Tacky Sweater Party

Kicked off last Thursday night with the Tacky Sweater Party, the Christmas season has officially hit Bethel.  Hosted by the Student Activities Committee, the party featured a decorate-your-own-cookie bar, eggnog and milk, student-led classic Christmas tunes and a bad sweater contest.  I arrived at 9:30 and swiped a couple of cookies before they disappeared, then started snapping pictures of all the kitschy-sweater-wearing students that walked in the door.  While students mingled and enjoyed their cookies and drinks, juniors Aaron Rudeen and Renee Reimer entertained with guitar and vocals, complete with interpretative motions.  Once, during the line in “Dashing Through the Snow,” that goes “dashing through the snow/on a one-horse open sleigh/o’er the fields we go/laughing all the way/hahahahahahaha…” they started laughing and couldn’t stop! Eventually the entire room was laughing along with them!  It was a pretty memorable moment.

At 10:00, the music was halted and the bad sweater contest started.  There were about 30 students who participated – they each stepped forward and gave their name and a little twirl to present the judges with the full effect.  After all of the students had shown off their respective atrocious sweaters, judges Dwight Krehbiel (professor of Psychology) and Dalene White (wife of President Perry White) deliberated for several moments before announcing their decision.  Audra Miller, Chris Riesen, and April Kabagambe all received prizes (sticky-tack, tic-tacs, Applebee’s gift cards, and bowling trophies from the 1980s) for having the worst (or best!) tacky sweaters.

The Tacky Sweater Party is only the first of time-honored Bethel College Christmas traditions.  On Friday, students will have the opportunity to sing Handel’s “Messiah” with community members, accompanied by select choir and band members.  Friday evening is the Christmas Gala, a formal dinner, dessert reception at the President’s house, jazz concert, and dance all rolled into one.  Finally, Sunday is the Lighting of the Green.  After all of these Christmas events, it will almost be a relief to sit down, slow down and study for finals!  Hahahaha…