The Politics of Southeast Asia: Crisis, Conflict and Reform With Darren Zook. The very first lecture I ever had at Berkeley, and Professor Zook was the kindest most approachable man on top of being an outstanding teacher. Huge congrats to you and yours Tom.

There were some great history professors - Wakeman for Chinese history was amazing, Riansovnowski on Russia, Sellers for early american economic and legal history. Cohen for German history and the rise of Hitler. I think we had two junior thesis classes - Cohen's was one of them and it was on who voted for Hitler - lots of analysis on Nazi voting patterns and how he came to power - which I think about a lot today. And Steven Ambrose was a visiting professor from Tulane my Junior year and I had him as my other junior thesis advisor - he was very cool. He lived in Rockridge and had some nice little cocktail parties at his house while he was here. He gave me a great reference for grad school (which I did not use). His was post WWII - foreign relations and containment. Very fun.

Lots of great history professors at Cal - I think the best history program in the country for decades.

Oski87 said:

---

There were some great history professors - Wakeman for Chinese history was amazing, Riansovnowski on Russia, Sellers for early american economic and legal history. Cohen for German history and the rise of Hitler. I think we had two junior thesis classes - Cohen's was one of them and it was on who voted for Hitler - lots of analysis on Nazi voting patterns and how he came to power - which I think about a lot today. And Steven Ambrose was a visiting professor from Tulane my Junior year and I had him as my other junior thesis advisor - he was very cool. He lived in Rockridge and had some nice little cocktail parties at his house while he was here. He gave me a great reference for grad school (which I did not use). His was post WWII - foreign relations and containment. Very fun.

Lots of great history professors at Cal - I think the best history program in the country for decades.

---

Agreed that Cal had the best history program. IIRC, the US News & World Report regularly ranked the history program as #1 in the nation (above Harvard).

I can't speak toward the rest, as I didn't take their classes, but Wakeman seemed more interested in his research than in teaching. I took a modern China history class with Wakeman. He was unquestionably knowledgable about the material, but he seemed disinterested during his lectures. Professor David Johnson, on the other hand, was equally knowledgeable but passionate about history and teaching it. I took a survey course with him and still remember him interrupting his lecture to chew out a couple who were making out (to be fair, I didn't actually see them as they were behind me but this is a paraphrase of what Professor Johnson said) during his lecture in one of the larger Dwinelle auditoriums. He made it clear that while they were in the class, they were there to learn history. While he was a Ming dynasty specialist, he lectured passionately about every era.

01Bear said:

---

Agreed that Cal had the best history program. IIRC, the US News & World Report regularly ranked the history program as #1 in the nation (above Harvard).

---

That made me laugh, because my Mom graduated from Cal as a History major.
I don't think she has impressed me with her knowledge in this subject matter.

Perhaps like many of the era, she actually majored in finding a husband? 1964 wedding.

concordtom said:

---

01Bear said:

---

Agreed that Cal had the best history program. IIRC, the US News & World Report regularly ranked the history program as #1 in the nation (above Harvard).

---

That made me laugh, because my Mom graduated from Cal as a History major.
I don't think she has impressed me with her knowledge in this subject matter.

Perhaps like many of the era, she actually majored in finding a husband? 1964 wedding.

---

LOL! I'm not sure if USNWR was around back then, let alone if they ranked schools and academic departments. But I do remember when I was a student, Cal's history department was regularly listed as tops in the nation.

I was a history major - I had a great experience with Wakeman. He did seem to care when I took his class - he brought in John Service to speak ("Lost Chance in China") which made for a great contrast with Scalapino's approach over in PoliSci. My major issue with Wakeman was when he would ask you to leave his office because the State Department was calling him to discuss issues with China.

I wish I could have taken a class with Ambrose! I don't think he was there when I was a student.

