The Faculty Club Newsletter

March 2005

           Once again, events in February were well attended, with a sell-out crowd at the Rockpile wine evening. Our next big wine event is the winemaker’s dinner with Arrowood winery in April, and we anticipate a big turnout. Get your reservations in early. We have planned events for non-drinkers too! Our Jeopardy evening quiz promises to be an unusual experience, as Professor Melia brings his first-hand experience to the event. And we have jazz, plus a Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association event, coming up. When you attend events here at the Club, it inspires the Board and Managers to come up with new ideas. We continue to plan further upgrades of the Club with the Board and House Committee, and we’ll keep you informed as we go ahead. 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.

        “This word for a type of war is one of the few five-letter words that can be made using only Roman numerals.” As you can see, Club Director and Professor of Rhetoric and Celtic Studies Dan Melia came up with the right question on February 18th to win his first round in the Ultimate Jeopardy Championship. Dan was selected by the website for game show addicts, tvgameshows.net, as one of the five most likely to win out of some 150 contestants (now reduced to 54). $2,000,000 is at stake! His next appearance on the show will be aired some time in April. It’s no good asking whether he has won before that time. Even the Board of Directors couldn’t get it out of him last time. But keep that buzzer sounding, Dan. We’re all behind you. Remember that on April 21st we’re planning an evening at the Club for our own version of “Jeopardy,” now being organized by Dan and others. A dinner and a chance to win fabulous prizes (and maybe some real ones)! More details in the April Newsletter. 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.

       Once again we will be enjoying the paintings and drawings of Eugene D. Commins, professor emeritus of Physics. He pursues painting and drawing as a hobby and has shown his work at the Faculty Club several times. This month’s pictures were done “on location” near Point Reyes and on travels to Sweden, Iceland, Alaska, Italy, and Yugoslavia. Some are also imaginary landscapes.

       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.

       On March 18th come to the Club for an evening of brilliant classic jazz with our favorite jazz group, the San Francisco Feetwarmers. Seasoned professionals, the group is known for great arrangements, and their driving four-beat rhythm gets the dancers on the floor. Enjoy this great group, along with a special dinner, all for $30. Reserve at 540-5678, extension 224.

       During 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 climax (and we choose the word deliberately) 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. The lectures are a bargain, at $10 a lecture, and are held on the second Thursday of each month. For more details, check the BAHA website at www.berkeleyheritage.com/calendar.html. More details on the Club evening in the next Newsletter.

       At their latest tasting, the Committee recommended that members look into two bargains in good wine available here at the Club: Artezin 2002 Zinfandel by the Hess group ($15 a bottle; $5 a glass), and Tinchero Chicken Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon ($6 a glass; $110 a six-pack case). Try them over dinner or in the bar, and let Felix know if you want to place an order.

       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. Come in and join the fun.

       Members will be receiving in the mail ballots for vacancies coming up on the Board of Directors. Meanwhile, mark your calendar for the Club’s annual meeting 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.