From the Nominator

Traditions on a college campus are key to fostering the sense of pride and community that remains with alumni and keeps them connected to their alma mater long after they have graduated. As a brand-new university with a very young alumni base, the University of California, Merced is in a unique position among higher ed institutions — we are building our traditions from scratch. On Dec. 4, 2018, the second annual Beginnings Lighting event lit the Carol Tomlinson-Keasey Quad in the heart of UC Merced’s campus. The sculpture serves as the focal point of campus, and during the holiday season, transforms into a beacon of light for faculty, staff, students and our community. An addition to this year’s event was a holiday food drive to benefit UC Merced’s newly opened Bobcat Pantry. The pantry, which opened in August 2018, provides students with “points” they can use to purchase food items and basic needs. Thanks to the generous donations at the Beginnings Lighting event, students were able to shop with twice as many points as they typically would have throughout December. “Each contribution helps to provide meals to our students who may find themselves struggling during the holiday season and finals week,” said Bavneet Kaur on behalf of the pantry. “Student success is our success!”

From the Judges

University of California, Merced's Beginnings Lighting and Donation Drive serves as a good model for institutions who are seeking ways to build tradition and engage the local community. Incorporating the focus on the food pantry and student food insecurity was significant, especially given the timing of the event which falls over the holiday when many campus eateries are closed. They took a risk in moving away from the previous year's holiday toy drive and focusing efforts on serving a need for students. The incorporation of social media outreach and awareness as well as the thoughtfulness to improve each year (i.e. build in sponsorships in the future) shows the careful attention being given to building a long-lasting campus and community tradition.