Christmas music blared in the cafeteria after school, accompanied by the aroma of warm hot chocolate and toasty marshmallows. Spread out across tables were International Baccalaureate (IB) students, working hard to build  gingerbread houses, creating their own ornaments, or just mingling with their friends. On Friday, Dec. 6,  the International Baccalaureate Student Organization (IBSO) hosted a Winter Social, complete with food and seasonal activities. 

When planning the event, IBSO officers designed the event around the holiday season, tailoring activities and food to match the theme. 

“ I think the main thing we wanted was to just provide a time for everyone to come and have fun and enjoy the holiday season,” IBSO officer Nandini Somarapu ‘25 said. “Thinking about that, we were just like ‘what activities could they do where they could have fun and just enjoy themselves?’”

Inspired by the seasonal theme, the activities at the social gave students the opportunity to come together and celebrate the holidays within the community of the IB program. Students had the option of participating in a gingerbread house decorating contest, making their own ornaments, or roasting s’mores and making hot chocolate.

“Of course gingerbread making has to be a staple,” Somarapu said. “We’re planning on getting a little Christmas tree so we wanted the students to make their own ornaments for it. Food wise, [we wanted] just holiday things like hot cocoa, and things like that.”

Taking place the Friday after Thanksgiving break, the social provided students with a space to recollect and let off steam after a long week of readjusting to the schedule and workload of being back at school. 

“I think especially since it’s on Friday, [having experienced] the exhaustion of the week, especially once you’re getting back into the swing of things with Thanksgiving, coming back here it’s like a breath of fresh air between all of the chaos that is Westwood High School,” IB student Alex Correia ‘26 said. 

Students were also able to socialize with one another, and spend time with their friends while taking their mind off of school and focusing their creativity on the activities. 

“It was definitely the food [that drew me to this event], but now that I’m here and I’m having fun with my friends making ornaments, [I’m] really just feeling the IB community,” IB student Lynn Lee ‘26 said. 

With the end of the semester quickly approaching and finals around the corner, non-academic events like the Winter Social can help students relieve stress and take their mind off of impending exams. 

“I think it’s going really well, the turnout has been really good, and I think it’s really helping boost morale,” Somarapu said. “Especially with finals season coming, everyone’s having a lot of IB related things that they’re doing and I think it’s just a really fun way for everyone to come together and enjoy themselves.”

Ultimately, the emphasis IB places on community helps build a network of support for students in the program, and facilitates their coming together to celebrate seasonal events and take a break from the rigor of academics. 

“[The community is] why I love IB, even though it’s a lot of work and it’s really rigorous,” Lee said. “Sometimes I question my decision to choose IB, but I think of the community and all the people and I’m happy I chose it.”