By Anastasia Merkulova

University of Maryland students took a break during finals season as they decorated ornaments while listening to holiday music and drinking hot chocolate in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s Atrium room Tuesday night.

UMD’s Student Entertainment Events (SEE) hosted a holiday ornament decorating and card-making event for students to enjoy a festive activity before going home for winter break. 

Cade McDonald, a senior information science major and SEE’s special events and traditions co-director, planned the event. SEE organizes various events on campus, and McDonald said Tuesday’s event aimed to give students a good time with their friends.

“It’s really important to have things like this where people can just meet new people, especially if they’re new,” McDonald said. 

McDonald said that the university he transferred from did not have as many student involvement events as UMD does and that it is beneficial for students to have a way to take their minds off of things, especially during finals season.

The materials provided included Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa-themed supplies for the ornaments and holiday cards. 

Karen Messer, a freshman marketing major, made a Hannukah-themed ornament and said that she liked how inclusive the event was for students from different backgrounds. 

Participants also found this event to be a good break from constantly studying during finals and to de-stress before or after exams. 

“I know that if I didn’t go to this, I would probably be in my room studying right now,” Messer said. “It’s nice to just take a break or celebrate finishing finals.” 

Rachel Ni, a freshman nursing major, came to relax before her exam the following day. Ni said she studied right before coming to the event and that it was nice to break to decorate ornaments with a friend. 

Lillian McGlothlen, a sophomore management major, thought that the event was an effective outlet to relax and socialize with some friends. She made an ornament to take back home once winter break starts.

“My boyfriend just got a tiny little tree, and he doesn’t have any ornaments yet, so maybe this will be the first ornament,” McGlothen said. 

Students generally leave SEE’s events with a positive outlook, according to McDonald. 

“Every event I’ve worked on, also ones I’ve planned, they’ve always been good vibes,” McDonald said. “Everyone’s having a good time.”

Featured image: Craft materials at SEE’s DIY ornaments event. Photo by Anastasia Merkulova, Dec. 3, 2024.