Dear Fellow Phi Betes:

For most of us fall brings with it a return to activities suspended over the summer—a return to the classroom for some, to the concert halls and theatrical performances for others. For your Board it brings a return to planning for the remainder of the membership year, which ends December 31, and the first six months of next year. Some of you may not realize that all memberships will expire on December 31 each year. This November newsletter is the PBK NCA’s notice to its 2004 members to renew your membership for 2005. Lapsed members and other Phi Betes now living in Northern California are also encouraged to join.

Membership in our Association is an opportunity to help fund scholarships and teaching excellence awards, meet new people, attend fun, intellectually stimulating programs, and enjoy the prestige of an award-winning organization. At the Phi Beta Kappa Society Triennial held in Seattle in August, 2003, PBK NCA was recognized as the most outstanding association of those with memberships over 300. A copy of the award is on our web site at www.pbknca.org. We won this award because of the quality and variety of programs we offer our members and because, through your generosity, we are leaders in providing scholarships and teaching excellence recognition awards.

Membership contributions and participation in our programs are at the root of our success. Therefore, we can remain an outstanding association only if our members continue to pay their dues, contribute to our scholarship and teaching excellence funds, and participate in our fundraising activities.

Because we operate with volunteers, most of your contributions directly benefit our scholarship and teaching excellence fund, so every membership is significant. So that you can get a sense of the extraordinary talents of the teachers and scholars PBK NCA selected last spring, we describe them briefly on pages 2 and 5 of this newsletter. With your help, we can increase both the number and the amount of the awards.

Sincerely,

President

If you plan to attend any of the PBKNCA events, please clip or copy the appropriate coupon in the hard copy of the Newsletter, fill it out and mail it, with your check, to me at the address indicated. No confirmations or additional details will be sent; be sure to save this newsletter!

First Vice President - Programs

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San Francisco Christmas Walk

Do you think of Christmas decorations in San Francisco as Macy's windows and Union Square? Are you suburban types longing for an adventure? Then you are in for a treat. Please plan to join us for a guided tour of the San Francisco holiday scene you have probably never before experienced. Tom Filcich, who regularly leads walking tours of San Francisco for the College of Marin, will be our guide to places most of us never see - at least not during the holidays. We plan to meet under the clock tower at the Ferry Building at 10 a.m. During our three-hour walking tour, we will explore the new Ferry Building, visit hotel lobbies, and see business decorations that you never dreamed existed. We will end our tour with lunch, at your own expense, at the San Francisco center, which offers a variety of choices and prices - not to mention shopping opportunities. After that, you are on your own to shop or return home at your leisure. The cost is $18 per person and our group is limited to 30 people. Dust off your comfortable walking shoes and plan to join us on Friday, December 10, 2004 for a holiday experience you will not soon forget.

Date: Friday, December 10, 2004
Time: 10:00 am
Deadline: November 15, 2004 (limited to 30 participants)
Price: $18.00 per person

Directions: Ferry Building Clock Tower, Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street, San Francisco. The Ferry Building is best reached using public transportation. Marinites can take the 9:15 Larkspur Ferry. Those with access to BART or MUNI can take either to the Embarcadero Station. The historic trolley cars (Line F Market) stop directly in front of the Ferry Building. If you must drive, there are parking lots at the north end of the Ferry Building at Pier ½ and the Pier 3 Washington at Embarcadero Lot. There is limited metered parking on area surface streets. There is also a reasonably priced parking lot at Bay and Embarcadero near Pier 33 but you will have a bit of a hike to the Ferry Building.

Links to:
Golden Gate Transit
Larkspur Ferry
MUNI
BART
Others

Map to the Ferry Building
San Francisco

 

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Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (website)

Come join us for a private tour of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose. The museum has the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in the western United States, with more than 4,000 artifacts! The museum and collection are owned by the Rosicrucian Order. This fraternal, philosophical organization offers the museum as a gift to the City of San Jose, and the region.

Our docent will provide an introduction to Egyptian history and the museum collection. We will also learn about the kings and queens and the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, the mummification process, the mysteries of the hieroglyphs, and tour a replica rock-cut tomb. There are six mummies on display, and they are all authentic (not replicas). After the tour, feel free to browse around the museum or go to one of the Planetarium Shows. Or, just stroll the grounds with papyrus-lined paths, elaborate fountains, and colossal statues of Egyptian gods.

Special Notes: Picnicking is not allowed on museum grounds. Backpacks and large bags are not permitted inside the museum. No video, tripod or flash photography is permitted inside the museum.

