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Christmas on the Hill 2009: Christmas Decorating Night

Christmas Decorating Night rolled out at approximately 9 p.m. on the evening of December 3, with School of Undergraduate Studies students in all four classes assembling, taping, stapling, and more in the Main Lobby, front corridor, Dining Room, Rotunda, and along the outside expanse of Fournier Hall.

For the fourth consecutive year, alums returned for an hour or three to pitch in, lend support, and otherwise convey the spirit of the Christmas Decorations tradition by partnering with the first-year class on its activity. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was the theme chosen by the Class of 2013, complete with images of Charlie, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and the gang livening up the Dining Room and West Dining Room. Kathy O'Boyle '84, '97 SGS, Maryanne L. Walsh '98, '02 SGS, Stephanie Rendine Morris '04, and alumni relations director Pat Canning '70 enjoyed the chance to mix and mingle with the College's newest students.

The seniors designated their space “A French Christmas” in honor of the Le Puy, France, roots of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Scarlet and gold fabric streamed Fournier Hall’s front corridor to suggest the cathedrals of 17^th century France, while mistletoe, a porcelain crèche, and other French-inspired seasonal images punctuated additional areas from the Main Lobby to the Dining Room. The Class of 2011 dubbed its contribution “85 Years of Holiday Cheer,” and the glorious colors shining in the Rotunda certainly justified the title. A special treat for alums was the strategic placement of enlarged yearbook photos of Christmas Past, especially of the resident students' annual Christmas Dinner.

The sophomores transitioned several items from their first-year experience by moving last December’s sleigh and Christmas Griffins to the loggia of Fournier Hall … but this year with lights! With the additional illumination tracing the loggia’s arches, it was truly a sight to behold.