at home to 60-year-old elders making dresses for their granddaughters. Village outreach has been a large goal for the university, and we were impressed by the way our hosts were able to bridge a large privilege gap to benefit their community directly. It inspired us to reconsider our role on these trips and think about ways for us to also make a difference there. After meeting these women, we saw the center of the village - a few rusty convenience stores next to a elementary school. Puppies slept by the main well and suddenly, the school kids were released for a quick recess. My green hair and grin, drew a circle of kids to me. I squatted down, stared one boy straight in the eyes, and proceeded to raise my eyebrows and puff up my cheeks. He did the same and smiled. The kids around us laughed. I curled my tongue into a little taco. They tried and laughed at their inability copy me. A few kids keep saying what I learned was “Green?” in Gujarati, wondering why I had dyed my hair such a crazy color. Eventually, we had to get back on the bus to go back to the campus, but not before I raised my camera, turned around, and got a good selfie with them. While I wasn’t looking, one kid felt my hair to make sure it was real. Check out the video from Jake's first year of India Ki Khoj here. The Caltech Y, in partnership with the Caltech SURF Program and IIT Gandhinagar (IITGN), coordinates a trip to Ahmedabad, India each year. This 11-day trip is designed to introduce Caltech students to the many layers that form identity in India. Through a combination of academic lectures and fieldtrips, IITGN faculty take participants through the India of the past, present and future, relating India’s ancient traditions of philosophy, science and technology to a present-day India. All students participating in the Caltech Y India Cultural Trip complete a project of choice after the trip (e.g. written reflection, oral presentation, article, blog post, program, etc). Along with Jake's article above, here are some selected reflection pieces from the 2018 trip. Laura Hu, Undergraduate Student '21 India Ki Khoj: Vignettes A collection of impressions from the cultural highlights of seven days in the state of Gujarat. This is India Ki Khoj – discovering India. The portion above is taken from the vignette 'Heritage Walk' Read the full collection HERE Hye Joon, Undergraduate Student '19 Untitled Pencil on Paper, 2019 This is a pencil drawing composition of the different experiences I had during my time with the India Ki Koj program. I drew my memories of the traditional Indian dancer, a cow, a dog, and the sitar and the tabla (traditional Indian instruments). In the foreground I also drew Gandhi, an important figure in all of India, but especially in the region we visited, Gujarat, where he was born. Religion is a huge part of everyday life in India, and I represented this through the lake that holds lotus flowers in the middle of the drawing. Lotus flowers are a powerful symbol of Hinduism and Buddhism, two religions that originate in India. In the background I drew the entrance to the Adalaj Stepwell, which I found to be the most memorable place I visited during my time in Ahmedabad. Many of us in the program took photos among the roots of the Banyan tree next to the Adalaj Stepwell. Nerys Huffman, Undergraduate Student '21 Nerys Huffman, documents the 2018 Caltech Y trip to Ahmadabad, India Watch the video HERE Alyssa Poletti, Undergraduate Student '19 Sunrise Over the Sabarmati River, Ahmedabad, India Painted Landscape, 2019 One early morning, we loaded into the bus at 6 AM. I saw the Ahmedabad sun rise for the first time. Over a half-filled river, a red sun rose over a sea of smog. The trees in the distance faded to grey, straggled by the air. I already knew the air quality was poor – I kept a scarf over my face to filter the air; however, I was struck by the visual representation of their air pollution. As a state which burns their trash, poor air quality is the price paid for waste management. Poised to enter a PhD program in Atmospheric Science, I think a lot about where air pollutants come from, who generates it and who suffers for it. Many developed countries, the United States for example, spent the 19th and 20th centuries polluting the air but also developed their thriving industrial centers. It seems hypocritical to tell countries entering their prime to abide by the same carbon restrictions as the United States. Those who produce carbon pollutants are those who aren’t harmed by its impacts. The United States generates tons of carbon pollution but tropical countries such as India suffer from the increasingly destructive weather. On a smaller scale, large companies in the United States and India create pollutants while vulnerable populations such as women, children, and people in rural areas suffer from the air quality. After seeing the beautiful culture, food, and music of India, I am struck by the disconnect between the haves and the have nots: those who learn at IIT and eat the best food Ahmedabad has to offer, and those who are burning and wading in their trash. Nora Koe, Undergraduate Student Recipes for Staples of Indian Cuisine We ate each of these dishes at least once during our trip. Every meal consisted of some kind of roti, paratha, rice, or dosa served with some type of curry and a sweet dessert. I was surprised at the variety of foods available even when a meal was mostly vegetarian. One street food that is not included, but is one of my favorites, is dahi puri; it is a puff filled with at least 3 different chutneys (sauces) that has many flavors and is usually eaten in one bite. One gastronomic experience that stands out was one of the dinners off campus when we went to a traditional outdoor dining restaurant where we watched a dance and puppet performance. We were seated on the ground and served many dishes onto a large leaf plate. Over the course of the trip, we all got more comfortable using our hands while eating. I chose recipes by first looking for a few of my favorite dishes and included a few others that showcase the range of flavors that were part of our usual meals. My favorite dish that is included would have to be paratha with dum aloo and jalebi (served warm).

