The holiday season is upon us, and major landmarks across our campus contribute to the winter experience. Christmas and winter holiday-related memories especially add to this effect. Various students’ anecdotes tied to specific spots on campus demonstrate how student life and festivity are intertwined with our surroundings.

MAC

Here, you’ll find where Emmett Chen (Class II) snuck up behind his good friend Alexander Meng (Class II) and slung a giant snow-packed sphere of destruction at the back of his head. While Chen doesn’t play baseball, this was the perfect place for the silent attack on his friend. “Yeah, this is definitely the place to clobber your friend in the back of the head with a big snowball,” he said.

Motley Pond

After a hard-fought wrestling meet, Luciano Fiutak (Class IV) discovered a frozen Motley Pond along with his dad, and had one thought: these were perfect conditions for ice fishing. After drilling a couple of holes in the surface, they had a bite: well worth the trip.

Dorms

Here, Abi Afagla (Class II), along with her roommate Juli Smith (Class III), adorned her doors with paper snowmen and snowflakes. The dorms are more than just a group of friends enjoying the holidays; they are a family. “The dorm faculty does a lot of work in making sure that we feel like we’re part of a family, so we always have karaoke nights or door decorating that bring us together,” Afagla said.

Lawrence

In Lawrence, you’ll find the famed Holiday Assembly, arguably the most iconic meeting of every year. Gabi Thompson (Class I) describes catching a pair of sweatpants and a bag of candy during an SLC gift toss during Christmas assembly. Even with the stress of high school, there’s always room for holiday celebration. “I would say being at Nobles brought back my anticipation for Christmas, whether it was through people singing Christmas songs, decorating Lawrence, or seeing people dress up like Santa Claus. It brought back that same nostalgia I had when I was younger,” Thompson said.

Shattuck

Currently under construction, Shattuck will forever hold memories of the Nobles community during the holidays. After winter final assessments, Jeremiah Destiné (Class I) describes walking to the now-demolished Loft and hanging out with Abdirzak Abdule  (N’25), simply talking and decompressing after a stressful week. “We were talking about a whole lot of nothing. and everything.” Destiné said

Castle

When asked about his favorite holiday memory on campus, Takeru Matsuzaka (Class I) describes making gingerbread houses with Jonathan Nguyen (Class I) and Eric Van Otterloo (Class I) at a Fellowship of Christians at Universities and Schools (FOCUS) meeting in the Castle. While his house turned out to be plagued by poor structural integrity, the collaborative environment and holiday spirit ultimately stood out to him.Middle School

In Ethan Encarnacion’s (Class III) middle school years, he undertook a scavenger hunt for candy canes in search of a highly coveted homework pass. Despite losing, he found joy in the journey, not the destination. In other words, his team lost, and he had to sugarcoat by saying it was fun. “It was revolutionary. I wasn’t really expecting much, but it was a great experience,” Encarnacion said.

Library

In our wonderland of books and research, you’ll find what Co-director of the Putnam Library Emily Tragert calls the Secret Holiday Book Exchange, where faculty spread the holiday spirit through books. “It’s a really fun way to connect with each other and share the different books we’ve loved over the years,” Tragert said. Whether it be through gifting festively wrapped books to colleagues or hosting holiday parties, the Putnam Library is a pillar of the Nobles holiday experience. 

Turf

When the Nobles Ski team isn’t gliding down Nashoba, you may find them on the turf, locked in an intense game of ultimate frisbee, or building snowmen. Regardless of whether they’re competing on or playing in the snow, the Nobles Ski team emanates holiday spirit. “It’s really special to be out there in the winter, when we’re out there playing ultimate frisbee. It’s a really special place, and it holds so many fun memories,” Isabel Goddard (Class I) said.