What is SUA Doing to Get in the Holiday Spirit?
The spirit of the Christmas season is in full force this December at St. Ursula, from pep rallies to hot chocolate, and an appearance by jolly old St. Nick himself. Around every corner, from Keller to East, the gym to the chapel, there’s an elf, an inflatable Santa, and holiday music to lift your spirits and remind us that it’s time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Winter Pep Rally
The Christmas pep rally took place November 22 in the SUA gym. Students were encouraged to wear Christmas pajamas to school, and participated in a Christmas tree decorating relay race, a snowball fight with the Ursula staff, and a class gift wrapping battle, to name a few. The Grinch and Buddy the Elf even made special appearances, courtesy of Mr. Heizman and Dr. Whitfield. The SUA Guitar Ensemble wowed us with their electric guitar talents that had the whole school wanting to hear more, while the sophomore class won bragging rights by outsinging their peers in a classic Christmas carol battle led by SUAVE.
Cocoa and Christmas
Every Friday morning in December, Campus Ministry Council has been hosting “Cocoa and Christmas” for students and faculty who would like to enjoy a warm cup of hot chocolate before school and reflect on the Advent season with their peers. Hot chocolate and camaraderie are a great way to start the gold day!
Christmas in the Library
SUA librarian Ms. Herald organized Elf trivia, Christmas card making, and Christmas charades in the East foyer this past Thursday. Donuts were an added incentive to get the creative juices flowing.
St. Nick Surprise Gifts
On December 6, to the surprise of many, St. Nick made his annual appearance at SUA. He left each student an adorable blue blanket with yellow embroidered “SUA” in one corner - a warm fuzzy gift to keep us all cozy this holiday season. Speaking from personal experience, the blanket is incredibly comfy.
Campus Decoration
From the gym to the library, SUA is decked out in festive decorations. The gym has massive Santa inflatables, Christmas lights, and decorative ornaments. SUA’s parlors have three Christmas trees and a nativity set on the piano.
SUAVE Performances
SUAVE, St. Ursula’s Vocal Ensemble took a more formal approach to the holiday with two wonderful performances. The full department concert featured the vocal ensemble, symphony, orchestra, and guitar ensemble. SUAVE hosted an exclusive showcase on Friday, December 10.
Spirit Week
Student Council had planned an action-packed week for our last five days before exams. 12/13 was kicked off wearing Christmas sweaters (not just the ugly ones!), followed by themes of Winter Wonderland, Christmas characters, Grinchmas, and Christmas pajamas. During lunch you can expect Christmas bingo, The Price is Right, gingerbread house making, reindeer ring toss, and numerous other entertainment.
After such an action-packed December, students will certainly need some down time to recover from all these holiday festivities. Many thanks to all the teachers, support staff, and all the student organizations that developed the programming that we have all enjoyed this month. This Ursula community shines brightly this December as we celebrate Jesus’ birth, and the ability for each of us to write a new chapter in the coming year. Enjoy these last two weeks of 2021 fellow students, and look forward to the promise of the coming year.
Postscript: Struggling This Holiday Season?
While Ursula will be alive with holiday spirit this December, we know that this time of the year may be difficult for some students. If you’re struggling during this holiday season, consider confiding in a friend or stopping by the SUA counseling department for support. Don’t forget about our resident furry friend Angelo, who is always eager to cheer up any student needing a little encouragement.