Dam Proud Day: Wellness, Pride & Community

Theme: ARC Pride in Action

• Thursday, October 30, 2025
• Honoring our history, celebrating our pride, and rallying for our future.

Featured Activities

Chalk the Walk (9:00 – 10:00 a.m., Starting Point: Outside the Library)

The morning begins with color and creativity. Hosted by ARC’s Arts Department, Chalk the Walk invites students, staff, and faculty to fill the campus walkways with chalk art and affirmations celebrating identity, pride, and belonging.

Starting outside the Library, participants will create messages of encouragement and positivity that stretch across campus, forming a vibrant visual path that connects the day’s events. The artwork remains on display throughout the week — a living gallery of Beaver spirit and inclusion.

ARC Archives Display: “70 Years of Belonging

10:00 a.m. | Library, 1st Floor

Before beginning your Wellness Walk, step inside the Library to explore the ARC Archives Display: “70 Years of Belonging.”

This special exhibit features photos, yearbooks, and memorabilia highlighting the people and programs that have shaped ARC’s story.

Take a moment to reflect on seven decades of growth, pride, and connection — a meaningful start to a day celebrating wellness and community.

The exhibit will remain open throughout Homecoming Week during Library hours.

ARC Wellness Walk (10:00 - 10:45 AM : Starts at the Library)

Next, we move together. Co-hosted by ARC Kinesiology & Athletics and the Student Health & Wellness Center, the Wellness Walk encourages the campus community to slow down, breathe, and connect.

The walk begins at the Library, where the first-floor display features pieces of ARC’s 70-year story — historic photos, yearbooks, and memorabilia that remind us of how far we’ve come. From there, walkers follow the chalk-lined paths, stopping at mindfulness stations along the route for simple, restorative activities that promote balance and self-care.

Students can participate as part of a health and wellness activity, while faculty and staff can make it their daily walk — creating moments of connection along the way. The route ends near the Bookstore Quad, where the day’s energy builds toward celebration.

ARC Post-Walk Pep Rally (11:00 - 11:45 AM, Bookstore Quad)

Once the walkers arrive, the celebration begins!

Hosted by Kayla Caughell (Dusty Baker Center) and ARC’s beloved mascot Bucky the Beaver, the Post-Walk Pep Rally is pure energy and community pride. Together, the ARC family will celebrate our students, athletes, and campus spirit in one joyful gathering.

Highlights include:

• Student speakers sharing what makes them Dam Proud to be part of ARC
• Athletes from each team introducing themselves, their sport, and their major
• New Dam Proud chants led by Kayla, Bucky, and our teams — with the crowd joining in to learn a few signature team cheers
• Treats from the Oak Café Bakery to keep the energy up
• Confetti, cheers, and a community photo to capture the moment

The Pep Rally embodies the ARC spirit — grounded in teamwork, inclusion, and joy. It’s a space where every Beaver belongs, and every voice adds to the chorus of pride.

Student Center Spotlight (10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.)

Following the Pep Rally, the Student Center transforms into a lively hub of wellness, creativity, and Beaver pride — a perfect space to keep the celebration going.

The BUZZ: ARC’s Native Bee Project Spotlight (10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.)

Discover ARC’s connection to science, sustainability, and community through The BUZZ, a student-faculty research project funded by the National Science Foundation. Explore preserved bee specimens under microscopes, view research posters, and learn how ARC’s pollinator habitats are helping biodiversity thrive.

Horticulture Floral Sales (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM : Student Center)

ARC’s Horticulture Program students showcase their artistry with beautiful, seasonal floral arrangements for sale. Each purchase supports student learning and hands-on experience in floral design, sustainability, and business practices — plus, they make for perfect gifts or office decorations.

Coffee & Treats Hub

Grab a cup of coffee, sample a treat, and mingle with students, staff, and visitors as you explore all the day’s activities.

Pebbles of Pride (11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Student Center & UNITE Center Quad)

At the heart of the day’s theme of belonging is Pebbles of Pride, hosted by the UNITE Center. This creative, reflective activity invites the ARC community to slow down and connect through art.

Participants will paint pebbles that express pride, identity, or belonging — each one a small but powerful representation of individual voices within the ARC story. When finished, the pebbles will be placed in the quad behind the UNITE Center, nestled around the large tree as a living installation of community care and creativity.

Together, these painted pebbles form a mosaic of pride and connection — a lasting reminder that every member of the ARC community belongs here and contributes to the beauty of the whole.

Everyone is welcome to participate: students, faculty, classified professionals, administrators, and guests.

ARC Emeritus Luncheon (Invitation Only, Hosted by ARC Philanthropy & the ARC Emeriti Association)

While the Student Center buzzes with activity, ARC also honors its history and legacy at a special luncheon for our Emeritus faculty and staff.

Hosted by ARC Philanthropy for the ARC Emeriti Association, this gathering celebrates those whose service and dedication helped build the foundation upon which ARC continues to thrive.

It’s an opportunity to reconnect, share memories, and reflect on the 70 years of growth, excellence, and belonging that define the ARC experience.

Learn more about the ARC Emeriti Association — and how to stay connected — here.

Instrumental Jazz Concert (7:30 – 9:30 p.m., ARC Theatre)

The day concludes with rhythm, harmony, and reflection.

ARC’s Instrumental Jazz Ensembles, directed by Dr. Dyne Eifertsen, present a tribute to jazz legend Gerry Mulligan, featuring guest performers from River City High School (Rudy Cisneros, Director).

The performance closes Dam Proud Day on a high note — a celebration of artistry, collaboration, and the sound of community coming together.

Tickets available now through our ticketleap webpage.

A Day of Wellness, Pride & Belonging

From the first chalk drawing to the final jazz note, Dam Proud Day embodies what it means to be part of the ARC community.

It’s a day where we walk, create, cheer, and reflect together — finding wellness in connection and pride in belonging.

And as we celebrate 70 years of learning, leading, and belonging, we honor everyone who helped shape ARC — from our newest Beavers to our proud Emeriti Association members whose roots run deep in this campus.

Because at American River College, we don’t just say You Belong Here.

We live it.