When I arrived at John Carroll, I had no idea how amazing the Christmas season could be at school.

During the month of December, every advisory at JC came together for a door decorating contest. In this contest, the doors, lockers, and classrooms were adorned with Christmas decorations. Each door was unique, each with its own theme.

As a freshman experiencing the JC door decorating tradition for the first time, it was really exciting. Lights were hung throughout every floor of the school, making the hallways glow and shine more than usual. The doors along the halls were no longer brown, but instead they were very colorful and bright. It was so enjoyable to stroll through the halls in order to see all the Christmas decorations.

Not only were the doors and hallways decorated, but the classrooms were as well. Every time I walked into class and saw the Christmas decorations covering the walls, I instantly felt more in the holiday spirit.

While decorating, everyone was involved and contributed. No one was excluded or bored. Every student found a way to help decorate and support their advisory.

I was surprised and impressed by how committed the upperclassmen were to this contest. Even though it might have been their third or fourth year doing this, they took this competition very seriously and had a tremendous desire to win.

This competition brought many advisories closer together. From working together every day, I got to know the students in my advisory much better.

Fellow freshman Chloe Macis said, “Because of this contest, I feel like everyone in my advisory has been happier and more cheerful lately.”

The door decorating competition has been a great success this year. It is a great way to get everyone excited about Christmas break and into the Christmas spirit. I am looking forward to passing on this feeling to next year’s freshmen as they experience the tradition.