Building East Bay

  • BY Cal State East Bay
  • June 1, 2017

The wait for Cal State East Bay Pioneers is over. After weeks of construction at the top of the Hayward campus’ eastern-facing parking lots, a new architectural feature is ready to be unveiled: 10-foot-tall steel monument letters spelling out “East Bay” that will welcome all who cross the threshold of the main entrance to the university.

The letters, funded through Associated Students Inc., are a gift to Cal State East Bay on behalf of its student body. A ceremony to celebrate their completion will take place June 7, where both President Leroy M. Morishita and current ASI President Hendrix Erhahon will address the university community.

“I’ve been a student here at Cal State East Bay since 2010, and at that time we had Warren Hall. It was a building we were known for,” Erhahon said. “And after it had to be taken down due to seismic safety, I always felt we should be known for something else. The letters mean that we claim the name East Bay in a new way. We claim it in the sense that it’s not only the Hayward campus — it’s the Oakland campus, the Concord campus. We are the East Bay.”

Forged at local blacksmithing shop The Crucible, the monument letters will be revealed just in time for Cal State East Bay’s commencement ceremonies, which bring thousands of students, their families — and opportunities for the perfect selfie — to campus.

“It’s that thing that you look at and say, ‘Yes, that’s my university,” Erhahon added. “And wherever you see them, in pictures or social media, it won’t matter what year you graduated. It’s always yours. And I think the incoming freshmen are going to be really excited when they get here and see them. It signifies East Bay pride and Pioneer pride. It’s more than an identity, it’s a statement about who we are.”

The monument letters join a host of other renovations and architectural changes that have transformed the Hayward campus and its capacity to serve students over the last decade, including the Valley Business and Technology Center (2006), the Student Services Administration building that replaced Warren Hall (2010), the Recreation and Wellness Center (2011) and the Student and Faculty Support building (2016).

To join the “Monumental Celebration” June 7, simply arrive to the base of the eastern walkway to campus at the top of parking lots G and H. The unveiling will take place at 2 p.m.; light refreshments will be served.