By Walter Ryce

Mountain bikes, food trucks, music concerts, a 5K/1K run-walk-roll, soccer games, a rock wall and a carnival. In addition to academics and studies, this is also the stuff of college life at Cal State Monterey Bay. 

And from Oct. 11-13, they all come together in a confluence called 2024 RAFT Weekend. 

At CSUMB, the “Otter Raft” refers to the network of support that students become part of on campus, which mirrors the way sea otters link paws to create a protective raft on the water. 

And with the biggest student enrollment increases the university has seen in the last several years, the raft will be bigger and more robust than ever. And a littler wiser with age. 

“This is CSUMB’s 30th anniversary, and we are eager to show our students, alumni, supporters and community members what a remarkable higher learning institution we have grown into,” said CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones. “I want to invite everyone to celebrate with us, catch the spirit of ‘The Strength of Us,’ and be part of our Otter Raft.”  

The raft, as in RAFT Weekend, also stands for Reunion And Family Tradition and is part of Quiñones’s mission to create a multitude of engaging and recurring events that bring people together, help form strong bonds and create lasting positive memories. 

One example was The Plunge, held in August, in which hundreds of students joined Quiñones and campus employees in an early morning charge into the chilly surf of Monterey Bay. It was more fun than it might sound. 

The weekend of Oct. 11-13, students (and alumni and community members) are invited to take a break from studies and work, and to plunge into a lineup of entertaining RAFT Weekend events. 

It kicks off with the Friday Mountain Bike Ride 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. The Recreation Department will lend out free bikes and helmets for a group ride through the woodsy trails of the Fort Ord National Monument. 

Then everyone is invited to cheer on our Otter athletes in a double-header soccer match, with both men (4:30 p.m.) and women (7 p.m.) playing at the CSUMB Stadium. 

There are other events that first day, including indoor cycling and indoor rock climbing, but you might want to save some energy for the next morning’s Saturday 9 a.m. signature event: Monte’s 5K (and 1K) run, walk and roll.  

This is the second year for the event, building off its instant popularity.  

Last year saw an impressive starting line crowd of 400 people, and it’s open to anyone who registers in advance. A fundraiser for student scholarships, it pulled in $2,000 in its inaugural year. It’s also a healthy way for participants to see and experience much of the beautiful campus. 

That segues into the carnival called MB Madness (10 a.m. to noon.), which sprawls out across the grassy lawn on the main quad, and provides the setting for the 30th anniversary celebration with cake and punch. There will also be a booth with renderings of three designs for a Monte sea otter statue that attendees can vote on to be commissioned, sculpted and installed on campus in the spring. 

Later that evening, at 6:30, folks are invited to bring blankets to the Otter Student Union for a music concert under the stars.  

“RAFT Weekend is all about having fun and trying new things and making memories ,” said Quiñones. “I can’t wait to see all the students, alumni, faculty, staff, family and community members enjoying each other’s company and talking and laughing together, being part of a tradition they can carry with them. We are proud to be celebrating 30 years of transforming the lives of our students and building strong partnerships within our region." 

She invites folks to register and attend a free Brunch with the President from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, at the Otter Student Union Ballroom. 

Attendees will need the calories, because there are four more events afterwards before the conclusion of RAFT Weekend, including a car club show and more soccer matches at CSUMB Stadium.  

Learn more at the RAFT Weekend webpage.