A Newsletter for the Neighbors of the University of California, Berkeley

Locals, visitors alike find something new at Cal Day

By Karen Holtermann

On any given day, UC Berkeley is one lively place. But on Cal Day — the campus's annual open house (this year on Saturday, April 16) — faculty, staff, and students pull out all the stops for visitors, rolling out a special welcome for neighbors, families, and newly admitted students.

With arts and cultural events, lectures, science activities, tours, music, sports, museum visits, activities for kids, and many attractions not usually open to the public, Cal Day gives even the most seasoned visitor a whole new appreciation for UC Berkeley’s breadth.

A highlight of this year’s event will be a series of symposia marking the inauguration of Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. Among the speakers will be UC Berkeley alumna Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other noted speakers — among the day’s 350 events and attractions — include:

• Randy Schekman, professor of molecular and cell biology, on the causes of Alzheimer’s disease;
• John Swartzberg, clinical professor in the School of Public Health and chair of the editorial board of the widely read Wellness Letter, on fending off the 70 percent of reventable diseases contracted by U.S. adults;
• Vince Resh, professor of environmental science, policy, and management, on how scientists are portrayed in the movies and how to separate fact from fiction.

Visitors can also hear UC Berkeley professors speak on new ideas in every field, including earthquakes and tsunamis, new planets, energy, child development, U.S. education policy, religion in America, and more.

For kids (and the kid-like) there will be exploding experiments in chemistry, creepy bugs under microscopes, robotic cars, readings from children’s books, hands-on fossil and archaeology activities, and music and dance galore.

If you’re looking for sports, take in the Golden Bear Invitational Track Meet, women’s tennis vs. Stanford, or Cal’s national-title-winning squad in a round of the Rugby National Championship.

Cal Day is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free shuttles will operate all day between the downtown Berkeley BART station and campus attractions.

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