Hi Everyone!

I wanted to remind you that this coming Sunday, May 11th is the deadline to renew your housing contract for the 2008-2009 school year. How do you renew?

First read the application policy information - <http://housing.stanford.edu/applying/grad/gradapply/index.html> 

Next, log into Axess - <https://axess.stanford.edu/>https://axess.stanford.edu>, click on the "Links & Contacts" tab along the top of the page. Under the Housing & Dining section, select the "R&DE application" button. That will take you to our site where you should choose "Submit Application or Renew Contract" and follow the prompts.

If you would like to renew, but will not be on campus for part or all of the summer you can try to find a Stanford affiliate to sublease your space at  http://sublease.stanford.edu.

Enjoy the rest of the week! We hope to have you return for another year of on-campus housing!

Alice


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Rains E-Drops: Tuesday, May  6, 2008
Online version at http://rains.stanford.edu
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CONTENTS

RAINS EVENTS

1. Self-Defense Clinic: For Women, By Women - Friday 05/09/2008
Havana Room, GCC, 3-4:30pm
Kick Butt at the GCC!

2. Asian Liver Center's LIVERight 2008 5K Run/Walk - Saturday 05/10/2008
San Francisco Golden Gate Park! Race begins at 8 AM.
Raise awareness @ Hepatitis B, Liver cancer among Asian Americans

3. Free Swing Dance Lesson Series  - Monday 05/12/2008
Learn to swing dance for free!
Roble Gym, Room 42, 7-9 PM

4. 80's Flashback Party - celebrating 20 years of Rains! - Friday 05/16/2008
9pm - 1am, Hacienda Commons
dress up in 80's gear and celebrate your favorite decade!

5. Grad Bus to SF- North Beach! - Saturday 05/17/2008
Stanford - San Francisco, 6:30 and 9:00 pm
Catch a bus from Stanford to San Francisco for only $5 RT!

6. Indoor Skydiving! - Saturday 05/17/2008
Meet at Willis Lounge at 10:30am
Experience the sensation of skydiving!  RSVP req'd

7. Bay to Breakers! - Sunday 05/18/2008
Sunday May 18th, 2008
Rainswide Registration Closed - see website to register yourself!

8. Live 105's BFD 2008 - Saturday 06/07/2008
Shoreline Amphitheater - Meet in Willis at 11:30am  to Carpool!
Come Enjoy a Big F-ing Day of Music!

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

9.GSC Events Announcements
Can't get enough events?
See below!

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RAINS EVENTS:
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1. Self-Defense Clinic: For Women, By Women
Friday 05/09/2008 at 3:00pm
CA Contact: Amy (amym2@stanford.edu)

Self-Defense Clinic: for Women by Women

Friday, May 9, 2008.  3:00 - 4:30 PM.
Havana room of the Graduate Community Center (GCC)

This Free clinic, led by self-defense expert Hiroko Mori, will focus
on simple and effective techniques women can use to deter a strong,
determined attacker.  She will teach realistic and practical defensive
methods for breaking free from an opponent, both while standing and
while on the ground, with an emphasis on hands-on practice.  In her
classes, Hiroko provides a safe and supportive environment for
learning and practicing these techniques.  No martial arts or
self-defense experience is required.  Bring a friend, a sense of
adventure, and comfortable clothing! 

About Hiroko:

Hiroko Mori was born and raised in Japan, and moved to California in
1984.  A petite woman, she began learning karate in the United States
to protect herself even against large, strong assailants.  She
currently holds a fourth degree black belt in Shotokan Karate (a
traditional Japanese martial art), which she has studied for 22 years
and taught for 18 years, in Redding, California.  Her expertise is
broadened by several years of jujitsu and kendo training.  She has
taught women's self-defense in clinics across the United States and
Canada for the past 16 years, and now brings her class to the Stanford
community.



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2. Asian Liver Center's LIVERight 2008 5K Run/Walk
Saturday 05/10/2008 at 8:00am
CA Contact: Judy (yjhsu@stanford.edu)

The Asian Liver Center's LIVERight 2008 5K Run/Walk is coming up on
Saturday, May 10 at San Francisco Golden Gate Park. The event is meant
to raise awareness about the high incidence of hepatitis B and liver
cancer among Asian Americans. Food, games, performances, and prizes
available.  

Registration begins at 8 AM, the race begins at 9 AM. Registration fee
varies from $20-$30.  For more information, go to:
http://liver.stanford.edu.  

Questions?  Contact: trinxile@stanford.edu


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3. Free Swing Dance Lesson Series 
Monday 05/12/2008 at 7:00pm
CA Contact: Julie (jlitze@stanford.edu)

Ever wanted to learn swing dancing?  Swingkids, the Stanford swing
dance club is presenting two exciting FREE lesson series!  The first
series (7-8PM) is an introduction to Lindy Hop, which will include
both 6-count ("east coast") swing and 8-count swingouts.  If you 
don't know what this means, fantastic!  The class is geared towards
beginners with no dance experience at all.

