COAST @ Cate: The Rise of New Weekend Activities

By Josie Song' 28

As the bustle of the beginning of the school year calms down and students start to establish a routine, Cate has implemented a new program called COAST @ Cate, which offers off-campus weekend opportunities for students beyond the regular activities organized by the Activities Committee. So far, students have participated in activities such as a trip to the Asian Market and Kin Bakeshop, volunteering and beach cleanups, a coffee tour, and outdoor trips to places such as Bishop. 

COAST @ Cate is completely separate from the Cate Activities Committee, with trips organized by faculty members and students signing up via Google Sheets, which often has a limit regarding how many students can attend.

 Student perspectives surrounding COAST @ Cate have been positive, with Arelic Rodriguez ‘27 noting, “It is interesting to see how there are more activities which are all organized by faculty and condensed to a specific Google sheet. For example, outdoor trips such as the Gaviotta Trip and the Bishop Climbing Trip, which are typically announced during assembly with interest being expressed through individual emails and forms, are now all available to register in the same spot.” 

Recently, the Asian Market Trip to Kin Bakeshop elicited a lot of positive feedback. This COAST @ Cate experience involved traveling to Nikka Japanese Market, Choi’s Oriental Market, and finally Kin Bakeshop. At Nikka Japanese Market and Choi’s Oriental Market, students were able to purchase ingredients, fresh food, and produce related to Asian Cuisine. On the other hand, Kin Bakeshop specializes in serving artisanal coffee and specialty mochi and brioche donuts. After speaking with Ms. Song, who, along with Ms. Moon, was one of the faculty leaders, she stated that although the bus arrived at Kin only 15 minutes after the opening time, there was already a line extending beyond the door. The hype surrounding this bakeshop was also expressed by Ayesha Komou ‘28. She stated, “Kin Bakeshop was so good! Everything at the store was delicious, from the mochi donuts to their Vietnamese coffee.”  

Another popular experience was the Riverpark trip during this catch-up weekend. Organized by Ms. Newlove, this was a senior-only activity that involved going to The Collection at Riverpark, with departure at one and return at four. Senior Valentina Selmoni ‘27 noted that although the Riverpark trip was extremely fun, she wished that they had been able to spend more time at the mall.  

These two activities are just the beginning of COAST @ Cate! Going into October, more programs have been introduced, such as a Cal Poly SLO Architecture Graveyard led by Ms. Doyle and Ms. Wyatt, a Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market Trip + Nutrition Class, and a UCSB Soccer Game, to name a few. Make sure to look out for more opportunities through the COAST @ Cate program!