5 ms·

Current Caltech PhD student here. Happy to answer any questions.

WalterBright 6y ago
Are the following phrases still used - trolling, flicking? how about 3AM runs to Tommy's? and The Ride? finesse vs brute force and ignorance?
- augustocallejas 6y ago
  BS 2001 graduate here. When I was there, Negative Time Tommy's Run was still a thing (although they did build a Tommy's like 5 minutes away). Also, I wonder how much of the undergraduate culture was visible/apparent to the graduate students.
  - WalterBright 6y ago
    Negative Time must have been new jargon! And true, the only interactions I had with grad students was with TAs.
    - augustocallejas 6y ago
      Oh Negative Time Tommy's Run was done the night when Daylight saving time ended, so students could leave campus and come back before the time they left. :)
      - WalterBright 6y ago
        You just made me LOL. Thank you!
- gautamcgoel 6y ago
  I have literally never heard of any of these things. I know the undergrads have a very unique subculture here, which grad students aren't really a part of.
  - WalterBright 6y ago
    trolling - studying. A troll is one who studies a lot. flicking - playing 3AM runs to Tommy's? - just fun thing to do, just because The Ride - The Ride of the Valkyries was played, and only played, at the beginning of finals week. The KCAL radio station in Page House would play it, then everyone with a stereo would tune in so it was all synchronized all over campus, all at maximum volume. Playing it any other time meant you'd get tossed in the pond. finesse - doing something artful and clever, like redesigning a motor to be more efficient so more torque is produced. brute force and ignorance - the straightforward approach, like upping the voltage so more torque is produced.
    - tzs 6y ago
      > The Ride - The Ride of the Valkyries was played, and only played, at the beginning of finals week There was a loophole. You could play it at other times if you were playing the complete opera it is from. I did that a couple times, although to be extra safe I believe I did the whole four opera Ring cycle instead of just the one containing the Ride.
- lightcatcher 6y ago
  2015 BS alum Trolling, flicking - I never heard anyone say these, but had heard they were used in the past. Along those lines, flaming or flaming out was used for failing out or needing to take terms off. A few people still did 3AM Tommy's. Negative time Tommy's was a significant event in at least a few houses. The Ride tradition was definitely around, with the only sanctioned playing on mornings of finals I never heard anyone say finesse, brute force, or ignorance
  - tzs 6y ago
    > I never heard anyone say finesse, brute force, or ignorance Not even on ditch day [1]? [1] https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/ditch-day-today-39501 https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/ditch-day-today-39501

Are the following phrases still used - trolling, flicking? how about 3AM runs to Tommy's? and The Ride? finesse vs brute force and ignorance?

augustocallejas 6y ago
BS 2001 graduate here. When I was there, Negative Time Tommy's Run was still a thing (although they did build a Tommy's like 5 minutes away). Also, I wonder how much of the undergraduate culture was visible/apparent to the graduate students.
- WalterBright 6y ago
  Negative Time must have been new jargon! And true, the only interactions I had with grad students was with TAs.
  - augustocallejas 6y ago
    Oh Negative Time Tommy's Run was done the night when Daylight saving time ended, so students could leave campus and come back before the time they left. :)
    - WalterBright 6y ago
      You just made me LOL. Thank you!
gautamcgoel 6y ago
I have literally never heard of any of these things. I know the undergrads have a very unique subculture here, which grad students aren't really a part of.
- WalterBright 6y ago
  trolling - studying. A troll is one who studies a lot. flicking - playing 3AM runs to Tommy's? - just fun thing to do, just because The Ride - The Ride of the Valkyries was played, and only played, at the beginning of finals week. The KCAL radio station in Page House would play it, then everyone with a stereo would tune in so it was all synchronized all over campus, all at maximum volume. Playing it any other time meant you'd get tossed in the pond. finesse - doing something artful and clever, like redesigning a motor to be more efficient so more torque is produced. brute force and ignorance - the straightforward approach, like upping the voltage so more torque is produced.
  - tzs 6y ago
    > The Ride - The Ride of the Valkyries was played, and only played, at the beginning of finals week There was a loophole. You could play it at other times if you were playing the complete opera it is from. I did that a couple times, although to be extra safe I believe I did the whole four opera Ring cycle instead of just the one containing the Ride.
lightcatcher 6y ago
2015 BS alum Trolling, flicking - I never heard anyone say these, but had heard they were used in the past. Along those lines, flaming or flaming out was used for failing out or needing to take terms off. A few people still did 3AM Tommy's. Negative time Tommy's was a significant event in at least a few houses. The Ride tradition was definitely around, with the only sanctioned playing on mornings of finals I never heard anyone say finesse, brute force, or ignorance
- tzs 6y ago
  > I never heard anyone say finesse, brute force, or ignorance Not even on ditch day [1]? [1] https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/ditch-day-today-39501 https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/ditch-day-today-39501