On the last Tuesday of the Fall 2014 semester, there was a holiday celebration on my floor. Sparkly snowflake decorations were hung up around the common room next to the “pin the nose on the Rudolph”, and people showed up in festive sweaters carrying wrapped gifts that they placed in the center of the room. Everyone attending was asked to bring a wrapped, gender-neutral gift that is funny but functional. We were having a white elephant party. At a white elephant party, everyone sits in a circle and draws a number from a hat that is passed around. In order of the numbers, participants choose a gift and unwrap it for everyone to see. Once the first gift is open, the next people to choose a gift can either unwrap a new one or take a gift that someone else already opened.

Before the gift exchange, everyone walked around socializing and snacking. There was pizza, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, fruit, and vegetables supplied by residential life. There was a hot chocolate machine, too. We got to the gift exchange quickly, though, because everyone was excited to unwrap them. Unwrapping the gifts was so much fun. Each new thing opened brought so many smiles and laughs. If someone opened something that they really liked and someone else took it from them, the original opener was not even upset because all of the gifts were good. Everyone was so clever with what they purchased. There was a ten-dollar limit on the gifts, but that did not limit the quality of the gifts at all.

This was a great event to end the semester off with. People were stressed because of finals, so laughing and time with friends was just what we all needed. Even though this was just a one-time thing, hopefully we will organize something similar in the future because it was very successful.