I mistakenly enrolled in the Honors Seminar with Scheiner in charge - and we read a book a week from one of Berkeley's "best" - but I was too young at the time and after a few weeks and the first paper, I talked to Scheiner about dropping the course and he encouraged me to stay in. That was a mistake - for both of us. Other than that - and the woeful Richard Abrams - every History class/seminar were beyond terrific - and a faculty that was open to discuss and meet and talk.

95bears said:

---

General thoughts from my recollection:

Astro 10 I could never get the class but heard it was superb.
Same with Slottman, Litwack and Edwards--- all legendary.


LOWER DIVISION TIPS
- Avoid Rhodes in mathematics, he's Emeritus now, I don't know if he teaches---- but his mind was drugged out in the 60s and the majority of my freshman Math 1A class got a D or flunked.
- On that note any math class prof has to be researched extensively. I took a lot of math and in lower division the profs can make up their own notation systems if they like. Most are exceptionally poor teachers. Everything except 16a and 16b are weeders and they don't care what happens to you.
- Art History sounds amazing and fun, but it is deceptively hard and has ridiculous amounts of content. *A lot* of people are tempted to take it, and a lot of people get Cs and lower.
- Be careful with Rhetoric, it's mostly taught by TAs and since it's about arguing... if your viewpoint differs from the grad students, you can get dinged.
- Be careful with visiting professors from other UCs. Many get imposter syndrome and try to stress the "smarter" Cal student with 2X workload and tough grading.

---

Dunno if professor Wang still teaches math1a but yeah, avoid like the plague. I got an A in high school Calc and could have APd out of 1a, but figured I was going into engineering so I ought to start out strong.

First midterm, got a C-/D+, but felt I could recover. The second midterm... that's a feeling I've had only once. Scored a 9... yes 9... out of 100. Average was a 26. I whined my way to a 15. People got negative scores because there were multiple choice questions that were negative if wrong.

Definitely called my parents afterwards saying "I'm not sure this Berkeley thing is going to work." Professor Wang lambasted us all as "stupid, ignorant freshmen" the next Monday, which was fun (I guess he wasn't wrong...)

Retook 1a with some Russian exchange professor and it went fine. Suffice to say I took 1b at a community College (it had an even worse rep) that summer.

Not sure if it was typical, but I enjoyed and did quite well in both math 53 and 54.

Here are two professors currently at Cal. I have heard each of them speak multiple times at the Lair of the Golden Bear and chatted with them personally. Fine speakers and quite engaging:

Dan Kammen is a professor of Energy who flits around between the Energy and Resources Group, the Goldman School of Public Policy and the department of Nuclear Engineering (One's expertise has to be deep and broad to "flit around" at Cal!).

Munis Faruqui is a professor at the Institute of South and Southeast Asian Studies. Great speaker/storyteller and conversationalist! I would take any class he is teaching.

01Bear said:

---

Oski87 said:

---

There were some great history professors - Wakeman for Chinese history was amazing, Riansovnowski on Russia, Sellers for early american economic and legal history. Cohen for German history and the rise of Hitler. I think we had two junior thesis classes - Cohen's was one of them and it was on who voted for Hitler - lots of analysis on Nazi voting patterns and how he came to power - which I think about a lot today. And Steven Ambrose was a visiting professor from Tulane my Junior year and I had him as my other junior thesis advisor - he was very cool. He lived in Rockridge and had some nice little cocktail parties at his house while he was here. He gave me a great reference for grad school (which I did not use). His was post WWII - foreign relations and containment. Very fun.

Lots of great history professors at Cal - I think the best history program in the country for decades.

---

Agreed that Cal had the best history program. IIRC, the US News & World Report regularly ranked the history program as #1 in the nation (above Harvard).

