With paper snowflakes, string lights and hot chocolate stations, the Class Councils’ WinterFest Craft Festival turned Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room into a winter wonderland.
The event, held on Saturday, Dec. 3, featured activities sponsored by each grade’s student council. Each Class Council was in charge of a specific event. At the 2026 Class Council booth, attendees decorated gingerbread cookies with frosting and candy.
The 2025 Council organized a beanie-customizing station. Students were provided with white beanies with a Cornell embroidered patch sewn on the front. They then chose additional patches to make their beanies their own, such as adding their initials to the back. The booth was so popular that the beanie supply ran out halfway through the event.
The 2024 Council arranged a chocolate mud cake station. Attendees were given a recipe card and a mason jar. As they walked along the table, they added all the dry ingredients, including flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, to the jar. Then, they were given ribbons to tie around the jar to make it into a present.
At the 2023 Class Council booth, attendees had the opportunity to write holiday greeting cards in partnership with Bring Smiles to Seniors, a non-profit organization that connects younger generations with senior citizens in nursing homes and assisted and independent living communities. Attendees could choose to donate cards or keep them as gifts to loved ones.
The Alumni Affairs Student Engagement Committee also held a bracelet-making station. The event further included a polaroid photo booth for attendees to capture their memories.
The class councils organized the event to bring students together.
“We wanted to engage with the student body and provide more opportunities for everyone to participate in interactive activities with their friends, meet new friends, and ultimately foster a sense of community,” wrote 2023 Class Council’s president Vanessa Shim ’23 in an email to The Sun.
Amanda Peh ’26 said that the event allowed her to bond with friends before winter break.
“I went with a friend I hadn’t seen for a while and we had a really good catch-up while waiting in line for the beanie,” Peh said.
For other students, WinterFest served as a restful and entertaining study break before finals week.
“Winterfest was a great way to relax before finals started,” said Lauren Richardson ’26. “Being able to decorate sugar cookies with friends definitely took away a lot of stress!”
Altogether, WinterFest was designed to raise spirits ahead of finals season.
“We know that it could be a stressful time of the year and we hope this event could provide students with a study break and an opportunity to enjoy the winter season,” Shim wrote. “Especially in college, it’s easy to get caught up with academics so I hope students can relive some of the nostalgic memories of decorating cookies, [and] writing holiday cards.”