The Faculty Club Newsletter

April 2005

           I’m personally looking forward to the end of the rainy season and the coming of spring. Here at the Club that signals some of our most popular member events: the wine-tasting on the glade and the Mother’s Day brunch in May. But before then we continue to present programs that can be enjoyed even when it’s raining. The Jazz night was a big success, and we’re now looking forward to the winemaker’s dinner with Arrowood winery in April, and of course our big Jeopardy night. We anticipate big turnouts for these events, so get your reservations in early. I want to thank our staff for the great job they do at all these member events. I’m also continuing to work with the House Committee on upgrades. We’ll keep you informed as we go ahead. Many thanks for your expressions of support. I hope you continue to take advantages of the services offered by the Club and the fine events we plan for you. As always, I am available at the Club to serve you, so please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help to you. Thank you.

       Club Director Dan Melia and his pursuit of the Ultimate Jeopardy prize of $2,000,000 is beginning to involve even those least interested in TV game shows. Watch Channel 7 at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13th, for the next round he participates in. It’s already recorded but he won’t reveal the result. Still, he looks pretty happy! Remember that on April 21st we’re planning an evening at the Club for our own version of “Jeopardy.” Dan has organized an evening of “real” Jeopardy, complete with buzzers. He’s been soliciting questions around campus from distinguished specialists in widely disparate fields asking “What facts do you think an educated person should know about…?” Three faculty members will compete in an after-dinner game, with audience participation. Prizes, prizes, prizes! And glory, too. Reception at 6 p.m.; dinner at 7 p.m. Cost :$30 per person, all inclusive.

       Our next winemaker’s dinner will be on April 29th, with the Arrowood Winery. Richard Arrowood and his wife and partner, Alis Demers Arrowood produce classic varietal wines using grapes exclusively from Sonoma County’s diverse viticultural areas such as Russian River Valley, Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys or Sonoma-Carneros. This approach has not changed since they founded the winery in 1986. As usual at these events, winery personnel will introduce the wines, and they will be available for purchase at an advantageous price. Reception at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. $60 per person for reception and four-course dinner. Reserve at ext. 224.

       This month we shall enjoy the photographs of Sally Mack. Sally is fascinated by wetlands and marshes: the plants, birds, and amphibians that live there; the ways water reacts, absorbs, and reflects light; the ways it ebbs and flows. The photos in this exhibit were taken at a wetlands restoration site owned by Cal trans, near Vallejo. It’s bordered by Highway 37 and the Napa River. The area is slated to become part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Sally uses available, natural light and does not enhance her pictures electronically. A photographer for over 30 years, she uses a manual Nikon 35 mm camera with standard 50 mm lens and Kodak Portra VC color print film.

       People are enjoying the bargain dinners in the Kerr Room, especially before basketball games or events at Zellerbach Hall. This is the biggest dining bargain in Berkeley. Come any weekday evening before 6:30 and enjoy a three-course dinner for the remarkable price of $12.99, including a choice of soup or salad, and dessert. Reservations at 540-5678, extension 0.

       Unfortunately the February meeting had to be cancelled. Watch for the announcement of the April 20th meeting. Members will be getting invitations in the mail by the end of March. This group is open to all widows of members. We meet every two months for lunch and a short program. A warm and welcoming group. For information, call Phyllis Schafer at 510-704-9951.

       The day of wine and roses approaches. Corsages and champagne. A delicious buffet. Delightful decorations. What better can you do for your mother (or the mother of you children, or your best friend’s mother, or your best friend who’s like a mother to you–or even–the ultimate guilt trip-for your children)? On May 8th the Club once again offers its celebration of maternity. There’s no place in town that offers the relaxed charm of this event. Reservation forms are included with this newsletter. Get your reservations in early – some popular hours fill up fast!

       Last month we mentioned that over next couple of months the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association is sponsoring a series of lectures on Hidden Lodges from the craftsman era in and around Berkeley. Most of the lectures are being given in Senior Men’s Hall, the subject of one of the presentations. The series will end with a dinner and lecture here in our own Great Hall. Save June 9th for this event, which will be open to Club members as well as participants in the lecture series. We now know that the lecturer that evening will be Ken Cardwell, Professor Emeritus in Architecture. Ken was the first expert on the work of Bernard Maybeck, the pioneering Berkeley architect who designed the original Club building. He had the opportunity to interview Maybeck extensively, and this will be an opportunity to ask questions about the building that may have been lurking in your mind. The other lectures in the series are a bargain, at $10 a lecture, they are held on the second Thursday of each month. For more details, check the BAHA website at www.berkeleyheritage.com/calendar.html. Reservations are being taken now for the June dinner. Call extension 224 to reserve.

       Yes, it is springtime again, and the vintners of northern California will once again be vying to catch your attention with their latest releases and old favorites. Gather a group of friends, repay all those social obligations, and enjoy the tasting on May 13th. The usual pattern: tasting from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., and dinner and dancing from 7 to 9. If you’ve never experienced a wine tasting evening on the glade, you owe it to yourself to try one. You will get hooked, as so many members have before you. Cost: $42 per person, all inclusive.

       The big-screen television in the Bar has been attracting Cal sports fans on game days. We’re in the middle of basketball season now, so come on in and enjoy a drink or two while cheering on the team. Happy hours run every weekday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., but the Bar stays open beyond that time.

       Members have received in the mail ballots for vacancies coming up on the Board of Directors. Be sure to get the ballot in on time. Results will be announced at the annual members’ meeting at lunchtime on April 6th. Come and study the Club’s finances and get involved in what happens here!

        We are continuing the Club’s bargain breakfast special. From 7:30 to 10 a.m. you can come by the Kerr Room and for $2.99 enjoy juice, eggs, coffee, and toast. Pick up a newspaper on the way to the campus and relax after that commute or uphill bike ride. And tell your friends! You do not have to be a member to take advantage of this special.