I can't speak toward the rest, as I didn't take their classes, but Wakeman seemed more interested in his research than in teaching. I took a modern China history class with Wakeman. He was unquestionably knowledgable about the material, but he seemed disinterested during his lectures. Professor David Johnson, on the other hand, was equally knowledgeable but passionate about history and teaching it. I took a survey course with him and still remember him interrupting his lecture to chew out a couple who were making out (to be fair, I didn't actually see them as they were behind me but this is a paraphrase of what Professor Johnson said) during his lecture in one of the larger Dwinelle auditoriums. He made it clear that while they were in the class, they were there to learn history. While he was a Ming dynasty specialist, he lectured passionately about every era.

---

I'm glad nobody mentioned Abrams. Good god what a bore

01Bear said:

---

Oski87 said:

---

There were some great history professors - Wakeman for Chinese history was amazing, Riansovnowski on Russia, Sellers for early american economic and legal history. Cohen for German history and the rise of Hitler. I think we had two junior thesis classes - Cohen's was one of them and it was on who voted for Hitler - lots of analysis on Nazi voting patterns and how he came to power - which I think about a lot today. And Steven Ambrose was a visiting professor from Tulane my Junior year and I had him as my other junior thesis advisor - he was very cool. He lived in Rockridge and had some nice little cocktail parties at his house while he was here. He gave me a great reference for grad school (which I did not use). His was post WWII - foreign relations and containment. Very fun.

Lots of great history professors at Cal - I think the best history program in the country for decades.

---

Agreed that Cal had the best history program. IIRC, the US News & World Report regularly ranked the history program as #1 in the nation (above Harvard).

I can't speak toward the rest, as I didn't take their classes, but Wakeman seemed more interested in his research than in teaching. I took a modern China history class with Wakeman. He was unquestionably knowledgable about the material, but he seemed disinterested during his lectures. Professor David Johnson, on the other hand, was equally knowledgeable but passionate about history and teaching it. I took a survey course with him and still remember him interrupting his lecture to chew out a couple who were making out (to be fair, I didn't actually see them as they were behind me but this is a paraphrase of what Professor Johnson said) during his lecture in one of the larger Dwinelle auditoriums. He made it clear that while they were in the class, they were there to learn history. While he was a Ming dynasty specialist, he lectured passionately about every era.

---

wow, thanks for bringing life to his lectures when I read these it reminds me of how afraid I was at cal. In survival mode. Love the stories

I took the 168-A-B-C sequence on 20th Century American history. Two quarters of Abrams sandwiched around a quarter of Larry Levine. What a contrast.

Jeff82 said:

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I took the 168-A-B-C sequence on 20th Century American history. Two quarters of Abrams sandwiched around a quarter of Larry Levine. What a contrast.

---

got a d- the first go round with abrams and squeezed a c+.
Or maybe I got an F. Was checked out

Not a great moment. I'm not sure I read any of the material which is important .

I still have nightmares about not making my last final or completing a class …fortunately I have a diploma to remind me, I managed a 3.0 overall and 3.5 upper division gpa so I encourage all hopeless undergraduates to stay the course and find a mentor. I did in professor Slottman.

Abrams was definitely a very very weak link in the department. I described him as a "penguin". He was the only professor I had who got "boos" in the last class - he deserved it because, as I recall, he was going over the Vietnam War, got up to early 1960s (which meant he wasn't covering most of the more active American military involvement) and said as time expired: "You will be responsible for the rest of the war on the final".
He also would test on small items that were covered only in lecture - something like "percentage of houses with tv sets in 1960" or some such. I get that that was supposed to be a motivation to come to class, but the items were so minor, you wouldn't have focused on them in studying or even reviewing notes. (Not sure if Black Lightning notes had started up when I took the class - um, is Black Lightning still around?).
Boring - not insightful - even his grad students looked unhappy when you would talk to them.

Part of this topic is favorite courses and I wondered how different the current undergrad classes are in my Cal major, Materials Science and Engineering, compared to 1976 when I graduated, so I looked at the online catalog. Wow - there are whole fields of study that are no longer part of the undergrad curriculum. Ceramic Engineering (glasses and high temperature ceramic materials and processing) - gone. Extractive Metallurgy (basically turning mined ore into refined metals) - gone. Replaced with courses in polymers, nanomaterials, biomedical applications - pretty cool stuff!

