Employees Enjoy Camaraderie, Pancakes and Shopping at Annual Breakfast

Ioana Patringenaru | December 17, 2007

Chief Diversity Officer Jorge Huerta (first from left) serves employees.

They came. They ate. They shopped. About 750 UCSD staff members bought tickets for UCSD’s annual Staff Association Pancake Breakfast, which started bright and early Wednesday morning in the Price Center Ballroom. Many said they came because they enjoy catching up with fellow UCSD employees. For others, it was all about the pancakes.

“The food is fabulous,” said Debbie Hazery, who works in the preservation department at the Geisel Library.

Staff members lined up for the breakfast buffet and stocked up on muffins, sausages, fruits and, of course, pancakes. Throughout the morning, top university officials took turns serving employees. Chancellor Marye Anne Fox poured coffee. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Penny Rue and Chief Diversity Officer Jorge Huerta stacked pancakes on staff members’ plates.

Shaun Travers, director of UCSD's LGBT Resource Center, dressed up as Ho Ho, the holiday elf.

With their plates loaded, employees then sat down in the Price Center Ballroom. Some lined up to have their picture taken with Santa. Mari Vargas, from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Jennifer Johnson, from the office of the dean of Arts and Humanities, proudly showed off their snapshots.

“We come here for the camaraderie,” Vargas said.

Meanwhile, B.C. Thompson said she came to support the Staff Association’s scholarship program, which benefits from pancake breakfast ticket sales. The association also organizes a toy drive, which benefits the UCSD Medical Center Burn Unit, the UCSD Infant Care Center, the Kaiser Permanente Pediatric Unit, the UCSD Mother, Child, and Adolescent Care and the National City Boys and Girls Club.

Staff member Hilary Ford was one of the vendors at this year's craft fair.

Many employees got into the holiday spirit by donning Santa hats and holiday-themed clothes and jewelry. “And it’s fun to see everybody all festive and dressed up,” said Hazery.

Perhaps no one took the holiday spirit quite as far as Shaun Travers, director of the campus’ LGBT Resource Center. Just like last year, he put in an appearance as Ho Ho, the holiday elf. This year, for an extra touch of whimsy, he wore green Christmas lights as earrings, in addition to his usual red hat trimmed with white fur, black vest, green pants and boots.

He gently teased some staff members who were doing their shopping at the breakfast’s craft fair. Edwina Welch, the director of the Cross-Cultural Center, was eyeing a photo frame made by Hilari Ford, from the physics department. “That’s very cute,” Welch said. “How long have you been doing all that?” she asked, looking at Ford’s display of frames, cards, jewelry and other crafts. “All my life,” Ford replied. She added she really enjoyed taking part in the craft fair. “It shows what we do out of the office,” she said.