Date: Saturday, January 22, 2005
Time: 11 am – 12:30 pm
Deadline: January 1, 2005
Price: $18.00 per person

Directions: The Rosicrucian Museum is located at 1342 Naglee Ave in San Jose.

From East Bay or Highway 101: Take 880 South to the Santa Clara/Alameda exit. Turn left onto the Alameda. At the third stoplight, turn right onto Naglee. Go one block and look to your left. You will see the museum parking lot. Parking is free. After parking walk through the park to the museum which is located on Park Ave. Signs are posted throughout the park directing you to the museum.

From Interstate 280: Take 880 North. Take the Alameda exit. Turn right off the exit onto the Alameda. Turn right at the 2nd stoplight onto Naglee. Go one block and look to your left. You will see the museum parking lot. Parking is free. After parking walk through the park to the museum which is located on Park Ave. Signs are posted throughout the park directing you to the museum.

Map to Rosicrucian Museum
San Jose

 

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Scharffen Berger Factory Tour (website)

Do you need to buy any chocolate for Valentine’s Day? With our tour, each participant will be given a $1 gift certificate that is redeemable in the gift shop after the tour. Scharffen Berger specializes in dark chocolate. They make five types of dark chocolate: semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, extra dark chocolate, mint chocolate, and mocha chocolate. They also make milk chocolate and have just debuted a line of confections and truffles. On our tour, we will learn about the history of the company and the history of chocolate. There will also be a chocolate tasting, and a tour through the factory.

After the tour, if you would like to have lunch, there is a restaurant called Café Cacao, and you can try some of the Scharffen Berger chocolate in the desserts. Their phone number is 510-843-6000, and their website is cafecacao.biz.

Special Notes: For safety reasons, closed-toed shoes are required on the tour. There is also an age limit for children. They must be at least 10 years of age to join us on the tour.

Date: Sunday, February 6, 2005
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Deadline: January 16, 2005
Price: $10.00 per person, limited to 30 participants

Directions: Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker is located at 914 Heinz Ave., on the corner of 7th St. and Heinz Ave., in Berkeley.

Driving Directions: Take the Ashby Ave. exit off of Interstate 80. The first signal off the exit is 7th St. Turn left on 7th, go to the second light, and you will see our factory on your right at the corner of 7th and Heinz. To park, turn right on Heinz Ave. The entrance is the second driveway on your right.

BART: From Ashby BART, take the #9 AC Transit bus West on Ashby Ave. and it will bring you within one block of our factory on 7th St.

Map to Scharffen Berger Chocolates
Berkeley, CA

 

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UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory (website)

Have you ever been in an Earthquake? Did you know that the U.C. Berkeley Seismological Laboratory works with the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor earthquakes in Northern California? On our private tour of the laboratory, we will learn about the history of the lab, and the role it has played in monitoring earthquakes. We will see live displays of seismic data and will have a tour of the engineering lab. There is a seismometer there, so if anyone wants to try making a little earthquake, go ahead and see what happens! At the end of the tour, we will learn the steps that we can take to help prepare for an earthquake.

Date: Saturday, March 5, 2005
Time: 10 am – 11am
Deadline: February 12, 2005
Price: $10 per person

Directions: The Berkeley Seismological Laboratory is located on the North side of the UC Berkeley campus in Berkeley, California. Administrative offices are located on the 2nd floor of McCone Hall in room 215, just south of the North Gate campus entrance at the corner of Euclid and Hearst Avenues.

From Northbound Highway 101 (San Francisco Airport / Daly City): Follow I-101 North and then switch to I-80 East, to the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge. After crossing the Bay Bridge, exit (left lanes) to I-80 East (Berkeley/Sacramento); Exit at University Avenue; Continue east on University Avenue for approximately 2 miles to Oxford Street.

From North I-880 (San Jose / Hayward / Oakland Airport): Stay in left center lanes; Exit I-80 East (to Berkeley); Exit at University Avenue; Continue east on University Avenue for approximately 2 miles to Oxford Street.

From Westbound I-580: Exit I-80 East (to Berkeley / Sacramento); Exit at University Avenue; Continue east on University Avenue for approximately 2 miles to Oxford Street.

From I-80 East or West: Exit University Avenue; Continue east on University Avenue for approximately 2 miles to Oxford Street.

From Highway 24: From Highway 24, exit Telegraph Avenue; Continue on Telegraph Avenue until it dead ends at the campus on Bancroft Way; Make a left on Bancroft Way; Make a right on Fulton Street, which will become Oxford Street in 2 blocks; Continue on Oxford Street to University Avenue.

