As spirits seemed down due to upcoming finals week, Carlmont’s Associated Student Body (ASB) organized the annual “Holiday Village,” a set of holiday-themed activities during lunch in the quad.
Throughout the week, ASB set up multiple activities such as cookie decorating, a visit from Santa, a snow machine, and much more to get students into the spirit of the holidays. These festive events are held during the week before finals week, meaning that a majority of students are worrying about studying and grades more than usual. Each year, ASB puts on these activities to take minds off of the approaching finals week.
“The purpose of these holiday activities is to try and get students to stress a little less about finals and get in the holiday spirit,” said Maya Blodgett, a sophomore activities council member.
Focusing on the upcoming holidays is a great distraction for students who are overwhelmed with the pressure of grades. With all the stress and pressure that comes from finals week, having outlets and distractions from it is very important.
It is essential to have a time where students aren’t thinking about stress, as it improves their mental state as well as their performance on their finals. However, it might not always appear to help. Even though the week was full of fun-spirited activities, a few students still feel as though approaching finals are keeping their minds off of everything else.
“The activities were thought out nicely, but I’m sure students, such as myself, are still very stressed,” said Laylena Zipkina, a senior.
Finals week puts a large amount of stress on students, as they have to study for tests in most, if not all, of their classes on the curriculum from the entire semester. Though there are efforts to relieve some of the stress, many students still feel overwhelmed by finals. However, finals mark the end of the semester for students, and then they get almost three weeks off. By focusing on these positives of having finals, ASB attempted to create a better environment for students.
“ASB hopes students not only experience holiday cheer around campus, but we also want them to feel as stress relieved as possible entering finals week,” said Jono Sison, the sophomore class president.
Even if these activities didn’t help every student with reducing their stress, students still appreciated the positive environment and enjoyment they provided.
“As a freshman, I feel somewhat prepared, but I am worried about a few of my tests. The activities were fun, and the cookies were delicious,” said Ava Swaminathan, a freshman.
The Holiday Village that ASB planned had many positive impacts, as the students and staff engaged in interactive activities that brought brief smiles to their faces, as the next week, they would be taking their finals. The snow machine was a really big hit, and many students found joy in playing in it and taking pictures.
“I was in the quad when it was snowing, and it was really fun to be there with friends. I can’t wait for it next year!” said Valentina Espinosa, a sophomore.
