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As the semester ended, the Pompea College of Business conducted a fun get-together for the students and faculty to celebrate the joyful holiday season and to get in the festive spirit with music, décor, games, and food. The PCoB Business Bash was hosted at the Orange Campus, and students considered this event a fun break from the preparations for their final exams. Many graduating students cherished this opportunity and were seen taking pictures, enjoying the music, dedicating songs to their loved ones, and thanking the organizers.

The Business Bash was planned and supported by the Dean's Office, with the event's primary organizers being Dean Candice Deal, Ph.D., Graduate Business Programs Adviser Jennifer Carr, Professor Darell Singleterry, MBA, and business school students Esmiralda Amirova ’25 MBA, Abigail Murphy ’24, and Angela Carter ’24.

The venue was lit up with colorful decorations and festive tables by several RSOs, such as the , which displayed festivities of Hannukah. A table was set up to encourage and promote the traditions of the Chinese New Year by Professor Xinyi Lu, Ph.D., and Professor Bo Yu, Ph.D. The displayed the Independence Day and Carnival traditions, and the tabled for Diwali.

The fun-filled event was replete with activities such as an ugly-sweater contest, writing letters to Santa, painting dreidels, holiday trivia, and grabbing the free Christmas items set on the table, such as funky headbands, necklaces, and Santa hats. The University's radio station 88.7 WNHU played the music, including holiday songs and personally requested songs, too. Students could dedicate their wishes to their loved ones by requesting a song from the DJ, which was also a fun element of the evening.

Carr, one of the event organizers, was ecstatic to see the student involvement for the evening.

"We did our best in promoting the event, and I am pleased that the attendance was great,” she said. “Our trivia contest was a huge success throughout the evening, and I would like to give a special shoutout to the holiday tables for their engagement and participation."

‘POWER ON!’

Carr thanked the Hazell Nut Café and Sodexo for catering the event and for providing free food and desserts to the students. The students were seen enjoying the holiday food and drinks such as hot chai, hot chocolate with marshmallows, cookies, toppings, and a lot more!

Murphy, a business management major, was also overjoyed to see how the students enjoyed and participated in the event. She said it was a very successful holiday bash, and she was happy to coordinate the event with her classmates.

"It took us a lot of time, energy, and resources to organize the event, but it was a great experience and was well worth it,” said Murphy. “We were happy to see many students and faculty joining us for this event. Seeing everyone in the holiday spirit and having a good time was very encouraging. I was also happy to be part of the organizing committee as Angela and I will be graduating at the end of this semester, and we can consider this a positive end to our academic journey."

Murphy thanked the Dean's office, PCoB, and the planning committee for being thoughtful and proactive in the event's implementation and execution.

Dr. Brian Kench, Ph.D., Dean of the Pompea College of Business, was also present at the event and was happy to see a large student engagement at the Holiday Business Bash. He thanked the organizing committee and cheered them for being so determined. Dr. Kench believes that this event was quite a "culture building" experience as it helped promote the knowledge and traditions of so many cultures. He also wished the best for the upcoming finals and ended his remarks with "POWER ON!"

‘Events that spark joy’

Kiana White ’24 M.S., a candidate in the University’s M.S. in Human Resources, was a proud participant in the event, and she was happy to see so many colors and happy faces at the venue.

"The Holiday Business Bash is something every business student needs, especially during finals week,” she said. “Moreover, this event was a great way to support the idea of giving and celebrating together this holiday season. I helped set up the event as needed, but I truly commend the primary organizers, Abigail Murphy and Angela Carter, along with the Dean's office for their true determination, hard work, and due diligence."

In addition to being a participant and a helping hand, White was also tabling for the , one of the Christian organizations on campus and was able to speak with different business majors and tell them about the true meaning of Christmas.

"Through this tabling, I even recruited a few students who expressed an interest in the club,” said White. “Guest speakers and career development events are important, and the PCoB must continue its efforts to foster DEI by hosting events that spark joy, conversation, and community."

Anchal Bhatia ’24 MBA is a candidate in the University’s MBA program.