It is a first Friday in December 2011 at Platt College campus. People move quicker than usual. Everyone runs around with something in hands: Christmas tree and ornaments, platters of food, red napkins, baskets of oranges and pretzels, musical instruments, microphones, red poinsettias….Other people transform our general education classes into enticing galleries. Shelves display the diverse talent of our students and teachers, easels carry large canvases with fine art, a visual journal of Platt College rich life takes up the entire gallery wall… Ornaments hang from the ceiling along with large Winter Art Festivities logos, custom made crystal balls with the party logo inside is everywhere around the campus, Christmas music is on…The mood is festive already! Everyone is smiling in spite of worry – will we really manage to have everything ready at 6.30PM? And we do.
It is 6.30 PM. Our two large trees and all of the courtyard is lit up with thousands of lights, green and red balloon slowly sway in the evening breeze. Spanish live music by Cantua, a companion for the entire evening, takes you right into the party mood and makes you move into the rhythm. You can sip hot apple cider or coffee, nimble from neatly arranged trays with food, try your luck to win a prize from our impressive raffle by finding anyone in a red hat with a colorful tin full of tickets, you can have your portrait taken by our talented students, you can pick up a chocolate ornaments wishing “happy holiday” from a basket carried by one of the Platt child in a red dress and a red bow in the hair, you can even shake hands with a real Santa Claus!
Mainly then, you can enjoy Platt talent shining not only in the galleries but also on the stage – just imagine a first class piano performance of Chopin, perfectly sung soul songs, rock and roll performances, Hawaiian dance, Renaissance cannon, a touching poem performed by one of our teachers or a medley of beautifully performed Christmas carols for good night.
It was an evening of celebration: Celebration of each other’s talent, each other’s company, and goodwill to create out of one Friday evening a collection a specials moments by a smile, a kind word, a song or a poem.
I believe we successfully ushered the season of festivities and our celebration contributed to the joy in the world.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays and – JOY TO THE WORLD!
Thank you all who helped to transform one evening into joyous Platt celebration!
