New Seuss-Inspired Holiday Event Draws Hundreds of Students to Celebrate the Season Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Students walk across the decorated skybridge connecting Lawrence Hall and Academic Hall during Whobilation!, a holiday-themed event. Photos by Dakota Nicholson '26.
"When you think of how many students might be missing home or just have been going through a rough time as finals approach, it's really heartwarming that we were able to bring the holidays to campus and offer that break, along with some furry friends."
More than 400 students turned out for the first-ever Whobilation!, a holiday celebration hosted by the offices of Residence Life and Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership (SAIL). Familiar campus spaces were transformed into a Seussian-inspired carnival of bright colors and festive decorations.
The event, held between Thanksgiving break and finals, included food from Raising Cane's, a screening of the Jim Carrey version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," activities such as airbrush tattoos, a Grinch impersonator, face painting, balloon art, and a caricature artist, and much more.
With a name created by combining "Whoville" and "Celebration," Whobilation! took place over multiple locations, beginning in Lawrence Hall, traveling across the decorated skybridge into the Academic Hall Lobby, and ending outdoors in Alumni Park, where students enjoyed getting up close and personal with outdoor animals including a cold-climate Asian camel, a cow, donkey, sheep and goats.
In addition to activities, there were valuable raffle prizes students qualified for just by signing in, such as a Kindle, AirPods, record players and more. It's On Us also sponsored a table that encouraged students to sign a pledge against sexual violence, offering an additional opportunity to win a raffled Nintendo Switch 2.
Keely Sapienza, director of SAIL, and Cindy Pietrakowski, senior resident director, came up with the idea and worked together to plan and implement it.
"Our hope was that students would feel excited to come back to campus from fall break and unwind before finals," said Sapienza. She said it also created an opportunity for resident educators (REs) to mingle with students from all over campus.
Pietrakowski said the REs were excited to support the event and even decided to dress up as Whoville elves. "They did such a great job getting everything set up and running the event," Pietrakowski said, "especially with transforming the skybridge into a gift-wrapped tunnel of holiday spirit."
Gracie Flanick, a senior interdisciplinary studies major and the program coordinator in the office of student life, assisted Sapienza and Pietrakowski in planning.
"The most exciting part for me was to see everyone's reaction to the whole thing," Flanick said. "As we set up, students started to show interest, and the number who were waiting outside to check in at the start really showed the success of the event."
Flanick continued, "When you think of how many students might be missing home or just have been going through a rough time as finals approach, it's really heartwarming that we were able to bring the holidays to campus and offer that break, along with some furry friends."
