Mad Comes of Dotage: Art and Artifacts from Six Decades of Mad Magazine

On Saturday afternoon, March 22 at 3 PM, chapter chair Bennett Barsk ’82 will host us in his Alexandria, Virginia home for a talk but more important a viewing of his amazing collection of Mad magazine issues and related memorabilia.

Learn about the Great Comic-Book Scare of the 1950s and how it led to the birth of Mad magazine. Discover the links among psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, PhD chemist Bill Gaines, Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner, composer Irving Berlin, and the U.S. Supreme Court. View pristine examples of early issues from Bennett’s collection, as well as books, original art, one-of-a-kind collectibles originally from Mad publisher Gaines’ personal collection, and just plain oddities. Food and drink will be served.


Bennett lives at 13-C Sunset Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22301, within walking distance of  the King Street Station on Metro's Blue and Yellow lines.  Parking is reasonably easy up to a block away.

RSVP to Bennett at bbarsk <at>  msn.com

DC Chapter celebrates Pi Day

This coming Friday, March 14, at 6:30 PM, the DC chapter of the Reed College Alumni Association is planning its first annual celebration of Pi Day (which is also Albert Einstein's 135th birthday).    The event will be potluck, but those attending are urged to find a pie-related dish

Sing happy birthday to Albert, eat pie and whatever else we all bring. Paul Sikora,, class of 1970, is bringing fruit pies, while Bennett Barsk, class of 1982, plans to bring pizza pies – how many variations on pie can we come up with?   Pasty?  Shepherd's pie?  Chicken Pot Pie?  Spanakopita?  Pastel de Choclo?

University of Maryland mathematician Karin Melnick, class of 1999, will give a 45-minute talk about pi and geometry. White wig and eyebrows optional. Compose and share pi-kus, e.g.:

Legislate

pi

as 3? Stupid.

The gathering will be at Karin Melnick's home in the Park View neighborhood of DC, near the Petworth and Columbia Heights stations on the Green Line, and along Metrobus line #70. RSVP to either of the co-conveners, Karin Melnick karin.melnick@gmail.com, or Paul Sikora paulsikora@earthlink.net, who will provide the address and any other final details.