Holiday spirit was in the air as the Marist community gathered in Young Gym for the annual Christmas assembly on December 19.
After many years as master of ceremonies, Fine Arts Department Chair Eric McNaughton officially passed the torch to Student Council Co-presidents Cece Watson and Ryan Akin, with Akin dressed in his best Santa attire.
To kick things off, the Marist Trio, comprised of Flannery Hipp, Jane Bennett, and Lena McMorrow, opened the assembly with an upbeat western-style Christmas carol complete with cowboy hats and bandanas.
The festivities then continued with an exciting game of “Wrap the Administrator.”
The participating administrators included Principal Kevin Mullally, Dean of Faculty Molly Carlin, Deans of Students Riley Campbell, Stephen Miller, and Nicole Salkaus, and Dean of Academics Kim Premoli. Two students from each grade were chosen to wrap the administrator assigned to their grade from head to toe in Christmas paper.
Chaos ensued as the students rapidly got to work. The eighth graders quickly pulled ahead with the seniors close behind. For a brief moment, the eighth graders thought they had won; however, they were missing a bow on top of their administrator’s head. The seniors then swooped in and stole the victory.
Next up, Mullally revealed the December Illuminator Award winners. These award recipients are individuals who bring light to the Marist community and inspire others through kindness, positivity, and encouragement.
The Foundation recipient was eighth grader Emmy Ingham. Ninth grader Marya Trotman received the award at the high school level. Lastly, representing the faculty was Technical Director Anna Lee Lanning, who works tirelessly as part of the Fine Arts Department.
To add to the excitement, Mullally announced an Illuminator Day out of uniform for January 6, 2026.
The Christmas fun continued with two rounds of another game called “Let’s Make a Deal.”
Students from each grade were chosen by student council to participate. Santa Akin then offered each contestant a deal.
One person each grade could choose to accept an offer from Santa or a wrapped present.
In round one, not a single person took Ryan’s offer. The presents ranged from seventh grader Elsie Fitzgerald winning a JBL speaker to senior Kalib Kaham winning a sound box that makes goat noises.
Round two included even more ridiculous presents, including a free car, an inflatable pickle, a bacon air freshener, and a pair of Mullally’s socks.
The game concluded with the senior class selecting a mystery box or the choice to end the assembly early. To nobody’s surprise, the seniors picked to end the assembly early and students were quickly dismissed for Christmas break.
Overall, the Christmas assembly brought laughter, competition, and cheer, sending the our school community into winter break full of holiday spirit.
