Students, faculty and staff members packed a decorated Young Student Center on Wednesday for Keene State’s annual Winter Celebration.
Holiday music filled the air, while students took a break from their end of semester studies to indulge in chocolate fountains,games and opportunities to mingle with one another.
Pete Dubois / Equinox Staff
Organizations and clubs tabled from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. throughout the first floor.
Director of student involvement at KSC Jennifer Ferrell organized the event.
She said it took a lot of hard work from a lot of people to make it happen.
“Bryanna Pearson, a fabulous student staff member, and I coordinate all aspects of the planning. Angela Jenks, another fabulous student staff member, created the graphic design elements for advertising. I created the call for participants, coordinated the communications and facilitated the setup and decoration of the entire building.
Pete Dubois / Equinox Staff
Over 60 members of our student staff turned over the building and completed decorating the night before the event in about one hour,” Ferrell proclaimed. “I’m just here to make sure all of those pieces fall into place.”
Student workers gathered for setup at 10 p.m. the night before, and by midnight the building was transformed.
“We put on Christmas music and started decorating,” recalled Brendan Callery, one of the many student workers who made the Winter Celebration possible.
“The building is filled with employees, but it’s also a fun bonding experience,” Callery said.
KSC first-year Molly O’Connor stumbled upon the Winter Celebration and had nothing but good things to say.
Pete Dubois / Equinox Staff
“It was a fun interactive way for my friends and I to get involved with campus activities, something I personally don’t have a lot of time for that I wish I did,” O’Connor said.
“I thought that it was beneficial to have it during finals time because it definitely took my mind off of all the work I have.
The energy and excitement was contagious and it relieved some of my stress.”
Jennifer Ferrell claimed the Winter Celebration is organized just for that reason.
Pete Dubois / Equinox Staff
“It is always busy and exhausting at the end of the semester, so the timing of the Winter Celebration tends to be suited to create just a little break before finals,” said Ferrell, who considers it a day of unity.
“The goal of the Winter Celebration is simply to bring the KSC community together for a day of fun.
Since we open the call for participation to student organizations, as well as campus offices and departments, I think we provide opportunities for socializing outside of our normal channels.”
Ferrell and other student center employees handed out over 1000 servings of cotton candy and 600 mugs.
This was the 12th annual Winter Celebration, and Ferrell’s 12th year at KSC.
Pete Dubois can be contacted at pdubois@kscequinox.com
