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Annual Staff Picnic Highlights Campus Commitment to Sustainability
Christine Clark | August 22, 2011
They played games, listened to music, enjoyed delectable sweets and came together to celebrate being a member of the UC San Diego community.
More than 3,500 employees gathered at the Town Square Friday for the university’s annual All Staff Picnic. This year’s theme, "Good Clean Fun," embraced the campus’s commitment to sustainability. In an effort to be greener, the traditional lunch boxes were replaced with reusable UC San Diego Bookstore bags. Picnickers were encouraged to bring their own mug or cup, place recyclables and trash in the correct containers and put their food scraps in composting bins.
Fun was had by all––the event featured a carnival/boardwalk atmosphere with sweet treats, such as kettle corn, cotton candy, churros and ice cream. Staff could take a break to socialize, play carnival games and even make their own “Mad Hatter” hats.
Chancellor Marye Anne Fox is presented with a certificate of appreciation from the past and current chairs of the UC San Diego Staff Association.
A highlight of the day’s event was a special presentation to Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. The past and current chairs of the UC San Diego Staff Association presented Fox with a certificate of appreciation for all her support of university staff.
“We are here to celebrate you––and all that you do for the university,” Fox told attendees after receiving the award. “I want you to know how grateful I am for your hard work, especially during these challenging fiscal times.”
The chancellor’s admiration for university staff was echoed by Alonso Noble, former chair of the Staff Association. “Chancellor Fox didn’t just raise the bar, she is the bar,” Noble said. “We have accomplished so much under her leadership. She has been very supportive of the staff here, especially during these challenging times. If it wasn’t for her support, we wouldn’t have been able to have events like this.”
Staff wear hats created at the Rad Hatter booth during the annual All Staff Picnic.
As part of the event, tables were set up along Town Square manned by groups ranging from the American Indian Staff Association, to the Alumni Association and the Veterans Staff Association. Judy Schulman an employee of UC San Diego for 14 years, has been promoting the Visual Arts Group at each annual staff picnic. “I love the sense of community at UC San Diego. The diversity is great, and I have met a lot of friends here. For me, working at UC San Diego is a lot more. The picnic is wonderful because you get to see a lot of people face-to-face. I saw one woman who I have worked with over the phone for ten years, but never met until today.”
Schulman added that the visual arts group allows staff to show different sides of their personality outside of the workplace. “Some are artists, some are sculptors and I am a basket weaver,” she said.
Another attendee, Michael Scarry, also enjoyed the event because it gave him the opportunity to see many co-workers from the past and present. “I have been here in landscape services for eight years and I have met a lot of people,” Scarry said. “This is a good place to work. Although the university is facing budget challenges, there are still opportunities here.”
Staff enjoyed entertainment provided by the Teeny-Tiny Pit Orchestra, an outreach ensemble from the UC San Diego Arts Library. In addition, there were Zumba demonstrations and performances by the ‘Post-It Notes,’ a staff vocal group.” Jasmine Carter was in the audience for the ‘Post-it-Notes’ performance because one of her co-workers is in the group. “It’s nice to be able to take a break and have fun,” Carter said. “But it’s also exciting to see people we know performing and showing their talents.”
The picnic featured a carnival atmosphere with sweet treats, such as kettle corn, cotton candy, churros, and popsicles.
Coming off the heels of UC San Diego’s 50th Anniversary milestone year, UC San Diego staff will have more opportunities to celebrate the campus community for the 2011-2012 academic year. Picnic volunteers donned new shirts with the “Learn it. Live it.” logo on the back. The campus is embracing the “Learn it. Live it.” theme, a commitment to UC San Diego’s values. “Learn it. Live it.” focuses on UC San Diego’s sense of community, quality of life and everything the university does to create a better life and better world to live in for generations to come. Staff, students and faculty will have a chance to celebrate the “Learn it. Live it.” theme with new traditions at the 2nd annual Founders’ Celebration, Nov. 17-19. Events include:
- Thursday, Nov. 17, Founders’ Symposium—A dynamic evening featuring a lively discussion of life-changing research happening every day at UC San Diego.
- Friday, Nov. 18, Founders’ Day—An annual celebration commemorating the day the campus was officially founded in 1960.
- Saturday, Nov. 19, Founders’ Dinner—A festive benefit dinner showcasing UC San Diego talent and honoring the 2011 recipients of the Chancellor’s Medal: Richard and Rita Atkinson; the late John Davies and his wife, Ann; Sheldon ’72, and Susan Engelhorn; Anne Ratner; and L.S. and Aline Skaggs. Proceeds from the event benefit the Invent the Future student support campaign.
For more information, go to http://learnlive.ucsd.edu/founders/.
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