NATCHITOCHES – Santa and his elves got down to business this week as Mr. and Mrs. Claus and the Grinch joined staff from Northwestern State University’s Business Affairs Department in entertaining students from the Marie Shaw Dunn Child Development Center.
Business Affairs has in previous years opened the doors of St. Denis Hall to the three- and four-year-olds for Halloween trick-or-treating with elaborate costumes and fun decorations. COVID-19 halted that annual event two years in a row and this December, staff decided it was time to bring back the magic by creating a Christmas wonderland in St. Denis.
Peggy Crowder, Travel, said hosting the CDC kids for fun and treats is something the NSU staff in Business Affairs had always looked forward to. NSU Fine and Graphic Art students Mickayla Love and Zander Leone painted the front windows of the building with Christmas scenes while staff plastered every surface inside with colorful decorations reflecting a theme for each hall – a barn with Santa’s reindeer, a winter Candy Land and Whoville with the Grinch’s lair, which CDC students voted as their favorite. Students brought handmade Christmas cards for their friends in Business Affairs, had their picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus and got a goodie bag on their way out.
NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones was on hand to visit with the youngsters as they followed along with a narrative through each hallway. He said Business Affairs personnel have set the bar very high for what he hopes will become an annual event. NSU CFO Pat Jones applauded the employees for their enthusiasm after two challenging years and thanked Leslie Gruesbeck, head of Fine and Graphic Art, for selecting art students to do window paintin
Anne Michael DeBlieux was celebrating her fifth birthday when her class at the Child Development Center visited St. Denis Hall, where Santa and Mrs. Claus gave each of the preschoolers a goodie bag. Anne Michael is the daughter of NSU alumni Dillon and Lincoln DeBlieux.
NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones visited with CDC students Gray Erikson and Amelia Demery when their class visited St. Denis Hall where the Business Affairs staff created a winter wonderland for the preschoolers.
CDC Director Faith Stanfield snapped a picture of NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones putting the Grinch in a headlock when the staff of Business Affairs hosted three and four-year-old students for a holiday event. The Grinch was voted the favorite by the preschoolers.
