The last day of classes of the semester was upon us and Oberlin had something special planned for the students. That something special was called Winter Fest which was an amazing event that included a snow globe that people could stand in and have photos of them taken, a bouncy house, and an ice skating rink, among other things. After wrapping up my last class before the new year I went straight to Winter Fest. Mentally I was excited and prepared to have a good time, but like most things at Oberlin, Winter Fest surpassed my expectations. Within my first moments at the event, I had a delicious hot chocolate in my hand and a free Oberlin beanie on my head. My friends then wanted to go ice skating, so I strapped on a pair of ice skates and headed over to the ice skating area. I grew up in the south, though, so I don't actually know how to ice skate and only stayed on the ice long enough to take the group pictures. Next, we raced in the obstacle course until we were hungry and got some free food. The event was very well put together and organized; I could tell the college put a lot of time into planning it. Everything a person could want was at the event, from fun activities to great food to a blow-up snow globe just to take pictures in; it truly put me in the holiday spirit.
After Winter Fest I walked over to the athletic center and got ready for track practice. It was a very successful practice filled with encouragement and improvement. One of my favorite things about the track team is the endless amount of encouragement that I am met with every practice. Everyone on the track team is very caring and it is definitely a family-like atmosphere. Once I finished putting in work on the track I went over to the cafeteria to eat some food. I decided to eat at Stevie instead of A-house on this day, simply because it is closer to the athletic center and it was cold outside. I was met with a huge surprise when I entered Stevie, though, as I discovered today was the special Holiday Meal which meant the cafeteria would be serving rib-eye steak, crab cake sandwiches, and delicious pasta. I made sure I got all three food items and headed back to enjoy my meal with my friends. The food was so good I found myself beaming at my plate. I looked around at my friends and told them if this doesn't put a smile on your face, nothing will. Thanks to Oberlin's various programs that take the students into Cleveland I had experienced some of the top restaurants in the area, and honestly the food I was served for Oberlin's Holiday Meal went toe to toe with any of the food I ate in Cleveland. Just when I thought the dinner couldn't possibly get any better, though, I found out there was a crepe section for dessert. I went over to the section and asked for a crepe with strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows in the middle and the outside smothered in caramel. It was so delicious I got two more after the first one.
After this amazing meal, I went back to my warm, cozy dorm and got ready for bed. Normally, I would make sure to go to the late-night meal which was serving chicken tenders that night, but I was so full and happy that I was ready to go to sleep. As I lay in my bed I couldn't do anything but think of how appreciative I was that I decided to go to Oberlin College. It is evident that Oberlin College is not only concerned about the students' education, but also their happiness. I don't think I can find another college that celebrates student success in such a detailed manner other than Oberlin. Oberlin planning thoughtful events like Winter Fest and creating special seasonal meals just reinforces my positive thoughts.