From Westbound Highway 13: Highway 13 becomes Tunnel Road; Continue on Tunnel Road, which becomes Ashby Avenue near the Claremont Hotel; Turn right on Shattuck Avenue; Turn right at University Avenue, and continue east one block to Oxford Street.

Map to UC Berkeley - University Ave At Oxford St
Berkeley, CA 94704

 

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Whale and Bird Watching (website)

Did you know that Gray Whales migrate between the North Pacific and Baja California? This 12,000 mile journey may be the longest migration of any mammal on Earth. Come join us for whale and bird watching out of Half Moon Bay/El Granada as we try to spot the whales on their return trip to Alaska and the Arctic. Other species of whales seen off the California coast include Humpback whales, Minke whales, Pilot whales, Blue whales and Killer whales. Various porpoises, dolphins and sea birds may also been seen.

Special Notes: Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed as feed, weather patterns, and individuality affect the timing. Please dress in layers and consider if seasickness medication is appropriate. Don’t forget to bring sunglasses, sunscreen, and of course, your camera.

Date: Saturday, March 19, 2005
Time: 1 pm – 4 pm
Deadline: March 1, 2005
Price: $40 per person, limited to 38 participants

Directions: Meeting Place: Pillar Point Harbor, end of Pier on left-hand side. Look for H Dock. ‘Huli Cat’, the boat with the bright blue hull, should be in the 8th slip on the left.

From San Francisco: Take 280 South to Highway 1 South; Turn Right on Capistrano Road (1st stoplight after leaving Pacifica – 15 minutes barring traffic); Turn Left into harbor for parking. There is free parking available.

From 92 West: Go West on Highway 92 to Highway 1; Take Highway 1 north; Turn left on Capistrano Road; Turn left into harbor for parking. There is free parking available.

Map to Huli Cat

2004 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES

At the annual PBK NCA dinner held in May, your association was pleased to award scholarships in the amount of $4,000 each to eight graduate students attending Northern California universities with PBK chapters. The awarding of these scholarships is our proudest and most significant accomplishment. We deeply appreciate any contributions above and beyond the annual dues that members earmark for the Scholarship Fund. The students who receive these scholarships are very deserving and also very appreciative. This year, thanks to the generosity and hard work of our members, the Scholarship Committee awarded a $4,000 to each of eight talented young scholars and scientists.

The 2004 recipients are:

Jeremy Cholfin, Neuroscience , UC San Francisco
Rebecca Fox, Animal Behavior, UC Davis
Eleanory Gilburd, Russian History, UC Berkeley
Lisa Lital Levy**, Comparative Literature, UC Berkeley
Yamina Ohol, Biochemistry, UC San Francisco
Ellen Samuels, English, UC Berkeley
Jennifer Scappettone*, English, UC Berkeley
Akrit Sodhi Singh, Comparative Pathology, UC Davis

Second Vice President – Scholarship

*The Norall Family Scholarship in Memory of Robbertina Riley
**Elizabeth Reed Award

 

Call for Nominees

Scholarship and teaching go hand in hand. Nearly everyone who cares about the life of the mind can remember at least one teacher who made a special contribution to his or her development. If that teacher was a faculty member of any rank at Mills College, San Francisco State University, Santa Clara University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis or UC Santa Cruz consider nominating him or her for the PBK NCA 2005 Teaching Excellence Award. Please send in your nomination before the end of November. The application form was printed in the September and is available on this website.

Following are brief statements about the PBK NCA 2004 Teaching Excellence Award winners:

David W. Johnson, Instructor, Department of Economics, Stanford University

David Johnson states: “Learning from my students keeps me young and energized”. The student that nominated him wrote: “David Johnson showed me that there exists in the world a man who loves economics more than I ever thought humanly possible, and by making his lectures so much fun and so engaging, I wanted to attend them. He loves his students and he loves the discipline he teaches”.

Kristin Luker, Professor, Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program, UC Berkeley

Quoting Professor Luker: “My job is not to give students the fruits of my expert knowledge, but to facilitate the growth of
their own capacities so that they can become active participants in the enterprise of creating and critically assessing knowledge”. Her student nominator wrote: “In the midst of teaching at Boalt Hall School of Law, raising two children, and writing yet another eloquent book, Professor Luker gave me the confidence to realize that I, too, have talent and can do something worthwhile”.

Jody Maxmin, Professor, Department of Art and Art History, Stanford University

Professor Maxmin writes: “The conviction that excellent teaching can make a genuine difference in the lives of us all springs from a naturally resilient optimism Each time we enter a classroom, that optimism is renewed by the intellectual curiosity and inherent goodness of students who gather there to learn about ideas that our own teachers brought to life.” Her student nominator wrote: “It is difficult for me to express in only a few words the depth of respect, admiration, and gratitude I feel for Jody Maxmin. She is a passionate and innovative teacher, a wise and perceptive advisor, and an extraordinary woman whose generosity, thoughtfulness and dedication have inspired me to pursue a career in teaching art history. She seamlessly blends current events, philosophical issues, and other academic disciplines into lectures”.

