Runners, axe throwers and cake highlight RAFT Weekend

By Mark Muckenfuss

Abie Sani didn’t exactly look menacing in his Spiderman hoodie, but he was ready.

Standing near the starting line of Monte’s 5K and 1K with his family on Saturday, Oct. 12, the 4-year-old was excited to be part of the Cal State Monterey Bay action, even dropping into some stretches when he saw other runners doing so. His brother Arthur, 6, also joined in.

“This is the first time for them doing any sort of walk, but they really wanted to do it,” said their mother Katie, a third-year transfer student from Marina majoring in Human Development and Family Science. “They’ve really wanted to come to the school.”

She and her husband, Adrien, felt the 1K option offered in the second year of this annual event was the perfect opportunity. The race highlights RAFT Weekend, a “welcome home” event for alumni and an activity-filled, three-day homecoming event for students and community members, which, this year, also included a celebration of CSUMB’s 30th anniversary.  

President Vanya Quiñones said the event was an opportunity to strengthen the CSUMB community while promoting health. Aspire Health partnered with CSUMB for the 5K and 1K event.

“I think through the years we want to celebrate as a team,” Quiñones said. “All of these new traditions are an opportunity to celebrate who we are and build on ‘The Strength of Us.’”

While many of the 417 participants in the 5K/1K were focused on achieving personal records, for others it was more of a low-key fun event. 

“How else would you want to spend your Saturday morning?” said Emanual Valencia, a third-year environmental studies student from San Jose who was there with three fellow students. “It brings the whole community together and it's for charity, which is even better.” 

Money from the event goes to student scholarships.

Just over 15 minutes after the start, Carson Farrow sped down the final stretch to capture first place in the 5K. No other runners were in sight and he was clearly pleased. Quiñones draped a medal around Farrow’s neck.

“I’m training for the Monterey Bay 5K and used this to see where I’m at,”
Farrow, a third-year biology major from Modesto, said, adding that he ran a personal best time. “So that’s nice.”

Camille Sroufe, a fourth-year psychology major from Oceanside, was the first woman to cross the finish line in the 5K. A member of last year’s women’s Otter basketball team, Sroufe said she didn’t know about the race until two days before and hadn’t done any running in a couple of months. 

“This was honestly unexpected,” she said of her win. “It made my morning.”

While she and Farrow were excited about their performances, they might not have been quite as pleased as Abie Sani. He grinned and showed off the medal he received for completing the 1K.

“I got my own badge,” he said before turning to his mother. “We should really train for the 5K next year.”

While the runners and walkers were recovering – bananas, oranges and drinks were on hand – the lawn of the main quad began transforming into a carnival space with such attractions as a mechanical bull – only this was a shark – giant Velcro targets for axe throws and soccer kicks, and a dunk tank. A DJ produced a thumping festive soundtrack. 

Shortly before noon, President Quiñones stepped to a podium in the crowded courtyard of the administration building to commemorate the university’s 30th anniversary.

“Today, we’re 30 years old,” she told the crowd. “I’m honored to be part of such an amazing university and to mark this milestone.”

She acknowledged some of the key figures in getting CSUMB off the ground, such as former Secretary of State Leon Panetta and former CSU Chancellor Barry Munitz.

“Your vision has really come to fruition,” she said. 

Some early members of the CSUMB community were on hand to enjoy the moment. Colleen Nickels was the assistant vice president of finance from 2000 to 2002. She said the transformation of the university from its early days is hard to believe.

“You couldn’t walk across a field without falling into a gopher hole,” she recalled. “There was no grass. It was all sand.”

“I’m amazed,” said Yolanda Munoz, who worked as an accountant in the finance office from 1997 to 2004. “It looks and feels now like a university. I’m really excited about the recognition CSUMB has gotten recently,” she added, referring to several top rankings in national surveys.

Mary Wells came to CSUMB during its second year and stayed for 16 years, working for Hank Hendrickson, the executive dean and vice president for administration.

“People don’t understand what we went through back then,” Wells said. “There was nothing. [The administration] was all in one building. When we opened, people didn’t even know we were here. It’s incredible, the changes.”

The three women became friends while working at CSUMB. Today they live in Monterey, only a few blocks from one another. They said the strong community aspect of the campus was established early on.

That community is even stronger today, Quiñones said. 

“This is what the Otter Raft is about,” she said, referring to the university’s social cohesiveness. “It’s about making the institution stronger.”  

Saturday was punctuated with other activities as well, including a 10 a.m. bike ride that took participants along the coastal rec trail with a lunch stop in Monterey, and an evening open-air concert of jazz and classical piano from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Otter Student Union.

The weekend celebration began on Friday with some hardy physical activities such as an afternoon group bike ride through Fort Ord National Monument, evening indoor cycling and rock climbing sessions, and the popular Werk Witch drag show at the OSU.

For those who prefer watching rather than participating in sporting activity, there were two soccer games against CCAA-rival Stanislaus State. The men won their 4:30 p.m. match, 4-0. In a 7:30 evening game, the women came out on top, 2-1.

For those who missed that action, two more soccer matches were planned for the final day of RAFT Weekend on Sunday, with the men’s team taking on Chico State at 11:30 a.m., and the women’s team facing the Wildcats at 2 p.m. 

Also on Sunday, Quiñones invited the community to the President’s Brunch from 10:30 to 11:30, a sold-out event of free food and drink, and Odetta Wines invited alumni for a sponsored wine tasting, including snacks, from noon to 4 p.m. at its winery for $30. 

More RAFT Weekend photos can be found here.  See an Instagram reel.