‘Tis the season for some holiday cheer – and a break from finals. The AU and greater Anderson community came together last night on Tuesday, Dec. 3. for the AU Family Christmas Party hosted in the Valley. This night of fun included a chance to meet Grace and Hope the reindeer, decorate cookies, an inflatable, hear President Pistole read the Christmas story and more.
Last year, the AU Family Christmas Party was part of Illuminate: Christmas in the Valley, a “Christmas lights spectacular,” but this year, the two were combined into one event due to the recent financial shift of the university. However, this has not stopped CAB from planning a fun and eventful evening. This effort was led by CAB member Meaghan Christiansen, a junior Christian ministries major.
“We still wanted to give students a free gift and just do something Christmas for the students,” said Christiansen. “I just hope they feel the warmth that community brings. And I hope that this event gathers the people of AU because alumni and everyone was invited to this event.”
Freshman Lainey Lutterman, a marketing major, experienced this event for the first time as a student, but had previously attended with her family. “I come every year with my family, but I love it and it gets better each year.”
““It’s nice to kind of forget about finals just for like an hour or two and just de-stress.” said Abigail Cunningham, a freshman biology major. Despite the average temperature of 23 degrees and a bit of wind chill, Cunningham was not bothered by the cold. “[It’s] not too cold. I think the cold adds to the experience. It’s part of the experience.”
As finals week approaches, this event gave students the opportunity to tap into their holiday spirit. As Christiansen said, “CAB wishes you a very Merry Christmas and good luck for finals!”
