Reunion Weekend 2022
June 17, 2022
By Carson Williams ’19
Shared experiences bring us all together. Global pandemics and strict quarantines are just a few we have all experienced over the past two and a half years now. Perhaps more formatively, sharing a classroom, a dorm, and a school are what continue to bring us together. For the first time in three years and four days, Saturday, June 11, marked the return of on-campus alumni celebrations since the beginning of the pandemic.
From the beginning, the energy on campus was palpable in anticipation for the return of graduates from the Class of 1956 on to the five-year-reunion Class of 2017. While this year was still far from normal with alumni staying off-campus and one day of events on the Mesa, the long-awaited joy in reunion of classmates, friends, and teachers made up for what was lost due to unusual circumstances. Another boon of this unusual year also became having multiple classes from different decades at the same reunion. Friends across years were able to connect in addition to just classmates.
Reunion Weekend began this year by era as groups from the 2000s and 2010s convened at Topa Topa Brewing Company in the Santa Barbara Funk Zone. At Topa Topa, folks laughed, drank, Jenga’d, and reminisced with friends as if being classmates was only yesterday. Alumni from the 1980s and 1990s gathered at Island Brewery, enjoying the local IPAs and for some, a burger from The Spot. For graduates of the 1970s, a gathering on the other side of town at Rincon Brewery was just as festive. Missing was the Class of 1972, who opted for a class-only party at Mulligan’s in Goleta. While other groups were off-campus, as a special treat for their 65th reunion, the Class of 1956 had their own dinner on Parsonage Lawn. Regardless of location, each class had a watch the same California sunset as it signaled the beginning of Reunion Weekend.
Saturday morning began with the “annual” Mesa Race led by none other than Math Faculty and Cross-Country Coach, Tim Smith, from the center of the Day Walkway. Despite a blazing fast finishing time, John Tarlton ’87 was not awarded 1st place due to a mishap in direction, taking him off course about halfway through the race. This window gave the top honor to Computer Science Faculty Jenna deBoisblanc who finished just minutes after John. The true winner was Pete Ruch ’56, who completed his 6th Mesa Race of his career. When asked how often he runs, Pete answered, “Every five years when I come back for a reunion and run the Mesa Race!” Congratulations to all those who finished this year’s race.
Also setting up shop and fueling the early risers were Language teacher David Wood and Science teacher Jaimie Kellogg bringing out the John Swain-crafted Wood Coffee Cart. As folks began to trickle through registration, led by Ethan Ha ’20 and Ada Hansen ’24, they also made their way up to the beckoning smell of the fresh grounds and hot coffee between frisbee golf holes.
Mid-morning meetings began with a listening and healing session facilitated by Dr. Deniz Ahmadinia, a professional experienced in trauma and trauma-related healing. With a large array of alumni years in attendance, the conversation was wide-ranging and productive. Other meetings included a “Cate of the Union” update hosted by members of the Alumni Leadership Council. In addition to reports from Advancement, Admissions, College Counseling, and the Head of School, President-elect John Kearney ’00 and Alumni Leadership Council Chair Kel Mitchel ’12 reported on the past year of Alumni Association events and plans for 2022-23.
Around lunch time, the Mesa was alive with activity. The new Booth Commons Dining Hall was busy serving a chicken tinga taco lunch while the Blue Ewe Student Store hosted a “Sip and Sale” for all alumni and guests. Folks who were not busy eating or enjoying a taste of wine explored the new complex to see if the new dining hall holds up to the old Raymond Commons. By the afternoon, the sun had broken through the clouds and the seventy degrees with an ocean breeze drove folks out to the tennis courts, pool, and soccer fields to soak up the rays the best way they could. A group of hikers led by Tim Smith and Will Bouma ’22 made their way up the Bee Camp trail to the ridge above campus to get a bird’s eye view of Cate, the Carpinteria Valley, and the Channel Islands.
At five o’clock, the evening festivities began with a cocktail hour at Booth Commons with hors d’oeuvre courtesy of the Cate’s Flik Dining Staff and a variety of beverages. When six o’clock rolled around the Nelson D. Jones ’48 Victory Bell rang signifying dinner-time and a photo of the entire reunion group was captured to commemorate the first ceremony in three years.
From the Kirby Quad, alumni made their way up to the Thayer Peck Field for dinner. This year featured local food trucks offering burgers and tacos. Wade Ransom’s famous CIF Championship Brisket had its own station – a crowd favorite. Flik Dining provided the greens, including a lovely fresh beet salad. Refreshments were in abundance and provided by various Cate alumni including “Sunset Bench Spritzers” by Riviera Sips (Michael Canseco ’07 and Sandra Vega ’06) and Lumen Wines (Will Henry ’84). Reunion Dinner would not be complete without some sort of dessert and the arrival of the Mister Softee ice cream truck provided the perfect sweet to cap off the meal.
Instead of being divided by class, this year’s groupings were made by decade, so table and photo groups were by decade. People sat at the tables and mingled by the fireplaces as they enjoyed their meals. A few adventurous souls also made their way out to the badminton nets and cornhole sets to challenge one another, courtesy of Juarez Newsome, the Cate Activities Head.
As the night wound on, almost on cue, the marine layer rolled in and the lowering temperature on the field made it the perfect time to light the fire pits and roast some s’mores. Gradually, partygoers made their way from under the tent out to the Adirondack chairs surrounding the fire pits for a bit of “camp” Cate. By the time the fires were burning low and the last of the marshmallows were cooked, the last of the alumni on campus had made their way home for the night.
The following morning, alumni made their way back up to campus once more for a brunch in Booth Commons before making their way back to their respective homes. Some alumni even made a stop in the Schoolhouse Archives to view their student file – reminiscing about their teenage years.
This year was historic, it marked the return of in-person celebrations and will hopefully be followed by subsequent years returning to the rhythm of pre-pandemic Camp Cate. With a successful reunion in the books, we look forward to future summers where classes can reconnect once more and celebrate what brings us all together, our shared experiences, high up on this Mesa.
