Check out all of this Fall's Staff Appreciation Week activities (September 18 - 22!) We look forward to seeing you there!
All staff are invited to shop at The Cal Student Store (2495 Bancroft Way.) Show your Cal ID for 20% off your entire purchase at the official campus store! (Valid M-F)
Check out our UC Berkeley employee Perks page for details on all the discounts available, like 30-60% below retail pricing at Columbia or 20% off tickets to Berkeley Rep!
Turn down the volume of tension and anxiety. Tune into self-compassion through gently guided breathwork and nature imagery along with the calming soundscape of the singing bowls. Alchemy quartz crystal singing bowls can be impactful physically on the mind/body, as well as energetically on the subtle energy bodies. The vibrations support the brain entering a theta state (or pre-sleep) and engage the parasympathetic nervous system to help you access the full benefits of rest. If you’re very tired, you may even fall asleep. Learn more about the impacts of sound healing on Joy’s website,joyevansmsw.com/soundhealing
Preparing/cozying up for virtual sound healing with Joy:
- Please complete a Liability Form on Joy’s website (included in the SAW Registration Form) before the workshop and email Joy if you have any concerns or questions beforehand.
- Note your wifi connection will impact the quality of the live stream of sound.
- Use your best speakers (phone, computer, or headphones).
- Dress comfortably – this workshop does not include movement.
- Consider removing fur-babies from the room, if WFH (cats may like the sounds but dogs have mixed reactions).
- Make sure you have plenty of support for your neck and lower back for whichever posture you want to relax into (sitting or lying down).
- Have layers or a blanket to stay warm/cozy.
- Bring water to drink at the end of the workshop.
- Anything you need to create a relaxing environment for yourself: yoga mat, cushions, eye pillow, a do not disturb sign.
Remember, sound healing should never cause any kind of physical pain. If you experience physical discomfort--for any reason--please be kind to your body by removing yourself from this virtual experience.
Tuesday, Sept 19Head over to Goldie's for a free cup of drip coffee, tea, hot cocoa, pastry, or banana courtesy of People & Culture. Must be present and show staff ID to receive.
Goldie's is proud to be an Eat Well Berkeley restaurant.
Enjoy lunch with your colleagues for 50% (courtesy of People & Culture) off when you show your Cal 1 Card at Crossroads, Foothill, Cafe 3, CKC, and MLK Eateries.
UCB staff can get a FREE special Cal/As co-branded hat (only by using the link below and picking it up at GATE A at the Coliseum).
Seating Area
UC Berkeley has Sections 207 - 210 reserved for staff as a part of Staff Appreciation Week (see map).
Private Lounge Area
The Stomping Ground is where we can congregate outside of UC Berkeley's designated seating area. It is located above Treehouse Plaza Sections 245 + 246 (see map).
Obtain Your Free Ticket
Use the following link to request ONE free e-ticket (more are also available for $15/each). More details on obtaining your tickets are included on this website.
FAQs
Q. What's the code?
The code is "BERKELEY"
Q. I don't see a free ticket. Is it $15 for all tickets?
You will only see the first tickets as free AFTER you click "Checkout" and proceed to the checkout page (even though it appears each ticket will cost $15 when you're selecting them).
Q. Will food and/or transportation be provided?
A: Given our limited budget, we prioritized more staff attending the event itself instead of providing food and/or transportation for a smaller number of staff. The Coliseum is easily and afforadlably accessible by BART. You can bring food from outside to the game! See more details.
Q. I can't select seats. How can I sit with my team?
We encourage folks to be flexible with who sits where since many colleagues would like to sit together and the ability to select seats isn't possible.
Q. How do I access my ticket?
Q. Can I count this as work time?
A. Only if this is occuring during your regularly scheduled work hours and your supervisor approves.
Friday, Sept 22Interact with new colleagues as you work to escape the desert island
Must RSVP to participate. Please note teams are randomly assigned.
We asked you in the September 2020 Employee Morale Survey which forms of appreciation were most meaningful to you as a UC Berkeley staff member. Explore offerings based on the top 3 responses:
Blue Muse and The Celestial Voice welcome you to a Sound Bath Experience! Sound healing creates the space for self-healing and transformation using the power of vibration to re-harmonize the entire body to its most beneficial state.
When we hear the frequencies, our cells become attuned to that vibration and this creates a harmonic state for healing within the body. The different frequencies emanated during the sound bath will help to quiet the mind, decrease stress and anxiety, improve sleep, release physical and emotional pain, and restore the body, mind, and spirit to a greater state of balance, creating a deeper sense of peace and well-being.