DISCLAIMER - I made it through the program, but I struggled with Cal's highly theoretical, "prep you for grad school" instruction. I only worked in the field for two years, then got an MBA and spent my career in business application software. I long ago threw out my engineering notes and textbooks because I could no longer understand them (a very sobering moment, I remember it exactly), but reading these newer course descriptions, I remember the best parts of the experience.

I suppose non-technical majors have undergone changes, too, if only in perspective. In my day, the Kroeber's were near-deities; now I guess they're considered racist cultural appropriators.

cal83dls79 said:

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Jeff82 said:

---

I took the 168-A-B-C sequence on 20th Century American history. Two quarters of Abrams sandwiched around a quarter of Larry Levine. What a contrast.

---

got a d- the first go round with abrams and squeezed a c+.
Or maybe I got an F. Was checked out

Not a great moment. I'm not sure I read any of the material which is important .

I still have nightmares about not making my last final or completing a class …fortunately I have a diploma to remind me, I managed a 3.0 overall and 3.5 upper division gpa so I encourage all hopeless undergraduates to stay the course and find a mentor. I did in professor Slottman.

---

I still have this nightmare too, although less and less as the decades pass. I hear it is quite common, probably a factor of getting no. academic. slack. whatsoever. at Cal. But it didn't kill us, so I guess it made us stronger!

Big C said:

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cal83dls79 said:

---

Jeff82 said:

---

I took the 168-A-B-C sequence on 20th Century American history. Two quarters of Abrams sandwiched around a quarter of Larry Levine. What a contrast.

---

got a d- the first go round with abrams and squeezed a c+.
Or maybe I got an F. Was checked out

Not a great moment. I'm not sure I read any of the material which is important .

I still have nightmares about not making my last final or completing a class …fortunately I have a diploma to remind me, I managed a 3.0 overall and 3.5 upper division gpa so I encourage all hopeless undergraduates to stay the course and find a mentor. I did in professor Slottman.

---

I still have this nightmare too, although less and less as the decades pass. I hear it is quite common, probably a factor of getting no. academic. slack. whatsoever. at Cal. But it didn't kill us, so I guess it made us stronger!

---

like how you said "decades" ..sounds right

my best class ever was taught by the late great geologist DB Luten. iirc the early 70s elective was titled Human Ecology, focused on "The Tragedy Of The Commons."

> Luten sustained the links between the Berkeley campus and the West Coast environmental movement that date back more than a century..
> Daniel Luten, lecturer in geography from 1962 to 1974, died Jan. 18 in Berkeley at the age of 94.. ..
> Luten, who earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Berkeley in 1933, was a successful chemist with Shell Development before assuming an academic position at age 54. He referred to his university retirement at age 66 with considerable contempt as "merely mandatory senility" and continued on, providing his scientific expertise and immense personal energy to a variety of local and national conservation efforts for another quarter century.
https://newsarchive.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2003/03/19_obit.shtml

Big C said:

---

cal83dls79 said:

---

Jeff82 said:

---

I took the 168-A-B-C sequence on 20th Century American history. Two quarters of Abrams sandwiched around a quarter of Larry Levine. What a contrast.

---

got a d- the first go round with abrams and squeezed a c+.
Or maybe I got an F. Was checked out

Not a great moment. I'm not sure I read any of the material which is important .

I still have nightmares about not making my last final or completing a class …fortunately I have a diploma to remind me, I managed a 3.0 overall and 3.5 upper division gpa so I encourage all hopeless undergraduates to stay the course and find a mentor. I did in professor Slottman.

---

I still have this nightmare too, although less and less as the decades pass. I hear it is quite common, probably a factor of getting no. academic. slack. whatsoever. at Cal. But it didn't kill us, so I guess it made us stronger!

