Stanford Report, February 8, 2006

Cardinal Chronicle

BY MICHAEL PEÑA

In 2005, Stanford had 6,705 matriculated undergraduates, 8,176 graduate students and an Academic Council membership of 1,398, which includes all faculty and senior fellows. The 2006 Stanford Facts book also lists that 9,159 staff members supported teaching, learning and research last year (compared to 8,903 staffers in 2004). Issued just last week by the Office of University Communications, the 60-page booklet also serves as a handy historical guide for past presidencies and growth in faculty, student body and tuition. And now on the page with celebrity alumni such as TED DANSON and JENNIFER CONNELLY are movie producer MIKE TOLLIN—whose credits include Coach Carter, Radio and Varsity Blues—and singer, activist and academic AGNES CHAN. Her U.S. debut album, Forget Yourself, comes out on Valentine's Day.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, an event that sheds light on ALBERT EINSTEIN's own crusade against racism will be held at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center from noon to 1:30 p.m. Co-authors FRED JEROME and RODGER TAYLOR will speak about their book, Einstein on Race and Racism, as part of Celebrating Black History Month events on campus. They will touch on Einstein's relationship with W. E. B. DUBOIS and PAUL ROBESON, as well as his involvement in campaigns against lynching and against racism. "Einstein: More than a Great Physicist" is sponsored by the SLAC Affirmative Action Office and will be held in Panofsky Auditorium. The event is free but seating is limited. For tickets, e-mail vlee@slac.stanford.edu.

Meanwhile, the Drama Department will serve up a bit of Friday night fright with a late-evening performance of The Castle, which centers on a soldier's return from the Christian Crusades—but also addresses timely topics such as East-West relations, terrorism, strategic defense and gender politics. In the play, the soldier is ill received by his wife and the other women left behind, just as an arms race brews and the line between protection and oppression is probed. "It's nasty, it's sacrilegious, but it's sort of fun," said director DANIEL SACK, doctoral student in drama. Icky prop corpses, he revealed, will add to the play's macabre mood. Performances will be held Feb. 15-18 at 8 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium, with Friday's second show beginning at 11:30 p.m. Tickets at the door will be $15 for general admission, $10 for staff and $8 for students. For reservations, call 725-5838 or e-mail kpfeif@stanford.edu.