Cal Day: A Showcase for the Liberal Arts on April 20

By Genevieve Shiffrar

April 5, 2002

On Saturday, April 20th, 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m., UC Berkeley will host its annual open house, known as Cal Day. The event will feature a full range of activities for all ages, such as educational tours, faculty lectures, hands-on activities for kids, sporting events, and performances. New undergraduate students in the College of Letters & Science and prospective students seeking a liberal arts education are encouraged especially to explore Cal Day.

Cal Day will provide a taste of the liberal arts educational experience at Berkeley. By day's end, visitors will understand better the breadth and diversity of the academic programs and activities offered through the College.

Perhaps the best start to the day for new and prospective students would be to attend a lecture by Undergraduate Division Dean Kwong-loi Shun, "Academic Nuts and Bolts of the College of Letters & Science: A Primer for Current and Prospective Students and Their Families" at 10:30 a.m. in 315 Wheeler Hall. Dean Shun will describe the rich opportunities available to L&S students at each step of their undergraduate career.

In the afternoon, a wealth of activities will beckon visitors. The following is a sample of the choices offered by L&S units:

• Hear the lecture Economics Professor George Akerlof delivered in Stockholm last year, "Behavioral Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Behavior," when he received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
• "Ask the Mathematician"— If you've ever wondered about a mathematics-related issue, discuss it with Professor George Bergman.
• Enjoy West African drumming, dancing, and singing by the African Music Ensemble.
• Learn why one should eat broccoli in a lecture exploring its anti-cancer properties by Molecular and Cell Biology Professor Gary Firestone.
• Rappel down the side of a grand neoclassical building with the Army ROTC.

New and prospective students may be particularly interested in a presentation on how teaching about world politics at UC Berkeley has been affected by the events of September 11. L&S Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science George Breslauer will discuss "Teaching About the World Since 9/11" in 3 LeConte Hall, 2:00 - 2:45 p.m. Dean Breslauer will relate the ways in which a Freshman Seminar he co-teaches currently provides the opportunity for a small group of new students to engage with faculty in vigorous discussion of the causes, consequences, and policy implications of the September terrorist attacks.

Cal Day visitors will develop a taste of the wide variety of scholarly directions available to them in the College of Letters & Science. Some new and prospective students may feel overwhelmed: how can one be sure to receive a well-rounded education with so many choices? Advisors from the L&S Office of Undergraduate Advising will be available all day to answer students' questions on topics such as College requirements, requirements for majors and minors, and transferability of course credit from other schools and universities.

Additionally, a number of departmental advisors and faculty will be available across campus to provide information about departmental degree programs, departmental resources available to students, and research conducted by faculty and students.

A variety of other events are planned especially for new and prospective students, such as tours of the residence halls, the "Freshmen 15" (a candid panel discussion of student life conducted by current students), and an open house by the Financial Aid Office.

Visit the Cal Day website for a complete listing of events. The listing includes special programs such as "Children and Youth" and "Kindergarten to College," events to help students and their families prepare for college.