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David's Photo Page > Ditch Day, The Arcade Stack: Morning

Ditch Day, The Arcade Stack: Morning

May 22, 2002

Ditch Day is an annual Caltech tradition towards the end of the third term in which seniors abandon the campus, leaving the underclassmen to solve a series of puzzles and brute force tasks. A group of several seniors will join forces in the creation of one of these "stacks". This year I was part of the undergraduate group solving the Video Game Stack, built by Gabe Wenz, Solomon Kutnicki, Jen Tung, and Dustin Boswell.

An ongoing part of the stack is "The Claw", a supersize replica of the game often found at cheap 24 hour restaurants and run-down arcades. Solomon's entire room was transformed into a sea of prizes to be won by the skilled operator of The Claw.

Eugene takes the plunge for an exposed prize...

...and snags it.

The group struggles in frustration.

Marching off the next task -- Smirnoff Ice in hand.

At the next task, the group tries to piece together some clues at the entrance to the famous Steam Tunnels of Caltech.

Map in hand, the search begins.

Descending into the depths of the tunnels.

Navigating the windy, asbestos-laden corridors can prove to be a challenge.

Getting a bit crowded in here.

At the next stop, the goal is to clobber a pinata of one of Mario's mortal enemies, while standing on a bridge over lava... except where's the pinata?

Maybe the map offers more insight.

Another group is sighted.

Searching for that pesky pinata.

Finally found it.

Jackie takes a wack at it...

...and knocks it to the floor -- oops.

Helen prepares to take a shot.

Eugene doles out a wallop.

"Duck hunt", our next task, recreates the classic Nintendo shootout with a real BB gun.

Matt Patterson takes aim.

...and take aim. That Boy Scout training finally comes in handy.