The second series (8-9PM) is a beginning Charleston class. Charleston
is a dance from the 1920s that evolved to become a part of swing 
dancing.  In this class you will learn to add sweet Charleston moves
to spice up your swing!  This class is also at the beginning level,
though if you are a complete beginner, it is recommended that you 
take both classes together.

See http://swingkids.stanford.edu/classDescriptions.htm for more 
info!



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4. 80's Flashback Party - celebrating 20 years of Rains!
Friday 05/16/2008 at 9:00pm
CA Contact: Alice (atryan@stanford.edu)

Come out to Hacienda Commons on Friday, May 16th for our 80's
flashback party!  This year marks the 20th anniversary of Rains so we
are going to celebrate in style.  Throw on your best 80's gear and
come out and dance to 80's music mixed by DJ Osvaldo.  As usual, we
will have a nice selection of beverages and snacks.  This is going to
be great!

A little 80's cultural inspiration from Wikipedia:

The 80's gave us...
* Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) 
* Computer technology began to enter mainstream culture 
* MTV, an all-music television station, debuted in the United States
in 1981.
* The De Lorean also debuted in 1981
* Rubik's Cube, Cabbage Patch Kids, "Baby on Board" signs, Teddy
Ruxpin, and Trivial Pursuit 
* Smurfs, Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, My Little
Pony, GI Joe, Garfield, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,
Thundercats, Voltron, and Transformers     
* Martial arts and Ninja mania, The Karate Kid, The Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles 
* "Raybans" or sunglasses became popular "must-wear" items, as well as
Nike sneakers, Members Only jackets, men's shorts and other athletic
wear such as sweats and jerseys for an active generation of young people.
* Aerobics surged in popularity. The fad reached across exercise
videos, fashion, and music trends as seen in Olivia Newton-John's
music video (Let's Get) Physical, the 1983 movie Flashdance that
inspired legwarmers as a fashion trend, and the popular Jane Fonda
workout videos.
* Americans became more health-conscious and sought a lighter diet,
with "Lose weight", "Low-Cal", "Low-Salt", "Sugar-free", "No
cholesterol" and other phrases becoming common buzzwords for modified
foods and beverages. Fad diets became popular.


See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s

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5. Grad Bus to SF- North Beach!
Saturday 05/17/2008 at 6:30pm
CA Contact: Annemarie (abaltay@stanford.edu)

Saturday, May 17 - Sponsored by the GSC.
Catch a bus from Stanford to San Francisco and enjoy a night out in
the City by the Bay! $5 gets you a round trip bus ticket to and from
San Francisco -- really, you can't get there for cheaper, and what
else are you going to do with that Lincoln?
 
Buses will run from Stanford to San Francisco at 6:30 and 9:00 PM, and
leave the city at 11:30 PM and 2:00 AM, after closing time. The bus
will leave Stanford and make stops at the Civic Center and in the
North Beach Neighborhood at Washington Square. Catch an early bus so
you'll have time to enjoy the Italian culinary delights of North beach
or nearby China Town, delicious gelato or cappucino before hitting the
town in the evening, or take the later bus straight to the bars and
nightlife in North Beach. The bus will leave from the corner of Campus
Drive and Escondido Road (just down the street from the GCC).

Buy a ticket ahead of time at:  


See http://gsc.stanford.edu/PubNight/

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6. Indoor Skydiving!
Saturday 05/17/2008 at 10:30am
CA Contact: Stephen (sprussel@stanford.edu)

On Saturday, May 17th, we are heading out to experience the thrill of
indoor skydiving!  The experience is totally safe and insanely fun! 
The facility is called iFly and is located in Union City, which is in
the east bay.  We will meet at Willis Lounge at 10:30am to carpool
over to iFly.  You can expect to be back at Stanford around 2:00pm. 
Rains will be subsidizing admission such that you will only pay $20
for two flights.  We have 20 spots in the group.  To secure your spot,
RSVP to Stephen by email (sprussell@stanford.edu) *and* deposit a
check for $20 (made out to Rains Houses) to the envelope on the door
of 213-201.  Again, your spot will not be confirmed until you have
submitted a check.  Also, in your email please indicate if you can
drive (preference may be given to drivers if we need more cars).

See http://www.iflysfbay.com/

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7. Bay to Breakers!
Sunday 05/18/2008 at 8:00am
CA Contact: Jennifer (jerhart@stanford.edu)

Rainswide registration has closed - but if you're interested please 
see the website and information below.  Thanks!

Bay to Breakers
When: Sunday May 18th @ 8 am
Where: San Francisco


Bay to Breakers is here again. For those of you who did it with
Rains last year, or have done it in the past - you know what a
fun/crazy race it is. The course description is below - it's a
12k race through San Francisco. You can run it, walk it, dress up
in a costume or in nothing at all (yep there are definitely naked
people running it).

If you are interested, email Jenny by no later than WEDNESDAY MARCH
19th (jerhart@stanford.edu) to get instructions on how to register
and get some reimbursement.

Registration is $44, of which Rains will subsidize $10 each. Race
fees include race entry, chip timing with a collectible souvenir
chip (the second in a series of five leading to the 100-year
anniversary), participant T-shirt, printable on-line finishers
certificate & entrance to ING Footstock.

