The Entertainment Committee’s (EC) annual Winter Wonderland celebration was a spectacular way to celebrate the start of the holiday season on campus. It was the product of many student organizations and individuals coming together to create a fun night for all. The Stute had the opportunity to speak with Sara Wolf, the Festivities Director of EC, and she shared her experience in making this event happen.
One of Wolf’s favorite parts of Winter Wonderland is that there is so much to do and so much happening at once. There were many things that have become staples of the night, such as live performances by a multitude of students and student organizations, food and beverages, chances to win gift baskets and other giveaways, and a photobooth for creating tangible memories. Special aspects of the event included a Holiday Duck Market in which students could promote and sell goods from their own small businesses, presentations from Cultural Organizations regarding their own holiday customs, the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony performed by Attila the Duck, and of course the most anticipated, the third annual Santa Competition.
The Santa Competition is a chance for student organizations to compete for the title of “Stevens Santa,” a title highly coveted by both The Stute and Student Government Association (SGA). Both sides, desperate to outdo the other, waged a massive (prank) war on each other, with the Stute delivering the final blow in style: newspapering the SGA office. However, neither side won, as it was Sigma Delta Tau that took home the title of “Stevens Santa” this year. When asked to comment on Santa Competition and about the Stute vs SGA rivalry, Wolf acknowledged that the Stute did score higher than the SGA, and that both organizations are advised to listen to more holiday music for future competitions.
When asked about the event planning process for Winter Wonderland, Wolf stated how all the preparations took about a month, a relatively short time frame allowed by the fact that it is a campus tradition and that the overall agenda stays mostly the same from year to year. Despite this, she is excited to see what changes will be incorporated for Winter Wonderland’s 10th anniversary in the near future. In regard to her favorite part of the event, countdown to the tree lighting was her favorite. She also shared, “The last two years, I had the pleasure of watching Garrett Horwath and Corey Batchelder run the on-campus team of EC, and I was so excited to take the reins this year! To follow in the footsteps of these very passionate leaders was a very big moment for me.” When asked about future Winter Wonderlands, Wolf shares that she is excited for what the next person does, and that all organizations on campus play a massive role in the success of this event. She’s grateful for the relationships made between them and EC and hopes the collaboration would continue.
