Students celebrate Winter in Whartonland

Wharton students celebrated the end of classes in style yesterday with the school's third-annual Winter Whartonland.

The Wharton Council and Wharton's cohort mentors marked the last Thursday of classes with hot chocolate, Insomnia Cookies, holiday candy and Wharton-branded gifts at the event in Huntsman Hall.

The function was funded by the Undergraduate Division.

Shannon Munyan, a Wharton junior and one of the program's organizers, said the event was meant to "foster undergraduate community" and is "a chance to de-stress and catch up with friends."

Much of the event revolved around Wharton's freshman "cohorts."

The cohorts, all of which are named after various international currencies, separate each Wharton class into smaller communities. Students are assigned to cohorts during Management 100 at the beginning of their freshman year.

Winter Whartonland included a gingerbread house-building contest, which pitted the various freshman cohorts against each other in friendly competition.

The members of Cohort Rupee, their hands covered with chocolate, took first place in the competition for their scrumptiously large replica of the Quadrangle.

Cohort mentor Alexandra House said that they received perfect scores.

Upperclassmen, not to be left out, had their own gingerbread house-building contest after the freshmen competed.

And for students who were a little tense about the arrival of exams, chair massages set to soothing background music were available in a room off the Huntsman Forum.

"I just finished my last class of the semester," said Wharton junior Brendan Glackin. "I'm celebrating before my finals."

Janelle Adams, a Wharton freshman who sat for a portrait, said she attended the event "for the free goodies."

A caricaturist was on hand throughout the evening, as well as the popular Benjamin Franklin impersonator Ralph Archbold, who took pictures with students in front of a festive holiday backdrop.

Next year, the event will be organized solely by the cohort mentors.

For the freshman class, Winter Whartonland was a way to share a final event with their cohort members.

"It's the last time I'll see my cohort in one place," said Wharton freshman Valentino Kim. "It's a good opportunity to say goodbye."

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