You will bathe in a sonic symphony of mystical tones and vibrations produced by;
Six Paiste Gongs and a 34" Grotta Sonora Gong, Crystal singing bowls, Hand pan, Mono chord, Chimes galore, Rain Sticks, Ocean drum, Native drum, Sansula, Angelic Vocals & more. The vibrations will transport you on a deep mystical journey!
Please arrive 15 to 30 minutes ahead of the start time.
WHAT TO BRING:
Welcome to MAGIC HOUR - sound bowl healing and meditation led by Angela Cruz. In this session, we integrate the use of crystals, guidance, and meditation with soothing vibrations of sound healing.
What is sound bowl healing?
Sound bowl healing and meditation open up your chakras, (or energy and aura portals) to allow vibrational frequencies to help align, balance, and unblock the parts of you that need healing by using crystal quartz bowls. Binaural beats and frequencies enter your physical body to help you relax, while guided meditation and breathwork help oxygenate your bloodstream. The sounds of the bowls help carry energy to you for protection, balance, love, and grounding.
Here are some benefits of sound healing:
Included in this session:
Introduction to meditation, breathwork, Chakra activation, and using our personal crystals in our practices; ending with a sound bath.
Optional Items to use:
Wear comfortable clothing and try to be distraction-free for optimal healing effectiveness. Total session time will be one hour.
Please be aware: if you have any current medical issues, consult with your physician to see if participating in sound healing would be a safe practice for you.
Listen to live music by Hella Fitzgerald as you enjoy FREE coffee, tea, pastries, fruit, and chocolate fountains. Must show staff ID for entry.
Join your fellow colleagues, friends, and campus community for a mental and movement break sponsored by Be Well at Work! This event will feature music, fun treats, prizes, and more. We hope to see you there!
Register online to take part in the fun!
Enjoy a sweet all-natural treat from BlissPops outdoors with colleagues and ride the Campanile for FREE when you bring your staff ID. Then stay a while to play outdoor games.
Get up to 2 FREE tickets (or more at a discount) while supplies last and root for the home team alongside other Berkeley staff in our sectioned-off area and private lounge. One lucky Berkeley staff member will also throw the first pitch at this game. Grab even more tickets at a discounted rate.
Hosted by Qui Qui from Screaming Queens Entertainment - this virtual bingo game will have built-in entertainment and prizes to win!
Meet Berkeley staff organizations and learn how to get involved!
Head over to Goldie's for a free cup of drip coffee (provided by Peet's), tea, pastry, or banana courtesy of People & Culture. Must be present and show staff ID to receive. Goldie's is proud to be an Eat Well Berkeley restaurant.
Berkeley is known as a place that continuously disrupts the status quo. But not all advocacy efforts are as successful as others. In this session, Lasana Hotep, Director of DEIB at UC Berkeley, will share approaches gleaned from a career successfully advocating for change in a variety of organizations, institutions, and systems. Participants will leave understanding how they can strategically influence positive changes in their organizations.
Lasana O. Hotep leads the Office of DEIB at UC Berkeley. Lasana’s leadership experience spans broad educational and administrative arenas including his service as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Equity for the Peralta Community College District, the Director of Multicultural Affairs at Estrella Mountain Community College, Dean of Special Programs and Grants at Merritt College, and the inaugural Dean of Student Equity and Support Programs at Skyline College.
As an educator, Lasana has delivered talks throughout the United States and internationally in Beijing, China, and Accra, Ghana. Lasana is published in edited volumes including; African American Men in College (Jossey-Bass, 2006), The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life (Atira/Simon Simon & Schuster, 2008), and is co-author of Minding the Obligation Gap: Striving for Equity in Community Colleges and Beyond.
Enjoy IN-PERSON Bingo at Pauley Ballroom with your colleagues and get a chance to win prizes!
RSVP and join us for VIRTUAL Bingo with your fellow Berkeley staff and win some great prizes!
Whether you are new to campus, have recently returned after working remotely, or have been here for years, explore our beautiful campus on a guided tour. Choose from an hour-long tour at 12 pm, or 3 pm. Tours are limited to 35 people each, so register early to snag a spot.
Be on the lookout for our Staff Appreciation Week reminder e-mail next week to get (2) free tickets for the Cal home football game on 10/22.
Learn the 6 salary setting situations and 6 principles that are considered when determining equitable salaries at Berkeley, and negotiation strategies that will benefit everyone, especially women of color.
The session will include an overview of salary setting at Berkeley, contextualized by J.S. Henderson, Director of Total Rewards, and offers best practices and strategies presented by guest speaker, Jacqueline Twillie, a global expert on Women’s Leadership.
Take a snack or wellness break and head over for a free cup of drip coffee (provided by Peets) and a pastry courtesy of People & Culture. Must be present and show staff ID to receive.
