Gingerbread House Competition Returns at CUIMC Holiday Tea Party
At this year’s CUIMC Holiday Celebration, faculty and staff enjoyed hot tea, sandwiches, and pastries, admired the entries in the second CUIMC gingerbread house competition, and donated toys for the annual CUIMC Holiday Toy Drive.
More than 100 toys were donated during the event, adding to the more than 800 toys donated at locations around campus. The donations will be given to five community organizations in the Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods: Mama Tingo’s Day Care, Fort George Community Enrichment Center Headstart, the 33rd Precinct Community Council, the Washington Heights Child Care Center, and Fort Washington Collegiate Church’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Toy Giveaway.
Toy collection continues through Wednesday, Dec. 18, along with the Support Local Science Programs initiative. Learn more about the toy drive and consider using the Amazon Wishlist to donate.
More than 100 toys were donated during the holiday tea party, adding to the more than 800 toys donated at locations around campus. The toy drive was coordinated by the Office of Academic and Community Partnerships.
The Dec. 10 celebration followed a lighting celebration the previous week on Haven Plaza, where trees on the plaza were lit up in an array of lights. The lighting event also featured a caroling performance from community partners the Washington Heights Choir School and Iconos Kids, and refreshments and treats were available for attendees, including Washington Heights community members.
The lighting event on Dec. 10 featured a caroling performance from community partners the Washington Heights Choir School and Iconos Kids.
Additionally, on Dec. 16, the Jewish Cultural Employee Resource Group hosted a dreidels and donuts event on Haven Plaza in celebration of Hanukkah, which begins at sundown on Dec. 25 this year.
Gingerbread House Competition
The holiday tea party featured the return of the CUIMC gingerbread house competition. This year, 47 teams entered the highly competitive contest and filled the two-room lounge at 50 Haven Ave. More than 250 employees overall participated in the competition.
Six winning teams were announced in two categories: “Classic Gingerbread House” category and “Best Representation of the Work You Do and/or Function at CUIMC” category.
Classic Gingerbread House Category
- 1st Place: College of Dental Medicine
Team Leader: Dania Acosta
All team members: Jessica Skiba, Christian Lopez, Dania Acosta, Jennifer Wallace, Ana Jacobo, Sharely Santos, Matilde Gonzalez, Shanki Foy, Denise Chalen, Lisa DeVivo, Yolanda Harris-Ayo, Kavita Persaud, Susan Gu, Mercedes Olivero, Elizabeth Lang, Altagracia Aristy, Natalie Clasp, Laura Tejeda, and Kat Peña - 2nd Place: Ho Ho Hooligans
Team Leader: Alana Santiago
All team members: Alana Santiago, Sandy Song, Jerina Carmona, Danielle Rojas, Isabella Wang, and Jacqueline Nacipucha - 3rd Place: Beary Christmas CUIMC
Team Leader: Sandra Minchala
All team members: Sandra G. Minchala, Kunsorya Chhea, Catalina Alvarez, and Yejin Lee
Best Representation of the Work You Do and/or Function at CUIMC
- 1st Place: Health Sciences Library
Team Leader: Madison Jurgens
All team members: Madison Jurgens, Elaine Li, Melissa Mendelson, John Usseglio, Debbie Serrano, Katherine Satriano, Ricardo Andrade, Michael Koehn, Gene Roberts, and Rebecca Kennison - 2nd Place: Office of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Team Leader: Jyoti Kaushal
All team members: Ranjana Hernandez, Amanda Blanchard, Olivia Haag, Stuart Deans, Jacquelina Gonzalez, Nur Ozten-Kandas, Jyoti Kaushal, Jennifer Emrich, and Valerie Austyn - 3rd Place: Office of Educational Initiatives, MSPH
Team Leader: Sophia Leon
All team members: Sophia Leon, Troy Hoffman, Elizabeth Schroeder, Helen de Pinho, Laurie Hyppolite, Ivy Green, Patrick Kachur, Chelsea Kolff, and Latoya Hart
More Photos
The holiday tea party event included a photo booth with props.
At the holiday tea party, a variety of refreshments and snacks were available, including tea sandwiches, samosas, and pastries.
Jim McKiernan, interim dean of VP&S, and Katrina Armstrong, interim president of Columbia University in the City of New York, announced the winners of the gingerbread house competition.
References
All photos by April Renae. Video by Rudy Diaz, CUIMC Office of Communications.