This year's Homecoming, Reunion & Family Weekend is set for September 24-26. It promises to be another great weekend of lectures, football, tours, receptions, rallies, and reunions. Homecoming is a wonderful opportunity for you to visit your son or daughter, explore the Berkeley campus, and meet other Cal Parents.

For the first time last year, we combined our annual Parents Weekend with the campus' homecoming celebration, thereby welcoming all members of our Cal family to campus at the same time. For the 1999 event, we changed "Parents" to "Family" in Homecoming, Reunion & Family Weekend in recognition of the grandparents, siblings, and other family members who enjoy attending this annual event.

Here's a little of what you can expect when you come to campus for this special three-day weekend:

On Friday and Saturday you can partake of lectures by nearly 20 of Cal's most distinguished professors, including Orville Schell (dean of the Graduate School of Journalism), Marian Diamond (brain researcher and former director of the Lawrence Hall of Science), Alan Dundes (famous folklorist), and Alex Filippenko (stellar astronomer).

On Friday evening parents are invited to a special reception from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Union hosted by the Cal Parents board of directors. Get acquainted and swap stories with other families. Light refreshments and a no-host bar will be provided. Please be sure to make your reservations on the registration form on page 7.

After the reception, take a short walk to the new Haas Pavilion for a spirited rally beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Cal band, cheerleaders, members of the football team, and coaches will all be on hand. Built around the old Harmon Gymnasium, Haas will have nearly double the seating capacity, so bring your Cal students and other family members. Be among the first to visit this magnificent complex and rally our team to victory!

Early risers won't want to miss the special campus tour for parents beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Student tour guides will tell you about the unique geography and history of central campus on this 45-minute ramble.

Also on Saturday morning, Chancellor Berdahl reflects on the state of the University in his keynote address in Wheeler Auditorium beginning at 11:15 a.m. Preceding the Chancellor's address, members of reunioning classes will process behind colorful class banners. Arrive early for a good seat!

This year's lunch will be a barbecue. Be sure to indicate on the registration form that you want to sit with other members of Cal Parents. Lunches must be reserved for all but children under 4. Sorry, but Cal student meal tickets cannot be honored.

Then grab your pompon and head to Memorial Stadium for the Cal Bears' 2:30 p.m. kick-off against the Arizona State Sun Devils. Homecoming participants will have a special general admission section in the south end of the stadium. Tickets may be ordered on the Homecoming registration form. If you are planning to attend only the football game, call 1-800-GO-BEARS to order tickets. Cal student rooting section tickets are honored only in that section.

Sunday is the perfect time to kick back and enjoy a leisurely breakfast with your student. Before leaving for home, visit Cal's campus museums. They will be open and free for registered Cal Parents all weekend.

Invitations to Homecoming, Reunion & Family Weekend were just mailed. Or you may use the registration form below.

We encourage you to make travel and lodging arrangements early. Southwest Airlines is offering a 10% discount. Call 1-800-433-5368 at least five days before your first day of travel and reference code L1509. Berkeley and nearby acommodations are listed on page 4. For additional assistance, contact the Berkeley Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-847-4823, bconvis@ix.netcom.com or www.berkeleycvb.com, or call the Cal Parents Helpline at 510-642-7147.

See you in September!

-- Diana Musto and Julie Layne