UCOP gathers for 2016 End-of-Year Celebration
December 19, 2016 •
A festive crowd gathered at Faz in downtown Oakland on Friday, Dec. 16 for the annual UCOP End-of-Year Celebration. The UCOP Singers welcomed arriving partygoers with traditional holiday songs, and a tantalizing spread of appetizers and beverages was provided by generous donations from UCOP management staff.
Once the group had gathered, President Napolitano offered her heartfelt thanks for the hard work that UCOP staff has done this year. “Whatever work you do, you do it for the greater whole, in service of the best public university in the world. Please know that you are changing the lives of thousands of students and their families every year.” Chief Risk Officer Cheryl Lloyd then took the microphone to ask for a moment of silence in honor of victims of the recent Oakland fire, which included students and alumni from three UC campuses. She also paid tribute to the many staff members who had just received service awards.
Making their performance debut, the UCOP String Quintet showed that old favorites like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Let It Snow” sound utterly elegant when played on violin and cello. And their rendition of “Winter Wonderland” was so catchy that Lloyd, President Napolitano and CFO Nathan Bostrom couldn’t help but sing along.
Capping the event was a special performance by a choir of eighth graders from the nearby Oakland School for the Arts (OSA), which blends immersive arts with academics to promote innovative learning. Their creatively arranged group harmonies and solos on songs such as “Cold War,” “Take Me Home,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” drew thunderous applause while “Man in the Mirror” got the whole group clapping and hooting. As examples of the California students that UC is dedicated to serving, the singers from OSA provided a perfect finale to a celebration of the year’s accomplishments.
List of performers at the celebration:
UCOP Singers
Julia Arno
Christopher Hanson
Sonya Hill
Regina Ranoa
Sue Taylor
Kim Williams
Sandra Wulff
Director: Daniel Scuiry
Coordinator: Charlotte Strem
Keyboard accompanist: Gail Lew
Cornet: George Lemp
UCOP String Quintet
Nicola Gruen
Pauline Metzgar
Gregory Sykes
Margaret Wu
Annie Yeh
Oakland School for the Arts Singers
Anneke Angstadt
Bentley Blalark
Hyacinth Callado
Grace Connalon
Susanna De Angelis Nelson
Kaila De Souza
Nina Erikson
Audrey Gilbert
Jax Martinez-Franks
Tai-Ge Min
Persephone Smith-Donohoe
Richard Watson
Many thanks to the senior managers who contributed funds to pay for all the food and beverages, and to the amazing performers. A great event!