Berkeleyan

Experts’ guesstimate: Cal Day could reach SPF30

By Carol Ness, Public Affairs | 09 April 2008

Cal Day promises near-perfect weather for the student-built-solar-car demonstration — and for all the other attractions awaiting the 35,000 visitors expected this Saturday for the annual romp through campus.
If you can believe the National Weather Service, temperatures are heading to the upper 70s and skies will be mostly sunny for the daylong open house for prospective students, their families, and the community.

(Peg Skorpinski photo)

Berkeley has all kinds of tricks up its sleeve to entertain and educate Cal Day visitors of all ages: some 350 interactive displays, faculty lectures, athletic events, dramatic and musical performances, movies, demonstrations, and hands-on learning opportunities with everything from clay to live animals. Events run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. all over campus.

Consider stopping by Evans Hall to listen to a few “math songs,” for example. Nicole Campbell, a third-year student from San Jose, feels that “real-life feelings like love and struggle can often be described best through math and science metaphors.” Among her favorite compositions is “Horizontal Asymptote,” about getting closer and closer to someone but never touching. She’ll be performing from 11 to 11:30 a.m. and 2 to 2:30 p.m. in 1015 Evans.

You might also take half an hour to learn a Scandinavian language. The Scandinavian department will be offering lessons in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and Finnish, starting at 11 a.m. in 33 Dwinelle Hall. Last year, the first year the micro-lessons were on the Cal Day program, the classes were packed, according to Karen Moller, a lecturer in Danish.

All of Berkeley’s athletic fields will see action during the day. Cal’s track team will take on Stanford at Edwards Stadium between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m, while the football team will hold its last spring practice in Memorial Stadium from noon to 2 p.m., and the softball team will play Oregon State at Levine-Fricke Field at 1 p.m.

For the less energetic, the day promises to be ideal for a get-to-know-the-campus stroll and picnic on the grass.

The full program of activities is online at calday.berkeley.edu, along with links to information for new and prospective students.