---

I have a recurring dream for 3 decades that I haven't gone to any of the classes and the end of the semester is coming up and I know none of the material.
What's worse is I don't even know with certainty what the course is, or any of the books. It's just a complete feeling of doom because I don't know what to do to resolve the situation.

This has been a real fun thread.
I appreciate reading everyone's memories!!!

bearsandgiants said:

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Astro 10 - Alex Filippenko, if he's still teaching. Guy won teacher of the year at least a few times in the late 90s when I was there. Incredible class.

---

I listened to a talk of his on YouTube today. Thanks!
I never knew I'd find Greek so enjoyable to listen to.
Further, I surprisingly didn't get too depressed upon realizing my IQ must be far below average.

It's amazing how he spat out such material like the back of his hand, and I'm like, "okay, whatever you say, man!"

concordtom said:

---

bearsandgiants said:

---

Astro 10 - Alex Filippenko, if he's still teaching. Guy won teacher of the year at least a few times in the late 90s when I was there. Incredible class.

---

I listened to a talk of his on YouTube today. Thanks!
I never knew I'd find Greek so enjoyable to listen to.
Further, I surprisingly didn't get too depressed upon realizing my IQ must be far below average.

It's amazing how he spat out such material like the back of his hand, and I'm like, "okay, whatever you say, man!"

---

He used to come up to the Lair of the Bear (gold cheats!) and give a great guest lecture my week. Boltzmann Brains and all sorts of weird stuff. Last time he came up he was pitching us to give some cash to the Lick observatory which was under constant threat of closing. Basically saying that looking at the stars is no longer fashionable for the tech folks and money is going elsewhere, but that in fact Lick was one of the only ones still looking for meteors which were aiming to destroy the earth….so that was a good lecture. I gave a bit. He apparently is mostly running it with folks from Santa Cruz. I think he got the UC to commit to keeping open, though. He strong armed some google money. So smart, and good with donors. Probably one of those professors who took the idea of be nice to those in your classrooms who get As since they may be your grad students soon, but be really nice to the B- kids since they may be your donors later on. And teach 10 series classes…

ncbears said:

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Abrams was definitely a very very weak link in the department. I described him as a "penguin". He was the only professor I had who got "boos" in the last class - he deserved it because, as I recall, he was going over the Vietnam War, got up to early 1960s (which meant he wasn't covering most of the more active American military involvement) and said as time expired: "You will be responsible for the rest of the war on the final".
He also would test on small items that were covered only in lecture - something like "percentage of houses with tv sets in 1960" or some such. I get that that was supposed to be a motivation to come to class, but the items were so minor, you wouldn't have focused on them in studying or even reviewing notes. (Not sure if Black Lightning notes had started up when I took the class - um, is Black Lightning still around?).
Boring - not insightful - even his grad students looked unhappy when you would talk to them.

---

Oh man, this brings back bad memories I have about a history teacher (and baseball coach) at SH in SF. (you may know who I'm talking about if you followed SF HS baseball in the 60s and 70s). A lot of gotcha questions for a variety of reasons. I hated him and transferred to the football/golf coach's history class. He was a great guy who I just had lunch with.

concordtom said:

---

My kid is Berkeley bound.
Please help me assemble a list of special classes or activities she should work to fit in.

---

"Evolution," once taught by Kevin Padian, is incredible. Likewise, the cross-disciplinary course "Origins" is perhaps the best I ever took.

cal83dls79 said:

---

Jeff82 said:

---

I took the 168-A-B-C sequence on 20th Century American history. Two quarters of Abrams sandwiched around a quarter of Larry Levine. What a contrast.

---

got a d- the first go round with abrams and squeezed a c+.
Or maybe I got an F. Was checked out

Not a great moment. I'm not sure I read any of the material which is important .

