Summerfest spells relief, recreation for UC Berkeley staff

As each new name was called to an open massage station, the small group of staffers waiting for their turns murmured as if in appreciation. Behind them, down on Memorial Glade, a much larger, much noiser group of campus employees waited in long lines to push a giant basketball skyward, hit a golf ball against a seemingly magnetic wall, or get close enough to a posted list of giveaway-prize winners to see if their names were on it. Standing (very) tall to survey the scene was Oski, inflated no doubt by the day’s cheerful vibes.

That’s right: it was Summerfest time again on the Berkeley campus.

The annual staff-appreciation carnival/ concert/ feedbag, held this year on Wednesday, June 4, gave staffers a well-earned break from their daily duties – the only responsibility remaining to them that of enjoying each other’s company. And they performed that duty diligently and well … another Summerfest tradition.

Text & photos by Jonathan King