Sound Bath returns this Staff Appreciation Week with Maryzelle Undo. Experience the healing frequencies and sounds of the crystal quartz bowls and bring balance, peace, and harmony into your physical, mental, and energetic body. The bath will be in service to you and will include an intentionally tuned 7- Chakra Crystal bowl set, meaning each bowl is tuned to the similar frequencies of each chakra in the chakra energy system. When received, this can look and feel like a promotion in sleep, mood, and health, and a decline in stress and anxiety. Please join Maryzelle for an hour of healing, grounding, and love. Learn more about Maryzelle and her sound healing practice.
WATCH THE SOUND BATH ON DEMAND
Maryzelle is a San Franciscan-born Salvadorena-American who is passionate and committed to a life of music and healing. While exploring healing, love, and light in her inner universe, Maryzelle transmutes healing, love, and light to her outer universe by hosting and creating sound baths and sound-healing events across the Bay Area. She utilizes a range of instruments and mediums including crystal quartz bowls, Tibetan bowls, tuning forks, electric guitar, African drums, gongs, electronics, bells, divinity, and love. She also actively works in the San Francisco Music Industry as a Music Studio Assistant, a radio host, a co-director, a music promoting researcher, a photographer, and a music journalist. Her work can be recognized at Hyde Street Music Studios, 102.5 KXSF Radio, and Psyched Radio.
Play outdoor games with other staff and enjoy a live DJ! Bring your Cal ID. There'll be something for everyone.
Test your strength on high strike, challenge a co-worker on the meltdown, or snap a silly pic in one of four photo booths!
Entertainment, activities, and games:
DJ
Bubble Machines
Bungee Run
Corn Hole
Dance Dance Revolution
Giant Jenga
Giant Connect Four
Foosball Table
King of the Hammer
Meltdown
Mini Golf
Penguin Feeding Frenzy
Puttskee
Photo Booths
Pinball Machines
Shoot to Win
Skee Ball
Sticky Drag Race
Teddy Bear Toss
Snack and Beverage
Four water stations are available
Individually Bagged Popcorn
Sparkling Waters
A panel discussion featuring national thought leaders: Dr. Keisha Blain, Jeff Chang, Rosa Clemente, and Tim Wise. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Ula Y. Taylor, Chair of African American Studies.
Presented by Maurice Evans and Justin Panarese
Join Maurice Evans, an 11-year NBA veteran for a moderated discussion on redefining success, channeling your inner resilience, and winning from any angle.
Often it seems there is an unspoken rule that we must have it all figured out - we need an entry career plan, a five-year plan, and even a plan for what we will do during retirement! The need to have ‘the answer’ to our careers implies there IS an answer, when in fact our careers (and lives) are unique, evolving, and impossible to define. This session will reframe career uncertainty and anxiety into healthy career exploration and an open-minded approach.
Presented by:
Rebecca Andersen, Director of Career Services & Alumni Relations at the Graduate School of Information
Rebecca has been on campus since 2007, starting in environmental protection. A career changer herself, Rebecca is a co-founder of the Berkeley Facilitator's Network, a working parent, and (for now) an educator to two little ones! Rebecca is also working on a doctorate in educational leadership at UC Davis, focusing on equity in STEM careers.
Expand your career strategy toolkit and your campus connections by learning how to conduct engaging informational interviews, even while working remotely.
Presented by:
Lisa Rykert (she/her/hers), Career & Professional Development Lead
Linda Lundberg (she/her/hers), Transition Services Lead
Lisa Rykert serves as the Career & Professional Development Lead on the People & Organization Development team within UC Berkeley People & Culture. Her focus on campus is to support staff career growth and mobility with the goal of helping people to love the work they do and do the work they love within a diverse and inclusive environment of belonging.
Linda Lundberg has been with UC Berkeley since 2009 and leads the Transition Services Program within Talent Acquisition, People & Culture. Linda has a passion for providing resourceful, innovative, and motivating career guidance, and is very enthusiastic about all things related to employment.
Learn tools to effectively navigate work during times of change and uncertainty. This session is designed to inspire you with ways to create joy in your day-to-day work and give you a sense of agency in your career goals.
Presented by:
Catherine Ciano, PhD, Psychologist
Emma Strong, Academic Advisor, Fall Program for Freshmen
Dr. Catherine Ciano is a Psychologist and Teaming Strategist who uses her understanding of people and processes to enable change. She hosts the Authentic Work podcast to help people align who they are with how they work.
Emma Strong is an instructional design and facilitation enthusiast with a passion for public speaking, learning, and training. She has led workshops at the UC Berkeley NOW Conference and has facilitated sessions for the Advancing Practice professional development program for academic advisors on campus.