I still have nightmares about not making my last final or completing a class …fortunately I have a diploma to remind me, I managed a 3.0 overall and 3.5 upper division gpa so I encourage all hopeless undergraduates to stay the course and find a mentor. I did in professor Slottman.

---

I just remember being unhappy with my grade in Abram's class. Your post is helping me deflect some of the blame and guilt.

Prof. Raphael Sealey (at Cal 1967-2000) Ancient History, 4A was memorable. He looked and spoke like one would imagine a British Colonel in the North Africa Campaign. He windmilled snuff from a tin during his lectures…..and I loved his British pronunciation of words, especially "dynasty" (din-s-tee). I believe he was highly regarded in his field a penned a lot of books.

Raphael Sealey - Wikipedia


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Sealey


I found this sketch of him on Google Image drawn in 1993. I took his class in 1973 so he looked different then.

concordtom said:

---

bearsandgiants said:

---

Astro 10 - Alex Filippenko, if he's still teaching. Guy won teacher of the year at least a few times in the late 90s when I was there. Incredible class.

---

I listened to a talk of his on YouTube today. Thanks!
I never knew I'd find Greek so enjoyable to listen to.
Further, I surprisingly didn't get too depressed upon realizing my IQ must be far below average.

It's amazing how he spat out such material like the back of his hand, and I'm like, "okay, whatever you say, man!"

---

sawyer was my Astro 10 prof…sorta the bill Walton of professors

MTbear22 said:

---

concordtom said:

---

My kid is Berkeley bound.
Please help me assemble a list of special classes or activities she should work to fit in.

---

"Evolution," once taught by Kevin Padian, is incredible. Likewise, the cross-disciplinary course "Origins" is perhaps the best I ever took.

---

Had Padian in 89 for the Intro to Paleontology class. Interesting and did well, but brutal final for a 2 unit class. Buyer beware

82gradDLSdad said:

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ncbears said:

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Abrams was definitely a very very weak link in the department. I described him as a "penguin". He was the only professor I had who got "boos" in the last class - he deserved it because, as I recall, he was going over the Vietnam War, got up to early 1960s (which meant he wasn't covering most of the more active American military involvement) and said as time expired: "You will be responsible for the rest of the war on the final".
He also would test on small items that were covered only in lecture - something like "percentage of houses with tv sets in 1960" or some such. I get that that was supposed to be a motivation to come to class, but the items were so minor, you wouldn't have focused on them in studying or even reviewing notes. (Not sure if Black Lightning notes had started up when I took the class - um, is Black Lightning still around?).
Boring - not insightful - even his grad students looked unhappy when you would talk to them.

---

Oh man, this brings back bad memories I have about a history teacher (and baseball coach) at SH in SF. (you may know who I'm talking about if you followed SF HS baseball in the 60s and 70s). A lot of gotcha questions for a variety of reasons. I hated him and transferred to the football/golf coach's history class. He was a great guy who I just had lunch with.

---

had my own baseball coach horror stories at DLS. He taught English. Avoided him big time. Made my life miserable. To the point I should have run track and field. He definitely needed help. Even coach Lad said as much when I bumped into him at. Brutus Hamilton meet.

Bones 10. Name that course

cal83dls79 said:

---

82gradDLSdad said:

---

ncbears said:

---

Abrams was definitely a very very weak link in the department. I described him as a "penguin". He was the only professor I had who got "boos" in the last class - he deserved it because, as I recall, he was going over the Vietnam War, got up to early 1960s (which meant he wasn't covering most of the more active American military involvement) and said as time expired: "You will be responsible for the rest of the war on the final".
He also would test on small items that were covered only in lecture - something like "percentage of houses with tv sets in 1960" or some such. I get that that was supposed to be a motivation to come to class, but the items were so minor, you wouldn't have focused on them in studying or even reviewing notes. (Not sure if Black Lightning notes had started up when I took the class - um, is Black Lightning still around?).
Boring - not insightful - even his grad students looked unhappy when you would talk to them.

