Winter '96 Newsletter
President's Message
- by Gail Anikouchine
THANK YOU DIANE WONDOLOWSKI FOR 5 FANTASTIC YEARS AS CLUB PRESIDENT! For those who were not present at the last event planning meeting, Diane was presented with a plaque congratulating her for leading our club out of hibernation.
The 1995-1996 will continue to be a year of change. For over a century, Cal has had a reputation of changing the course of history. With the advent of Autumn, we Alumni in the Santa Barbara County area have several opportunities to continue in this tradition.
College Night was a success thanks to the hard work of Brooke Sawyer, our Outreach Chair. He headed up a team of Alumni to answer questions about Cal to potential students and their parents. Please let Brooke know if you are interested in helping with this next year or with the new student reception in the spring.
Dave Richards has coordinated with Santa Barbara High School to provide counseling to students contemplating college. I encourage all of you to volunteer for either of these endeavors. Who knows - you might convince a future Nobel Laureate to attend your Alma Mater!!!
Once we have these students convinced they should attend Cal, how will they be able to afford the "tuition"? Once again, opportunity knocks. Your change can change the life of a student!!! Be prepared to part with your pocket change at the Big Game Wine & Cheese as our club continues to work towards a $10,000 endowment. Start saving now!!
I hope to see you at our next Events Planning Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 9, at 7 PM. If you are unable to attend and have something you need discussed, call me at 964-1087. Thank you!
Tantalizing Trivia & Tasty Tidbits
Who's that?
You may not remember J. Wayne Higson,who shared quarter back duties (with Charlie Erb on the 1920 Cal Team that not only went 9-0, but outscored its opponents by an amazing margin of 510 to 14.
His name is still be remembered thought. It seems that when USC player Marion Morrison decided on a career in the film industry and was looking for a stage name, he scanned a Rose Bowl program until he came to the name John Wayne Higson and adopted it as his own.
Answers to the five questions most often asked of the University's outreach staff:
1. What does it really take to get into Berkeley?
There is no simple answer to this question, but in general, the higher an applicant's grades and test cores, the better his or her chances. The competition is sharp: For fall, 1995, Cal admitted 40% of its freshman applicants and 33% of its transfer applicants.
2. Does Berkeley have a quota for Asian Americans?
No. Berkeley has never had quotas for Asian Americans or any other ethnic or racial group.
3. Will I be able to get housing at Berkeley?
Yes. All freshman students are guaranteed housing in University residence hall if they apply on time.
4. How much does it cost to attend Berkeley?
The total 1995-96 cost to attend Berkeley is $13,474. That includes $3,956 in fees, and $9,518 for housing and food, books, transportation and personal expenses. Berkeley is still an outstanding bargain compared to our independent competitors. The total cost of education at Stanford and most of the Ivy Leagues will exceed $29,000 for 1995-96.
5. Can I get the classes I need and can I graduate on time?
In general, class availability remains good, and almost all students are able to get the classes they need. You can graduate from Berkeley in 4 years; 39% of our entering freshmen do so. In addition, time-to-degree at Berkeley is shrinking; the median currently stands at under 4.5 years.
Did you know?
The Botanical Garden @ U.C. Berkeley was established in 1890 and transfered to its current location on 34 acres in Centernnail Drive in Strawbery Canyon in the 1920s. Although relatively small in area, the garden ranks with the world's leading gardens in the variety and quality of its plants. There are 12,000 different species, and something is in bloom every month of the year.
One major collection is Cacti and other succulant plants. Native plants of California occupy the largest area devoted to a regional collection. Special collections include herbs and spices, palms, rhododendrons, Mesoamerican plants, gymnosperms, ferns, carnivours plants, orchids, and a garden of Chinese traditional medicinal plants The Botanical Garden offers free tours to the public every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Did you also know?
For fall, 1995, Berkeley admitted 40% of its freshman applicants and 33% of its transfer applicants.
