Walking in a Winter Whartonland

With the scent of candy canes and frosting floating in the air, something seemed out of place at Huntsman Hall.

The Baker Forum, usually a place for group study and info sessions, was transformed on Thursday into a Winter Whartonland. Eager students took a study break to socialize with fellow students, decorate cupcakes and have their caricatures drawn.

Sponsored by the Wharton cohort system, the event enabled undergraduate Whartonites to enjoy each other’s camaraderie.

For Wharton freshman Cristina Peruyera, the event was a way for her to de-stress. “The Winter Whartonland was a nice way to relax in a comfortable environment that I know,” she said.

Wharton senior and cohort Dinar President Kelly McCarthy called it “a celebration for everything Wharton.”

She added that it was “timed precisely to be a stress relief for students starting to get into the finals mindset.”

The first 20 students who signed in under their respective cohorts were given free mugs. Thermoses and bracelets were also given away throughout the night.

The event, which was one of the main cohort events for students, required months of preparation and coordination to ensure its success.

“It’s something we look forward to every year and prepare for throughout the semester,” McCarthy said. “It’s always in the back of our minds as the first semester winds down.”

The highly anticipated gingerbread house building contest was the main attraction of the evening. After 30 minutes of planning, constructing and decorating, a surprisingly diverse set of gingerbread houses emerged, ranging from replicas of Franklin Field to the Rockefeller Center.

“I really loved the gingerbread house competition because it’s a healthy competition between cohorts and allows us to create something that has to do with Christmas,” Wharton freshman Cameron Strong said.

“We like to tie in the competitive aspect of the Cohort Cup with the gingerbread house competition,” McCarthy added. “It’s an opportunity for students across grades and cohorts to bond and interact.”

In addition to partaking in multiple activities, students enjoyed the social aspect of the event.

“I was hoping the Winter Whartonland would promote cohort unity because over the past semester I’ve gotten close to everyone, and I looked forward to meeting some upperclassmen in my own cohort as well,” Wharton freshman Martin Rufo said.

With another successful Winter Whartonland, it appears that this Wharton tradition will remain steadfast for quite some time. When asked about the probability of attending next year’s event, Peruyera had one word to say:

“Definitely.”

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