---

Oh man, this brings back bad memories I have about a history teacher (and baseball coach) at SH in SF. (you may know who I'm talking about if you followed SF HS baseball in the 60s and 70s). A lot of gotcha questions for a variety of reasons. I hated him and transferred to the football/golf coach's history class. He was a great guy who I just had lunch with.

---

had my own baseball coach horror stories at DLS. He taught English. Avoided him big time. Made my life miserable. To the point I should have run track and field. He definitely needed help. Even coach Lad said as much when I bumped into him at. Brutus Hamilton meet.

---

I always appreciated my golf coach (football coach) honestly confessing to me that this bad teacher was a bad person. It immediately made my decision to transfer into his history class much easier. Since then every friend mine who played baseball for him said the same things. And this was in a school that was dominated by Christian brothers, not the warmest, fuzziest group. This guy was a lay teacher and he was the worst.

SBGold said:

---

MTbear22 said:

---

concordtom said:

---

My kid is Berkeley bound.
Please help me assemble a list of special classes or activities she should work to fit in.

---

"Evolution," once taught by Kevin Padian, is incredible. Likewise, the cross-disciplinary course "Origins" is perhaps the best I ever took.

---

Had Padian in 89 for the Intro to Paleontology class. Interesting and did well, but brutal final for a 2 unit class. Buyer beware

---

Padian is a professor who demands students put in their best. I loved him (and taught with him as a grad student). He's retired though.

82gradDLSdad said:

---

cal83dls79 said:

---

82gradDLSdad said:

---

ncbears said:

---

Abrams was definitely a very very weak link in the department. I described him as a "penguin". He was the only professor I had who got "boos" in the last class - he deserved it because, as I recall, he was going over the Vietnam War, got up to early 1960s (which meant he wasn't covering most of the more active American military involvement) and said as time expired: "You will be responsible for the rest of the war on the final".
He also would test on small items that were covered only in lecture - something like "percentage of houses with tv sets in 1960" or some such. I get that that was supposed to be a motivation to come to class, but the items were so minor, you wouldn't have focused on them in studying or even reviewing notes. (Not sure if Black Lightning notes had started up when I took the class - um, is Black Lightning still around?).
Boring - not insightful - even his grad students looked unhappy when you would talk to them.

---

Oh man, this brings back bad memories I have about a history teacher (and baseball coach) at SH in SF. (you may know who I'm talking about if you followed SF HS baseball in the 60s and 70s). A lot of gotcha questions for a variety of reasons. I hated him and transferred to the football/golf coach's history class. He was a great guy who I just had lunch with.

---

had my own baseball coach horror stories at DLS. He taught English. Avoided him big time. Made my life miserable. To the point I should have run track and field. He definitely needed help. Even coach Lad said as much when I bumped into him at. Brutus Hamilton meet.

---

I always appreciated my golf coach (football coach) honestly confessing to me that this bad teacher was a bad person. It immediately made my decision to transfer into his history class much easier. Since then every friend mine who played baseball for him said the same things. And this was in a school that was dominated by Christian brothers, not the warmest, fuzziest group. This guy was a lay teacher and he was the worst.

---

Desimone was the golf coach when I was there, the track coach was a joke, x-country guy Maxwell coached my brother and founded Power Bar. Irv Hunt. Good lord, the athletes laughed at this guy.

cal83dls79 said:

---

82gradDLSdad said:

---

cal83dls79 said:

---

82gradDLSdad said:

---

ncbears said:

---

Abrams was definitely a very very weak link in the department. I described him as a "penguin". He was the only professor I had who got "boos" in the last class - he deserved it because, as I recall, he was going over the Vietnam War, got up to early 1960s (which meant he wasn't covering most of the more active American military involvement) and said as time expired: "You will be responsible for the rest of the war on the final".
He also would test on small items that were covered only in lecture - something like "percentage of houses with tv sets in 1960" or some such. I get that that was supposed to be a motivation to come to class, but the items were so minor, you wouldn't have focused on them in studying or even reviewing notes. (Not sure if Black Lightning notes had started up when I took the class - um, is Black Lightning still around?).
Boring - not insightful - even his grad students looked unhappy when you would talk to them.

