MEDIA ADVISORY: Convocation ceremony to be held Sept. 20

The 114th Opening Day Convocation to welcome the Class of 2008 will be held at 4:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, on Stanford's Main Quad.

President John Hennessy will deliver the official welcome to 1,655 incoming freshmen and 81 transfer students. Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education John Bravman and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Robin Mamlet also will address the students and their parents. No special press credentials will be needed. A mult box will be available for broadcast reporters.

New Student Orientation lasts through Sunday, Sept. 26. Highlights include a roundtable discussion with alumni who wrote one of three books that freshmen were assigned to read over the summer: Caucasia, by Danzy Senna; Brown: The Last Discovery of America, by Richard Rodriguez; and Middlesex, a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides. The event is set for Tuesday, Sept. 21, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium. The next day, KQED radio's Michael Krasny, host of the talk show Forum, will moderate a panel discussion, entitled "What is News?" The talk is scheduled from 1:30 to 3 p.m., also in Memorial Auditorium. The panel will include political science Professor Morris Fiorina, philosophy Professor Debra Satz, and Geoffrey Nunberg, consulting professor of linguistics. These events are not open to the public, but limited press seating may be available.

On Saturday, Sept. 25, Stanford's varsity football team hosts the University of Southern California. The game begins at 4 p.m.

Statement on Privacy

Stanford University has an interest in ensuring that the privacy of its students, faculty and staff is respected, and that no activities interfere with education, research or residential life.

The university is private property; however, some areas of the campus typically are open to visitors. These areas include White Plaza, public eating areas (such as those at Tresidder Union), outdoor touring areas, and locations to which the public has been invited by advertised notice (such as for public educational, cultural or athletic events). Even in these locations, visitors must not interfere with the privacy of students, faculty and staff, or with educational, research and residential activities. The university may revoke at any time permission to be present in these or any other areas. Visitors should not be in academic or residential areas unless they have been invited for appropriate business or social purposes by the responsible faculty member, student or staff member.

No commercial activity--including the taking of photos or similar audio or visual recordings that are sold to others or otherwise used for commercial purposes--may occur on the campus without the university's permission. Requests for permission should be submitted to the Director of University Communications or, as appropriate, the Dean of Students, the Department of Athletics or the Office of Public Events. Recognized student groups and official units of the university will be granted such permission so long as they do not violate the privacy or property interests of others; so long as any sale of their products is predominantly on campus to students, faculty and staff; and so long as they comply with applicable university policies and procedures.

Violators of this policy may be subject to criminal and/or civil liability, as well as university disciplinary action.

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