Top Holiday Videos for 2013

In a clever video with a surprise ending, Johns Hopkins President Ron Daniels texts a very special announcement, while the College of William and Mary celebrates the holidays by sharing fantastic sounds of the season.

American University announces a campus-wide pledge of service hours, and the University of Virginia shares the annual Lighting of the Lawn in honor of the season.

Colleges continue to make creative use of YouTube and other internet resources for extending warm holiday greetings. Some provide an opportunity to see what the campus looks like during winter months, and others introduce viewers to key administrative staff who just happen to play starring roles in the productions.

And the videos can be anything from earnest messages read by college presidents seated before brilliantly burning yule logs to humorous collages of campus and student life. 

After a thorough search through the internet and a little help from a few admissions offices, here are my candidates for the best of the 2013 holiday videos:

Berklee College:  Students join with Boston area musicians to organize a holiday flash mob to the tune of “O Holy Night” at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Dartmouth College:  “For what is a college but a transitory way station, an ephemeral experience that can only be had once…” Associate Professor of Theater Jamie Horton reads excepts from “This Dartmouth” by Jack Boger ’13 in one of the loveliest videos of the season.

Georgia Tech:  This is an adorable video featuring various gadgets magically dancing to Tchaikovsky.

James Madison University:  Duke Dog makes spirits bright à la Charlie Brown and brightly decorates his very purple dog house.

Mount Holyoke College:  College President Lynn Pasquerella reads the poem “Snowfall” by alumna Tamar Stratyevskaya ’99.

Penn State:  Once again, the clever Nittany Lion is spreading cheer for the holidays in a very special card designed just for the season.

University of Connecticut:  The big dog tries his hand at ice sculpture with glittering success.

University of Maryland:  Testudo rescues the holiday for great and small.

University of New Hampshire:  President Huddleston and Wild E. Cat get together and reminisce about the past year in a series of tweets.

West Virginia University:  The University Choir along with the Pride of West Virginia Marching Band presents a lovely rendition of “Simple Gifts,” in a place just right.

Wright State University:  President David R. Hopkins reads ‘Twas the Night before Finals” and we learn what goes down in Raiderland as students prepare for the holidays.