By Mark Muckenfuss

Lapel pins, beach balls and, of course, an Otter raft were all part of the program at Cal State Monterey Bay’s New Student Convocation on Friday, Aug. 23. About 2,000 first-year and transfer students packed the south side of the campus stadium to receive an official welcome from the university’s top administrators.

Those administrators were on hand to welcome and mingle with the students as they filed into the venue. President Vanya Quiñones was either engaging with newly arrived Otters or cheering them from the sidelines of the human stream. 

“Go Otters!” she yelled before laughing and adding, “I think I’m losing my voice.”

Fortunately, that was not the case and she was able to give the crowd a hearty greeting from a podium once it was seated.

“It is my distinct honor to welcome the Class of 2028 and all the new transfer students,” Quiñones told the students in the stands. 

During her short address, Quiñones told the students that they were not only at CSUMB to learn, but also to help one another. As she often does at large student gatherings, she asked the audience to stand and link arms as Otters in the ocean sometimes do to stay safe, creating a living raft.

She revved up the crowd, getting everyone to repeatedly chant along with her, “Raft up!”

“As we talk about building our raft, our priority is for all of us to be successful,” she said. “When you see somebody in need, you help each Otter. This is us. This is our strength.”

This was the first time Convocation has been held in the stadium since its 2022 renovation. The crowd seemed to enjoy the energy, eagerly participating in the call-and-response portions of the event. 

Reuben Rodriguez, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, started things off by saying that the New Student Convocation served as a milestone.

“As you are officially inducted as a CSUMB student today, it marks the beginning of a new chapter dedicated to your pursuit of learning, growth and success,” Rodriguez said. 

Part of that success, said Ben Corpus, vice president of enrollment management and student affairs, will be experiencing new things and learning to deal with new situations, 

“Your experience and what you get out of university life is not just in a classroom,” Corpus said during his address. “It’s a space where you practice courageous conversations that also land with diplomacy. If you lean in, you’ll gain a firmer center of gravity, and the intellect to discern the fantastic from the fanatical.”

Andrew Lawson, provost and vice president for academic affairs, acknowledged the students’ likely trepidation, assuring them they would find readily available support on their academic journeys.  He then led them through a pinning ceremony. 

Each had received a CSUMB lapel pin, which they were asked to affix to their shirts, near their hearts. They were then asked to recite a pledge to dedicate themselves to their studies and their fellow students.

“This pin represents your entry into our Otter raft — a dynamic and diverse community of scholars, innovators and agents of change,” Lawson said. “From now on, you are an Otter for life!”