This past September was an exciting time of travel and networking as I met people from all over the world who are enthusiastic and passionate about climate change and sustainable development. As part of my ACT Award, I attended The Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) that took place in San Francisco, CA from September 12 to 14, 2018. Mayors and state leaders from hundreds of regions all over the world, business leaders, and policy makers all gathered in the city to discuss how to better address current climate issues and to reach the emission and temperature goals set by the Paris Agreement. I applied to be a volunteer for this event through California Volunteers, where I met people of different occupations and backgrounds who also care about climate issues. The plenary speeches and platform discussions that I attended mainly focused on current policies and efforts that are made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to limit the global temperature rise to below 2°C. To further my knowledge of climate issues, I attended a second summit – The Climate Week NYC (CWNYC). This event was a week-long summit hosted by the Climate Group in NYC during the week of 24-30 September that coincided with the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The target audience for the CWNYC was more diverse compared to the GCAS. In addition to political and business leaders; participants such as NGOs, research institutes, and individual activists also took part in the many CWNYC programs. During the week, organizations and businesses held hundreds of events covering a broad range of environmental topics. I attended panel discussions held by the Columbia Law School and Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, discussions on environment litigation, exhibitions held by NGOs on the worldwide efforts to fight against climate problems, and an event hosted by Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions. The Cornell event emphasized the involvement of the scientific and academic communities in addressing environmental concerns through a discussion panel hosted by J. P. Morgan Chase & CO. on sustainable development in big ventures and industries. I wanted to attend these events with my ACT award because I often feel the resources and opportunities for students to get involved in decision-making and public advocacy for climate and environment issues are limited at Caltech, especially for international students and scholars. I feel there is a gap between scientific findings regarding these issues and public awareness. On these trips, I gained important insights from scientists and researchers on how to better communicate science and research to the general public, and how to carry research findings beyond journal publications. I’ve also made several connections with officials from the United Nations Development Programme and learned about more opportunities for Caltech to be involved in climate and environmental solutions from an international perspective. In the upcoming year, I will work closely with Caltech Y and other on or off campus resources to provide more opportunities for Caltech students who are interested in taking action on sustainability and climate issues. The Caltech Y challenges students to grow into responsible citizens of the world. It is with this mission in mind that the Y created the Advocating Change Together (ACT) Award providing motivated Caltech students with a unique opportunity to learn about themselves and their place in society by seeking to impact the world through community engagement, activism and leadership. The ACT Award is generously funded by the Caltech Employees Federal Credit Union.

Death Valley is the largest US national park outside of Alaska. A group of 24 students made use of one weekend as fully as possible and explored only a small fraction of its dramatic landscapes shaped by ancient lake-bed (Death Valley was a giant lake in the Pleistocene era) and present-day desert. We arrived in Death Valley on a Friday evening and set up camp in the Furnace Creek campground. In the morning, we had a delicious breakfast thanks to a fellow hiker’s foresight to pre-cook a tremendous quantity of pancakes that only needed re-heating on the camp stoves. After breakfast, we visited Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation of dry land in North America. A sign 200 feet up the cliff side marks sea level. We hiked a short distance out into salt flats as bright as a snowfield, admired the geology, and almost instantly began a game of frisbee. A theme of the camping trip was that no hiking break is too short for bringing out the frisbee. After Badwater Basin, we drove to Golden canyon and hiked to a rock formation called the Red Cathedral. After a picnic there, we split into three groups by pace to allow shorter and longer options for the rest of the hike. We re-convened at the cars and drove to Artist’s Palette to watch the setting sunlight intensify the bright blues, purples, and greens of the lakebed minerals deposited in the hillside there. Back at camp, hot chili and a campfire kept us warm. A large group rose early the next morning to drive 45 minutes to watch the sunrise from Dante’s View, with plans to make breakfast at the lookout. As daylight crept across the valley below us, we could point out many of the places we had explored the day before. The higher perspective revealed just how tiny the area we had visited was within the enormous ancient lake in an even more enormous desert. The bitingly cold wind nixed the plan to cook breakfast up there, so we returned to Furnace Creek to make breakfast and pack up camp. Only a few people grumbled that the promise of hot oatmeal at the top had been used to trick them into waking up for a beautiful sunrise. Mesquite Dunes was our last stop on our way out of the park, and we drove back to Pasadena after hiking up sand dunes, running down sand dunes and, of course, tossing more frisbees.

