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by Fran Marsh Lacks Some Stacks. For the most secret demolition on campus, follow the "whooshing" noise at Doe to its source, and behind the plastic wrap you'll find a spectacular sight-a giant hole where the stacks used to be, with construction crews ambling about at the bottom. Excavation has brought the well's floor down to the surrounding basement level, and some lucky people (library architect Fred Yasaki is mum on just who) will occupy-at least temporarily-the four-story sky lit space. Can't you just see a courtyard cafe there? Lots of potted palms? "That has been a common suggestion," deadpans Yasaki. Rescued during demolition were a few of the old glass floor tiles, trod upon by scholars of yore, which, cut down and polished, will be presented with fanfare to the library's special friends, says Ann Moen, assistant to the university librarian. Tea? In Berkeley? And here we didn't think anything like this has happened since the '50s. One afternoon this summer found Chancellor Berdahl chatting animatedly on the Alumni House terrace. He had popped in (through the back way, to the surprise of many) for the annual Benjamin Ide Wheeler tea. On the menu: brewed tea poured by faculty spouses- scones, petit fours, shortbread cookies and tea sandwiches (that's watercress and cucumber). Chamber music was courtesy of the Young Musicians Program string quartet. Wheeler Society members are those who have made plans for specific gifts to the university. And events like these do make one want to scurry off to write over that Microsoft stock. Little Known Factlet from the Berkeley Chancellors exhibit at the Bancroft: Martin Meyerson, MCP, dean of the College of Environmental Design, was acting chancellor from January to July 1965. It was Meyerson's predecessor, Edward Strong, who at his inauguration noticed President Kennedy, the speaker that day, jotting down notes on his text. Strong leaned over and said, "This is going to be unique with this hand writing. May we have it for our archive?" The president said yes, and here it is. But not without some doing. The folks in Washington decided later they wanted it returned. But the university copied the additions and sent them instead, keeping the original because "it belonged to us by gift of the president." Blow Your Own Horn, as did Gregory Butera over at the College of Chemistry. To introduce himself, this newest member of the college relations department distributed a flyer detailing his professional expertise. Reads the text: "No other candidate met all of our requirements as well as Greg did. Plus, the guy was just very interested in the position." In a photo of a Latimer Hall windowed wall, an arrow indicates "His Office." The shyer among us could all use a little such marketing. Shuffle On over to Solano Avenue Sept. 14 for the 23rd Solano
Stroll from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Any event with a parade featuring "Solano
Man," talking robots, the Wells Fargo Stage, Smoky the Bear and giant
worms from outer space is worth checking out. |