---

Oh man, this brings back bad memories I have about a history teacher (and baseball coach) at SH in SF. (you may know who I'm talking about if you followed SF HS baseball in the 60s and 70s). A lot of gotcha questions for a variety of reasons. I hated him and transferred to the football/golf coach's history class. He was a great guy who I just had lunch with.

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had my own baseball coach horror stories at DLS. He taught English. Avoided him big time. Made my life miserable. To the point I should have run track and field. He definitely needed help. Even coach Lad said as much when I bumped into him at. Brutus Hamilton meet.

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I always appreciated my golf coach (football coach) honestly confessing to me that this bad teacher was a bad person. It immediately made my decision to transfer into his history class much easier. Since then every friend mine who played baseball for him said the same things. And this was in a school that was dominated by Christian brothers, not the warmest, fuzziest group. This guy was a lay teacher and he was the worst.

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Desimone was the golf coach when I was there, the track coach was a joke, x-country guy Maxwell coached my brother and founded Power Bar. Irv Hunt. Good lord, the athletes laughed at this guy.

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Sorry, I was talking about my high school coaches. Bob Boldt at Boundary Oaks was Cal's golf coach in 1977. He was a good guy but the golf program was cancelled.

To answer Tom's question about classes or ACTIVITIES:

• If she likes a sport(s) and is a little proficient (or not), get on a casual intramural team.
• If she doesn't like sports, find some other way to integrate exercise into your routine. Find a partner and go for a 30 minute morning walk/jog 3x a week. Don't be the person who says, "I don't have time."
• Take a PE class in something you've never tried. Years ago, ballroom dance was incredibly popular, also taekwando. I remember taking handball, an archaic sport played mostly on the east coast, but I had a great time and got a good workout.
• Walk the entire Fire Trail at least once.

The point is, college is a perfect excuse to begin a sedentary lifestyle - don't fall for it!

MTbear22 said:

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SBGold said:

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MTbear22 said:

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concordtom said:

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My kid is Berkeley bound.
Please help me assemble a list of special classes or activities she should work to fit in.

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"Evolution," once taught by Kevin Padian, is incredible. Likewise, the cross-disciplinary course "Origins" is perhaps the best I ever took.

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Had Padian in 89 for the Intro to Paleontology class. Interesting and did well, but brutal final for a 2 unit class. Buyer beware

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Padian is a professor who demands students put in their best. I loved him (and taught with him as a grad student). He's retired though.

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I think you were fortunate to work with him. He was an A's fan and often wore Lance Blankenship's A's jersey to class (Blankenship was a Bear that played for the A's)

HearstMining said:

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To answer Tom's question about classes or ACTIVITIES:

• If she likes a sport(s) and is a little proficient (or not), get on a casual intramural team.
• If she doesn't like sports, find some other way to integrate exercise into your routine. Find a partner and go for a 30 minute morning walk/jog 3x a week. Don't be the person who says, "I don't have time."
• Take a PE class in something you've never tried. Years ago, ballroom dance was incredibly popular, also taekwando. I remember taking handball, an archaic sport played mostly on the east coast, but I had a great time and got a good workout.
• Walk the entire Fire Trail at least once.

The point is, college is a perfect excuse to begin a sedentary lifestyle - don't fall for it!

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There also is the walk up to Lawrence Hall, which I did every week to do my radio show at KALX when its studios were in the Hall. Luckily, there is a bench about halfway up on which I could sit and rest for a few minutes!

In the early to mid 1970's, we called it "Library butt."