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The Regents of the University of California
 

Bruin shares UC Merced's moment in history

by Teresa Valenzuela

This past Labor Day weekend I was part of history when on Sept. 5 I helped with the opening of UC Merced. A group of 13 residential life professionals from UCLA, myself included, headed up to the hot San Joaquin Valley to assist the campus and help some 500 students move in and settle down in just two days.

The campus is vast and scenic. Across the street from the residential housing area is a pond with a fountain in the middle. Yonder, atop a hill, is the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library, housing under a single roof student services, a bookstore, the students’ store, classrooms and a coffee shop. Everywhere, construction is furiously underway.

Most UC campuses sent representatives to help out with the opening. Our group, which included three students who shot footage of opening day, worked relentlessly. We made signs, inspected rooms and ensured all was well before leaving the staff to their last night prior to the students’ arrival. On the Saturday before Labor Day, we worked all day, giving directions and maps to numerous parents and students. We helped students move in and register, and we saw loads of hats and free T-shirts pass hands.

A few parents appeared nervous, but there were a lot of excited students who seemed to want to be nowhere else but on campus. One parent told us that UC Merced is the university closest to his community. Although an hour’s drive away, he was happy his daughter had decided to stay “in the neighborhood” and hadn’t gone farther away from home.

We took with us vivid memories and a sense of accomplishment at being part of the first experience of university students. I imagined UCLA opening with a few buildings back in 1929 and couldn’t help but wonder if those who were around back then had the same feeling that I had of being part of a brand new campus, of being welcomed with such warmth and then extending that welcome to others.

The two days we spent at UC Merced reminded me of why we do what we do in student services. We were able to serve students — even if they were not ours. We shared and bonded with colleagues and enjoyed the gratitude of countless parents and students. I felt proud to be part of this historic occasion, and feel even prouder to be part of the UCLA campus — once as a student, now as a staff member.

Valenzuela is student services coordinator at the School of Nursing.