Enjoy the 'May-nia’

Recipe contests, trivia challenges, demos, mixers, a marketplace. All that and more make up the slate of virtual events happening throughout the month as part of the first annual StaffMAYNIA to celebrate UCSB staff.

The all-virtual festival replaces the in-person Staff Celebration Week that’s long been a spring staple on campus.

“This inaugural MAYNIA, we are hosting 19 events with our colleagues in mind,” said Jane Gama, employee engagement specialist based in Human Resources. “You'll find events for the curious, the competitive, the creative, the gregarious, the cultural, the gamers, the networkers, the knowledge seekers, and those who want to engage from afar by registering for drawings and contests. You name it — we've got it.”

Gama conceived and created the festival along with a ‘Super Group’ of staff representatives from across campus. The collective of 26 staff members “wanted to elevate and celebrate each other as individual staff groups while doing the same for our campus colleagues,” Gama said. 

“It was important for ‘The Supers’ to create an event where our colleagues could engage on their own terms,” she added. “In a quick moment, this idea grew from a single event to a collection of events hosted by staff groups. We all knew if there was a year we all needed to band together, collaborate and celebrate, it was going to be this year.”

The fun and games include everything from bingo games and origami tutorials to a Toastmasters presentation, drawing and photo contests and an online sale of staff-made goods. It kicks off Wednesday, May 5, with a salsa recipe share.

“Truly, what excites me most about the celebration is the beautiful example of unity, diversity and collaboration created during what can be described as the most trying time in our careers and for some, our lives,” Gama said.

All events are offered Tuesday through Friday with time slots at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. More information on Staff MAYNIA activities can be found on Shoreline at https://shoreline.ucsb.edu/events_list.