DCIO fall events feature pirates, Halloween contests

Although it’s been a busy fall semester for the Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) organization, monthly events have helped to build morale and team spirit, lessen stress, and spark creativity.

In August, employees enjoyed a much-needed break on the first day of classes for a team lunch. DCIO staff and other UIT teams had spent weeks preparing for fall semester, to ensure a seamless and successful start of school. The lunch, catered by Spitz, not only celebrated their efforts but provided an opportunity for employees to step away from their desks and socialize with colleagues.

An event that the unit hasn’t celebrated in recent years due to the pandemic and hybrid work model returned in a small but meaningful way. DCIO held a bagel and doughnut breakfast on International Talk Like a Pirate Day, observed annually on September 19.

Senior Web Software Developer Shellie Eide said Media Solutions started celebrating the holiday as early as 2006. Employees generated pirate names for the day and brought in pirate-themed food, including Chips Ahoy!, Goldfish crackers, gummy worms, and Cap’n Crunch.

“At some point, [former employee] Chris Pfeiffer made a plank for us to ‘walk,’” she said.

Process Architect Ryan Hines, who had stored the plank at his house, carried the board in on his bicycle for the event. (Awkward.) “I’m sure he was glad to get rid of the plank. Now, I’m stuck with it,” Eide joked, adding that it’s in her cubicle.

The plank came in handy for the Halloween event, which included contests for best costume, decorated area, and pumpkin, as well as lunch from Padelli’s, the “Clue” movie, trivia, and a robbery-themed mystery. Eide’s team created a pirate ship, “The Not-So-Jolly Roger,” with the plank and another DCIO event prop, a life-size cardboard cutout of USS Engineering Director Jason Moeller.

Brian Harris and the Data Management & Analytics (DMA) team, however, were fan favorites. Harris, dressed as a “Pedaling Piñata,” won best costume, while DMA won best decorated area with “Haunted Pumpkin Patch.” Senior Software Design Engineer Scott Wilgar won best pumpkin with the design, “Skull Tree.”

With the holidays and end of the semester approaching, the November event was low-key — a grab-and-go bagel and doughnut breakfast. Thank you to the DCIO Smells Like Team Spirit Committee for coordinating and managing all the events.

Access more photos of the events below and on the DCIO Halloween contest webpage.

 

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