Online Corner
- by Mike Wondolowski
In past editions of Online Corner, I have listed but a few of the vast (and ever growing) number of World Wide Web sites that a Cal person might find interesting. But to many of you the information might look interesting, but the Web "address" might look like nothing more than a random string of letters and punctuation! You may not even have any type of access to the Internet (and therefore the Web). Well, there is something you can do about that problem.
But, first, a little bit of background. The Internet is the global computer network that we've been hearing so much about for the past few years. Actually, it is a network of subsidiary networks, but that is a topic for some other time. The Internet can be used for many things including:
email
Usenet newsgroups
running programs on remote computers
accessing vast archives of data files
accessing the World Wide Web
The Web is basically a way to conveniently access the resources available on the Internet without having to be a skilled hacker just to get started.
There are two basic ways to gain access to the Internet. One way is to have access via a computer account at school or at work. The Internet was created and "grew up" in universities around the world, and more and more businesses are jumping on the bandwagon as they see the benefits of being on the net. But, alas, you may find yourself without access to an account with Internet access through work or school. For you there is the second way to access the Internet.
You can pay an Internet service provider to allow you to access the net from your own modem-equipped computer at home or work. There are a wide range of service providers who are able to provide you with access. Additionally, the online services such as CompuServe, Prodigy and America Online also now provide Internet access. Each provider has their own price schedule, and which one you choose depends on what your monthly use will be. But in most cases, the cost is really quite reasonable.
If this sounds interesting, you might want to find out about the deal the California Alumni Association is offering its members through NETCOM, one of the service providers I referred to earlier. This package is probably best for those of you who will spend a good amount of time each month "surfing the net". (For more information on the NETCOM package, you can call the Alumni Association's membership office at (510) 642-3706.)
In any case, there is a whole world out there on the net, and it's just waiting to be explored. Here are a few more places that are quite interesting and that are waiting for you:
California Alumni Association Home Page:
http://www.alumni.berkeley.edu/
Cal's Housing Office Home Page (including all the latest information on the current housing situation at Cal -- things have really changed!):
http://www.reshall.berkeley.edu/calstyle/
The GOBEARS Home Page (Cal sports-related information, including a sound file of Joe Starkey's call of "The Play" that ended the 1982 Big Game):
http://gobears.berkeley.edu/
There is a whole world out there on the net, and it's just waiting to be explored.
Football Season in Berkeley
Autumn brings football season - a time of school colors, songs, buddies and good memories. (We try to forget the actual football scores.) This year is no different. The pageantry is still alive and well on the Berkeley campus. The students are still spirited, the band still stupendous, and the colors still blue and gold.
If you haven't been to the campus recently, this is the year to make the journey. Memorial stadium has a new, more regal look with real grass (once again.) The construction in the center of campus is complete and there is a new memorial glade (also with real grass).
If you make the journey, consider joining us at tailgate parties on the grass in Hearst Mining Circle an hour and a half before kick off. (You may want to call Mike & Diane Wondolowski (805-968-2918) to confirm - we plan on being at all "home" games except Washington State, but that is subject to change.)
You may also want to mark your calendar for the Big Game Bonfire on Friday Night, November 17th at the Greek Theater. Again, call Mike or Diane Wondolowski to confirm the starting time which is usually 7 p.m.
There is no better way to bring back the memories of your days at Cal, than to see it all dressed up on a football weekend. The heart just starts beating a little faster to hear the Cal Band marching through campus on its way up to the stadium and to see the families gathered for the tailgate parties before the games.
If you are looking at the schedule and would like to buy a ticket, you can make arrangements by calling 1-800-Go Bears. Call soon though, some games, such as Big Game often sell out early.
Go Bears! We'll see you at the Rose Bowl! (well, at least on October 28!)
Special Thanks
Thank you to the Santa Ynez Winery & Cal Alumnus Matthew Mann, General Manager, for your hospitality to the Club on August 20th. Everyone had a wonderful time at the wine tasting and tour at the winery. The wine was wonderful and comes highly recommended!
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