You will be responsible for getting yourself to San Francisco
(CalTrain is a very easy way to do this - they have special trains
that run early to get you there).

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
ING Bay to Breakers is a 12K (7.46 miles) course. From sea level at
the Embarcadero the course rises steeply along Hayes Street Hill.
Around the 2.5-mile mark runners climb an 11.15% grade between
Fillmore and Steiner, bringing them to the highest point in the
race, approximately 215 feet above sea level. The remainder of the
course gradually flows alongside the Panhandle and through Golden
Gate Park.


See http://www.ingbaytobreakers.com/main.html

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8. Live 105's BFD 2008
Saturday 06/07/2008 at 12:00-noon
CA Contact: Lisa (lseeman@stanford.edu)

All Tickets have been claimed.

We will be meeting Willis lounge at 11:30 am to arrange carpools 
and will return around 11:30 pm. 


BUDLIGHT FESTIVAL STAGE (noon-8:30pm)
Cypress Hill | Pennywise | Flogging Molly | Alkaline Trio 
The Kooks | Everlast | Anti-Flag | MGMT | Atreyu 
Airborne Toxic Event | Flobots | The Whigs | Middle Class Rut

SUBSONIC TENT (3pm-11pm)
Moby | MSTRKRFT | DJ AM | Santogold | Steve Aoki | Lyrics Born 
Mike Relm | PlayRadioPlay | DJ Omar | Richard Oh | Hot Tub | DJ Miles

SOUNDCHECK LOCAL MUSIC STAGE (1pm-6pm)
The Phenomenauts | Love Like Fire | Here Here | Magic Bullets 
Apside | The Hundred Days | Federalists | The Action Design



See http://www.live105.com/pages/1989575.php

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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
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 o The Stanford Native American Community invites you to the
37th Annual Stanford Powwow
May 9-11, 2008
The Largest Student Run Powwow in the United States!
Location: Eucalyptus Grove near Stanford Stadium (Galvez St & Arboretum Rd)
Admission is free and open to the public
Hosted by the Stanford American Indian Organization, the Stanford Powwow is a \celebration of Native cultures through traditional songs, dances, and events. 
You are invited to watch dances and shop at our 100+ arts and crafts, souvenir, 
information, and food booths. This amazing event is NOT to be missed during your 
Stanford career!

Friday: 7pm to 11pm
Saturday: 11:30am to 11pm
Sunday: 11:30am to 6pm
Booth vendors will be open for sales by 5:00pm on Friday, May 9
12th Annual 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk * Saturday, May 10
Maurice Morsette Memorial 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament * Sunday, May 11
For more information please visit our website at http://powwow.stanford.edu
Check us out on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10963189524


o Graduate Family Carnival
- Fun for everyone
Where: Escondido Village Hulme Field
Date: Sat. May 17, 2008
Time: 10am-1pm.


o Inter-Departmental Lunch (Chemistry and Economics)
- Are you a graduate student in Chemistry and Economics?
- Have you ever wondered what people outside your program do? If yes an
event has been created just for you.
- When: Thursday, May 29, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
- Where: Mandarin Gourmet (http://www.mandaringourmet-paloalto.com/ )
- Please sign up for a free lunch by Tuesday, May 27
- RSVP to http://www.surveymk.com//s.aspx?sm=8W5eC1tuBYQrxT9Lb3rWXA_3d_3d


o Night out at the Saddle Rack
- Have your cover paid to go to this country themed night club.
- There's a mechanical bull, line dancing, and a live band.
- It's not an experience to be missed.
- 21+ IDs required.
- When: Friday, May 16, 09:00PM - 01:00AM
- Where: The Saddle Rack, Fremont
- RSVP/register:
http://www.surveymk.com//s.aspx?sm=vNGmrkXczmn1B8YqXM3z9g_3d_3d by
Monday, May 12
- For more information, see
http://www.surveymk.com//s.aspx?sm=vNGmrkXczmn1B8YqXM3z9g_3d_3d


o Come see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
- Come see the new Indiana Jones on opening night for free.
- Free dinner at In-N-Out included.
- When: Thursday, May 22, 06:45PM - 11:45PM
- Where: Shoreline Theatres
- RSVP/register:
http://www.surveymk.com//s.aspx?sm=N_2fxEJIMzhep_2byU5mg4e_2bBw_3d_3d
by Monday, May 19


o Interested in better food options on campus? Would you like to see graduate 
stipends increased? Do you want to change the health plan? Do you have ideas 
about environmental sustainability?  Do you simply like Stanford and want to 
make sure it continues to be a wonderful place?

There's no better way than to serve on University Committees for the upcoming 
year. The Nominations Commission will be appointing students to over 50 
committees in the coming weeks, with topics ranging from physical education to 
the physical plant, from serving with the Board of Trustees to advising the 
alumni office on wills and trusts. Any interest you have, we are recruiting 
students for.

Applications and information can be found at the NomCom website.
nomcom.stanford.edu

Questions? Email nomcom0809@stanford.edu