Wittenborg's Year-End Christmas Drink Event Delights Students and Staff

In a jubilant display of festive cheer, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences recently hosted its highly anticipated Christmas Drink Event, bringing together students, staff, alumni and expats in Apeldoorn for an evening of festive fun. 

On 20 December, Wittenborg's Events Team orchestrated a memorable drinks event at NExTT Drinks & Soulfood in Apeldoorn, not only to bid farewell to the year but also to cap off its United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 'No Poverty' themed Project Week in the 'December' block. The Christmas event kicked off immediately after students completed their assessments for the poster competition, marking the conclusion of their research for Project Week.

President of Wittenborg, Peter Birdsall, noted that this Project Week was logistically, the biggest one that Wittenborg has ever arranged and organised. "The subject no poverty is a much tougher one than maybe anticipated, it gave rise to many diverse discussions on the actual definition of poverty. The task that students had to come up with a project plan to tackle poverty in a town, district or even country ultimately proved to be a challenging one." 

With some music, gluhwein and delightful snacks, the Christmas event further served as a platform for Birdsall to announce the upcoming year's Student Representatives (Student Reps). Traditionally appointed in the 'February' block each academic year, students had the opportunity to self-nominate as candidates, with appointments finalised through an election. The election took place at the beginning of December 2023, revealing Arvin Gharib, an MBA (Master of Business Administration) student in Apeldoorn, as the newly appointed Chairman. 
 

Another highlight of the evening included Wittenborg's volunteer choir, who made their debut at the event. Birdsall mentioned that the choir was assembled during Project Week, with both staff and students joining in. "The idea to involve staff and students in a choir has been around for a while and could later become a standard activity at Wittenborg," he explained.

The choir performed heartwarming renditions of Christmas carols, including popular classics such as "The Twelve Days of Christmas," "Silent Night," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," among others.  For Birdsall, joining the choir was an obvious choice, given his experience singing Irish rebel songs in an all-male choir and his longstanding involvement in choirs in England, where he has sung Christmas carols in the past. 

Amal Obi, from Wittenborg's Finance Department, was also one of about ten volunteers who sang in the choir. She mentioned that her colleagues encouraged her to join the Wittenborg choir, and it turned out to be a great experience. She expressed, "It was my first time in a choir, and it was truly fantastic. When I joined Wittenborg as a student, I felt linked to Wittenborg because I was away from my family. Now, as a staff member, that 'family feeling' is what the choir contributes to the overall atmosphere at Wittenborg, especially now that it is Christmas." 

Allegra Zazzaro also joined the choir as a singer, motivated by the happiness, fun, and joy a choir can bring. For her, it provides a sense of family and fun that Wittenborg offers to international students, bringing all bachelor and master students together to enjoy a pleasant evening and network. 

Carlos Roos, an Assistant Professor at Wittenborg, expressed his desire to join the choir due to his personal interest in music and the opportunity to interact with colleagues in a setting different from the office or classroom. He added, "Fostering community at Wittenborg is key, I think. Activities such as this are in tune with the values Wittenborg attributes to the human dimension of the organisation."

WUP 21/12/2023
by Erene Roux
©WUAS Press