A Q&A with Jon Webster, Caltech Y Board Member What is your hometown? “Pasadena California.” Do you support any teams? “Lakers, Dodgers and Caltech Beavers.” What are your interest and Hobbies? “Running, cycling, mountain biking, photography, golf, and singing.” What is/was your line of work? “I currently run Caltech Dining but, beginning next month, I will be working in contract food service for Bon Appétit Management Company in the Los Angeles area.” How did you get involved with the Caltech Y? “The golf tournament was the first foray into the good works of the Y. I love golf and started playing in the annual tournament, and over the years started learning more and more about the Y’s activities.” What’s your favorite Caltech Y program/event and why? “It has to the be the Rise program since it hits so many targets that are important to me: community service, introducing Caltech students to the broader world, and impacting youth in the Pasadena area.” What would people be surprised to know about you? “I think one of the better-kept secrets is that when I graduated from college I supplemented my income by being a paid ringer in a local church choir.” If you could invite anyone (living of dead) to a Friends Dinner, who would it be? “Lance Armstrong and Magic Johnson would be at the top of my list. They both have had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I imagine there would be a lot to learn about life from both of them.” The Rise Program is a low-cost afterschool math and science-focused tutoring program that serves public school students between grades 8 and 12. The tutoring takes place on the Caltech campus Monday-Thursday and is provided by Caltech undergraduate and graduate students. The program is designed to help students gain greater competency in math foundations, improve skills in math and science and prepare students for college-level math and science. The Friends are the primary supporters of the Caltech Y. It is through generous contributions of our Friends that the Y is able to continue its long-standing mission of reaching out to the Caltech community with fresh ideas, student programming and active community service. To find out more please visit www.caltechy.org/support-us or contact us at caltechy@caltech.edu.

The Square Root of 2 and the Devil in Music DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS EVENT SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 7, 2019 HAS UNFORTUNATELY BEEN CANCELED. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Please stay tuned for details of a rescheduled friends event. For questions, please contact us at caltechy@caltech.edu. We are excited to announce Dr. Eugenia Cheng as our guest speaker who will be speaking on the topic The Square Root of 2 and the Devil in Music. The square root of 2 is one of the great conundrums of mathematics. So easy to describe but so difficult to pin down, you can run into it by accident just by folding a square in half, but what actually is it? The devil in music or "diabolo in musica" is the tritone, and it acquired this nickname because it is the most dissonant of all intervals. In this presentation, Dr. Cheng will weave together these two stories. Eugenia Cheng is a mathematician and concert pianist. She is Scientist In Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and won tenure at the University of Sheffield, UK. She has previously taught at the universities of Cambridge, Chicago and Nice and holds a PhD in pure mathematics from the University of Cambridge. Alongside her research in Category Theory and undergraduate teaching, her aim is to rid the world of "math phobia". Eugenia was an early pioneer of math on YouTube and her videos have been viewed around 15 million times to date. She has also assisted with mathematics in elementary, middle and high schools for 20 years. Her first popular math book "How to Bake Pi" was featured on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and "Beyond Infinity" was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2017. She also writes the Everyday Math column for the Wall Street Journal, and recently completely her first mathematical art commission, for Hotel EMC2 in Chicago. She is the founder of the Liederstube, an intimate oasis for art song based in Chicago. Her latest book, "The Art of Logic” was just released in July. The Friends are the primary supporters of the Caltech Y. It is through generous contributions of our Friends that the Y can continue its longstanding mission of reaching out to the Caltech community with fresh ideas, student programming, and active community service.