L&S Events during Homecoming & Parents Weekend 2001 By Genevieve Shiffrar September 19, 2001

UC Berkeley's Homecoming & Parents Weekend 2001 begins Friday, September 28 and runs until Sunday, September 30. Two major sporting events highlight this exciting weekend: the Pac-10 Cal women's volleyball match against Stanford Friday evening and the football game against the University of Washington Huskies Saturday afternoon.

Homecoming & Parents Weekend is filled with fun and educational activities for everyone, including the Homecoming Rally, Guided Tours, Open Houses, and the Cal CubFest for Kids. Of special note is L&S's Picnic with the Profs, part of the Bear Affair Brunch Saturday 10:00 a.m. until game time (T.B.A., slated for 2:00 p.m.). L&S alumni, friends, students and their parents are encouraged to register* for the Picnic—it is a great opportunity to enjoy a meal and chat with many distinguished L&S faculty and deans. Held in the Reserved Seating Section of Homecoming Headquarters just west of the Campanile, the Picnic with the Profs is an excellent venue from which to view Chancellor Berdahl giving his Keynote Address at 10:30 a.m. (See pictures from last year's Picnic with the Profs.)

The Faculty Seminars are some of the most inspirational events of the weekend. Registering* for the seminars allow participants to learn about a variety of interesting topics, such as the possibility of life on other planets, race relations in 20th century America, and the political realignment of the Arab Middle East after the Gulf War. The seminars represent all of the colleges and schools in the University.

A "must" for parents of new students is a special faculty seminar given by Dean Kwong-loi Shun of the Undergraduate Division Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall, Academic Nuts and Bolts of the College of Letters & Science: A Primer for Cal Parents. Dean Shun will introduce to the audience the College of Letters & Science and the rich educational opportunities open to students at every stage of their liberal arts studies.

The following eight L&S-related Faculty Seminars are intended for a more general audience.

• Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Dr. Marian Diamond, Professor of Anatomy, will present The World as My Classroom in 115 South Hall.

• Friday, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Dr. Leon F. Litwack, Professor of History, will address Trouble in Mind: African Americans and Race Relations in the 20th Century. The Class of 1951 sponsors this seminar in the Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall.

• Friday, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Robert T. Knight, M.D., Professor of Psychology and Neurology, will discuss Insights into Human Behavior Gleaned from Neurological Disorders in 370 Dwinelle Hall.

• Friday, 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., three lectures will take place by L&S faculty:

  • The Gulf War and the Realignment of the Arab Middle East by Professor of Political Science and Prytanean Faculty Award Winner Dr. Kiren Aziz Chaundhry in 370 Dwinelle Hall. The seminar and the reception following the seminar are sponsored by Prytanean Alumnae, Inc.

  • Computational Tools for the Genomics Revolution by Dr. Richard M. Karp, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, Bioengineering, and Mathematics in Sibley Auditorium in the Bechtel Engineering Center.

  • The Possibility of Life on Other Worlds by Professor of Astronomy Geoff Marcy in 110 South Hall.

• Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Alan Dundes, Professor of Anthropology and Folklore, will present Folk Humor as a Mirror of Society in the Heyns Room, Faculty Club. The Class of 1971 sponsors this seminar.

• Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Professor of Astronomy Alex Filippenko will explore The Runaway Universe in 370 Dwinelle Hall.

* Most events, including all L&S-sponsored activities, require registration. Call (888) UNIV-CAL or see the Berkeley Homecoming & Parents Weekend website for registration options as well as the complete schedule of events.