UC Berkeley opens its doors for annual Cal Day extravaganza

BERKELEY — Student performances, faculty lectures, campus tours, free museums, Pac-10 competitions in baseball and tennis, face painting and other kid-friendly activities — topped off by a 4 p.m. concert by the band Cold War Kids — await visitors to the University of California, Berkeley, on Saturday, April 17, for its annual Cal Day open house. With free admission, Cal Day typically draws between 30,000 and 40,000 people eager to explore the scientific and cultural offerings of the nation's top public research university. Museums normally closed to the public, such as the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and the Essig Museum of Entomology, open their doors to all, as do public museums, including the Lawrence Hall of Science, the Botanical Garden and the Berkeley Art Museum. "Despite staffing cuts around the campus, departments are hosting as many events as last year," said Cal Day coordinator Diana Musto. "It's more important than ever that the public comes and gets a sense of what's going on at UC Berkeley." For the lucky students newly admitted to UC Berkeley, the campus is hosting a special student welcome in Haas Pavilion between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. Future hopefuls can check out the Marketplace on Dwinelle Plaza, where many departments set up information tables, or drop in to check out departments in person. UC Berkeley students play a major role in Cal Day festivities. The Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) is sponsoring the Cal Day concert and other activities, student groups will perform throughout the day on upper and lower Sproul plazas, while student organizations will host informational tables in both areas.