Marijane Osborn, Professor, Department of English, UC Davis

Professor Osborn writes: “We who teach in universities are blessed. I take joy in exploring all literature and am enthusiastic about sharing. One’s pleasure in the material becomes a shared joy in insights gained, a fellowship of reading”. More than one student nominated Professor Osborn. Here is what one of them stated: “Of the many excellent professors I have known, Professor Osborn stands out because she is a true advocate for her students”. Another wrote: “She spent three quarters meeting me on her own time to teach me Old Icelandic. This led to a Fulbright Fellowship to Iceland”.

Daniel R. Palleros, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UC Santa Cruz

Dr. Palleros writes: “My first college chemistry instructor, was in retrospect, the worst teacher I ever had. I owe a lot to him. In one semester he taught me all the things I shouldn’t be if someday I wanted to be a teacher: impatient, unprepared, uninvolved, rude and biased. A good teacher opens doors and lets the students find their way”. His nominator wrote: “After university education in Argentina and a few years of postdoctoral work at UC Santa Cruz, in 1989 Dr. Palleros was hired on a temporary part-time basis to teach laboratory courses in organic chemistry. He carried the responsibility so well that he was given a series of temporary, part-time appointments, year by year and is now regarded a substantial member of the departmental staff”. UCSC has taken note of the excellence of his teaching. He has received both excellence in teaching honors and the Alumni Association’s Favorite Professor Award.

John R. Wallace, Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, UC Berkeley

Professor Wallace states: “I would like my students to develop rich, interesting lives. No teaching process can be successful unless the teacher loves the student on the one hand and the subject he or she teaches on the other”. The student that nominated him wrote: “Professor Wallace made work on my senior honor thesis an absolutely phenomenal experience through his support, guidance, and dedication. He never dismissed an unconventional idea. He allowed me to be comfortable with anything that I came up with. He is absolutely the kindest, most supportive professor I have ever had”.

A copy of the annual report for the fiscal year July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004, is available. To obtain a copy , contact the Treasurer

A common question about membership: “Didn’t I already join the association? I thought it was headquartered in Washington, D.C.”? To clear up the confusion implicit in this question, here is a brief primer on the difference between the national PBK Society and the Northern California Association:

The Phi Beta Kappa Society (PBK) in Washington, D.C.
Once you are initiated into Phi Beta Kappa—usually in your senior year in college—you become a lifetime member of The Phi Beta Kappa Society. The society sends out yearly solicitations for donations and sustaining memberships in order to maintain its services at the national level. It also publishes a newsletter called The Key Reporter. The national society’s WebPages at: www.pbk.org are an excellent source of additional information about the structure of PBK.

Phi Beta Kappa, Northern California Association, Inc. (PBK NCA)
There are over 50 active PBK alumni associations across the nation that support the aims of the national society by promoting the value of education and awarding scholarships. Our association, PBK NCA, ranks among the top three in the nation--not only in the size of our membership--but in the number of social activities we sponsor, and in the amount of scholarship money that we distribute each year. Our primary goals are twofold:

• Recognizing excellence in teaching by honoring professors who have been nominated by former students who belong to PBK. Five inspirational educators, two from Stanford, one from UC Davis,one from UC Santa Cruz and two from UC Berkeley were honored at our May 2004 Awards Dinner.

• Helping outstanding graduate students by granting scholarships. We awarded $32,000 in scholarships at our May 2004 Awards Dinner to eight outstanding students.

A Board of hard-working, dedicated and talented volunteers runs PBK NCA. That means the only significant costs we need to cover are postage and printing of the newsletter, so we are able to put our members’ dues and donations directly into our scholarship and teaching excellence programs.

We also offer our members opportunities to get together socially, often for private tours of educational or cultural institutions. See pages 3, 4 and 7 of this newsletter for examples of both our tour offerings and our wonderful Asilomar Conference. All of our events serve as social opportunities and fundraisers for our scholarship program.

Any Phi Beta Kappan who lives in Northern California—even if initiated at a university in another state—is welcome to join the Northern California Association. In fact, many of our most active members were initiated into PBK at a college outside of California, so we would be delighted to get to know you!

Please join PBK NCA in 2005 by sending in the enclosed membership application envelope. Remember: ALL MEMBERSHIPS EXPIRE DECEMBER 31, 2004