nursing schoolThe annual Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) decorating contest created a holiday showcase throughout the buildings of the school.

Challenged by the JHUSON faculty social committee to celebrate and represent the diversity of holiday celebrations, faculty members, academic departments, and staff offices decorated doors, ceilings, windows, and occasionally colleagues.

On December 18, 2012, a team of judges roamed the decked halls and chose the following winners: 

First Place:

After narrowly losing top honors in 2011, the JHUSON Marketing and Communications team recaptured its 2010 winning game by bringing QR technology to the SON “door”-steps. Using a common door theme but individually created QR codes, the office created a truly scan-able, Smart Phone Holiday Show.
 
Second Place:

Team Fish Bowl (faculty located in the glassed in area of cubicles) scaled to new heights this year with their festive school of individually decorated sea creatures that almost make a trip to Baltimore’s famed National Aquarium unnecessary.  
 
Third Place:

From top to bottom, from left to right, and everywhere in between, the 430 Suite of faculty and staff created a 360° panoramic Holiday Wonderland complete with snowflakes falling from the lights. Some suspect that Santa is in there somewhere swinging from a chandelier. 

Honorable Mentions:

  • Associate Professor Mary Terhaar, DNP Program Director featured the latest and greatest DNP Cohort holiday stocking door and was a shoe-in (Room 118).
  • Instructor Lori Edwards and her class of “The Cloud 9-ers" used a “Twas the Night Before" Concept Map to shows how everyone at the SON is linked together, especially during the Holiday Season (Room 453).
  • Instructional Designer Emily Jones chose Santa’s iPAD to decorate her door with many Santa-appropriate downloadable apps. The judges’ favorite: A Naughty or Nice app to track those who did and did not participate in the 2012 Door Decorating contest (Room 121).
  • Maggie Brewer and Laura Neuberger, staff with the Center for Nursing Research and Sponsored Projects, decorated their door by keeping track of the ever changing federal, state, and university research rules, regulations, policies and forms. Since that task is enough to drive one crazy, in addition to their already invaluable service to the school, they diversified their job descriptions by providing affordable mental health care (Room 535).

Humanitarian Award:
This newly created award went to Development and Alumni Relations staff Jennifer Snowden and Carline Ohamuo for their touching tribute to the Sandy Hook School Angels (Room 209 SON House).

Almost Missed it Award:
This year’s award for the holiday door decoration that was almost missed by the judges goes to Instructor Diane Aschenbrenner for the miniature Holiday stocking hanging from her door (535). 

Special Mentions:

  • Nancy Rent in the Admissions Office created a 3-D version of the “12 days of Christmas: A Christian Interpretation.” No special glasses needed (Student House - Room 313).
  • The Suite 461 Staff lined the counters and the desk tops and the partition walls and the book shelves with a multi-cultural celebration of the Holiday Season (Suite 461).  
  • Associate Professor Anne Belcher’s Nurse Angel with Dirty Wings reveals a subliminal but not surprising message, the initials “UNC” (Room 460).
  • Alumni Relations and Development displayed perpetual optimism with a money wreath (The House – Room 202).
  • Student Services Staff Chris Boyle balanced his festive door with a pictorial rendition of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (Student House – Room 216).
  • Associate Professor Dan Sheridan and his work study students created a forensic version of “I Told You Leprechauns Are Real” (Room 426).

Other participants who helped to spread the Holiday Spirit:

This year’s judges were:

Immanuel Howell-Bey, Department of Acute and Chronic Care, Volunteeer & Chief Elf Kelly Bower-Joffe, Department of Community & Public Health Nursing, Social Committee & Director of Community-Based Elves Dan Sheridan, Department of Community & Public Health Nursing, Social Committee & Director of Elf Internal Affairs (just in case there is a naughty elf) Mary Donnelly-Strozzo (in absentia), Department of Acute & Chronic Care, Social Committee Chair & Primary Care Provider to Elves with Reindeer and other Seasonal Allergies.

Funding for prizes was donated by Dr. Anne Belcher, a multi-year supporter, the Jay’s Deli Staff at the JHUSON, also a multi-year supporter, Kelly Bower, Dan Sheridan, and Mary Donnelly-Strozzo, and all members of the JHUSON community who donated their spare change to the Holiday Door Contest Bucket located in the SON Fourth Floor Coffee Room.

To view a gallery of the door decorations, check out our Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hopkinsnursing/sets/72157632289243200/.