In celebration of Christmas, student leadership is hosting a party for all high school students during chapel and lunch, Dec. 10. For the festive function, the dress code banning pajama attire will be lifted. Students are encouraged to dress in Christmas-themed pajamas as they attend the traditional Christmas chapel and watch the 2003 Christmas hit, Elf, starring Will Ferrell.

To further emphasize the holiday, journalism adviser Greg Stobbe initiated a spirit day on Dec. 8 for students to dress in red and green.

Leadership students hope to provide a fun event for students while also supporting the Craycroft Youth Center. Each student who brings children’s pajamas — sizes ranging for ages 3-17 — for the charity that day will receive a free lunch catered by Luna’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant.

According to senior Tatiana Fontes, student leadership president, the class has chosen Craycroft as their focus this season because it is a local center that provides opportunities for neglected youth. Craycroft is an emergency 30-day shelter for children who are picked up by Child Protective Services.

“This year, leadership has decided to add community service as part of our mission statement,” Fontes said. “In the past, we have done service projects but it has never been a priority. I think that it’s important for us to focus on others rather than just ourselves or our school. We hope that the students will donate to the Craycroft Youth Center not only because it is a good cause, but also because it’s a local charity for kids just like ourselves.”

In agreement with Fontes, Robin Whitford, co-student leadership adviser, believes the act of giving to the community will greatly benefit students later in life.

“The beginning of any true leader is the act of service,” Whitford said. “We created a committee this year whose job is to prioritize service in the school through different fundraisers and events. We decided to have students bring pajamas for Craycroft instead of just donating money in order to put a name and a face to service.”

Although similar Christmas-themed parties have taken place in past years, this is the first one to incorporate a service project. However, it not only gives a chance for students to help local children and teenagers, but also to embrace the spirit of Christmas before the semester ends.

As the stress of finals begins to overwhelm students, junior Bree Ainley, social events coordinator, hopes that they will be able to relax and enjoy the time away from classes.

“We really wanted this event to be a relaxing time for students,” Ainley said. “Although planning an event does take a lot of time, it’s really worth it to see the student body enjoying themselves and also donate to a good cause. I really like being behind the scenes and making things happen. My goal is to keep improving on events as the year goes on.”

Aside from helping children in need, students look forward to the time spent with friends in celebration of the holiday.

“I’m excited for the Christmas party because we’re watching my favorite Christmas movie and we get to wear pajamas all day long,” Trevor York, ’12, said. “It will be a nice break from school before all of my tough finals the following week. I think that we’re really fortunate to go to this school and therefore I will definitely bring pajamas for the charity to give back to kids who don’t have all of the conveniences that we do.”

To ensure proper dressing attire for the event, campus administrators issued the following guidelines that students must follow:

— No shorts or tank tops (regular dress code still applies)
— Sweats are allowed
— Shoes or slippers must be worn at all times (socks do not count)
— Nightgowns are allowed, but must be floor length and not see-through
— Robes can be worn, but students must wear dress-code abiding clothing underneath

For more information or possible changes to the upcoming Christmas party, visit the daily announcements.