Spirited holiday decorating contest
Annual competition transforms Office of Development and Alumni Relations into winter wonderland
9:21 a.m., Dec. 21, 2015--The holidays are a time of compassion – a season of understanding, of charity, and goodwill toward all.
Unless, of course, you find yourself pitted against workplace rivals for bragging rights in the annual inter-office holiday cubicle decorating contest this month at the two Main Street locations of the University of Delaware Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR).
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In that case, it’s every elf for themselves.
Challenged to outdo efforts of previous years – and incentivized with promises of prizes – these coworkers transformed their offices above the UD Barnes and Noble Bookstore and in the George Evans House into a not-quite-yet-winter wonderland of ski villages, Santa workshops and other visions of joyfully excessive seasonal zeal.
During breaks and lunch hours, strategies were plotted. Furtive planning sessions were held under the cover of garland- and paper-snowflake-laced cubicle dividers, with some contestants staying late into the night to ensure their cubicles shone bright. Through the gray dawn, participants lugged bags and boxes from cars parked in faraway lots, aiming to out-festoon their fellow contestants, and hoping to attain some measure of intra-office celebrity, if only for this brief, shining pre-winter-break moment.
“I was like the bag lady, coming in every day with a bag of trees, a bag or ornaments, a bag of leaves,” says Cindy Brong, who joined coworkers Lauren Simione and Gina Donato to create a “ski village” complete with “mountains” of cottony snow, tiny skiers, and even “lift tickets” for passersby to snag.
“It was definitely a lot more involved than last year,” said Dana Martin, assistant director for special programs. “And I’m sure next year will be even more elaborate. It’s just going to get bigger and bigger.”
Coworkers Kelly Graf and Kelly Saylor set up a station where colleagues could take a computer-based “Naughty or Nice” quiz, complete with a chart in the hall for posting each worker’s classification. “The ‘nice’ board ended up having far more names than the ‘naughty’ board, so I suspect there must have been a flaw in the computer program,” jokes Graf, communications director at DAR, which engages and cultivates alumni, parents and friends to forge lifelong relationships with the University.
Visitors to the main desk were greeted with the game pieces and curving multicolored path of the classic “Candyland” board game – along with game-specific “stops” at each worker’s desk and an office filled with gumdrops for those who prevailed. In the Annual Giving and Alumni Marketing section, a Santa’s Workshop was recreated between cubes with poster-paper “roof” -- and of course a comfy chair for Santa Claus.
Claus, who was out of town, could not be reached for comment.
“Stepping into a festive office makes work a little more fun,” said Monica Taylor, UD's vice president for development and alumni relations. “We were hoping the contest would forge lighthearted rivalry, camaraderie and bring out some hidden talents. What we didn't expect was the sheer ambition of the projects -- though knowing this team, that shouldn't have come as a surprise.”
The emergence of a distinctly competitive energy during the contest was another predictable outcome, DAR insiders say, though none would confirm reports that multiple teases and even a few lighthearted taunts were tossed in the general direction of rivals’ displays.
Instead, as supportive coworkers, most chose to stay positive -- helpfully pointing out the clear deficiencies demonstrated by nearby rivals, and generously offering condolences on their coworkers’ loss, even before the contest was judged.
“The reason why the row next to us won, is because we made them step up their game,” jokes Becky Cowgill, who as the widely reported mastermind of the Santa Workshop theme remained clearly suspicious that the one team to offer actual candy to visitors also happened to win the contest.
“Makes sense,” she says with a grin as she surveys her competitors’ top-ranked area. “I see it all coming together now.”
Such lighthearted trash-talk proved to make it all the more enjoyable, participants say. “There was a lot of talking smack – all in good fun,” says Cheryl Rodriguez. “But it really did increase the holiday spirit, put us in the mood for the holiday party.”
It also proved to be a great way to build team connections, foster some creativity, and even proved educational, as Ruth Rosenberg discovered with her Hanukkah-themed cubicle. “This gave me an opportunity to tell people about Hanukkah and what it is,” she says. “And it also pretty much made me a lock to win the Hannukah-theme category, especially since I was the only entry.”
Even with winter 2016 far in the distance, the DAR decorators are already thinking in terms of comebacks and championship defenses.
“We’re already planning for next year,” says Martin. “And we’re going to win. We’re a competitive group.”
Article by Eric Ruth