Without any vacations or celebrations to look forward to after the holidays, winter can feel like a drag. There is one exciting week, however: Winterfest.

Mrs. Kim Jamell, Spanish teacher and Student Council co-moderator, said, “Winterfest is just kind of like a winter Homecoming, and kind of a little break in the winter because it’s sometimes kind of boring.” The official name devised by a Student Council member is WACS, an acronym for Winterfest and Catholic Schools week. The celebration will take place from Jan. 27 to Jan. 31.

For upperclassmen, Winterfest is nothing new, but it will be a new experience for the Freshman Class. “Freshmen should expect it to just be kind of a fun, exciting week, and it’s not a competition like Homecoming is like where it’s so serious and dress up days counts for points. This is just very chill, and so every day is just like comfy clothes. If you went to a Catholic grade school, it’s probably a little bit like your Catholic Schools Week was,” Jamell said.

In an email, Jamell informed all students and staff about the dress down themes for WACS. On Jan. 27, the theme is “Excellence,” and students may wear any clothes that demonstrate the opposite of this Holy Cross core value. Jan. 28’s theme is “Divine Providence,” and students may choose whether to wear old school clothes or future college attire. “Integrity” is the theme for Jan. 29, and students must wear uniforms or may dress nicely. The focus on Jan. 30 is “Family,” and students may wear county garb or a sports jersey.

Finally, the theme for Jan. 31 is “All Out Irish,” so go green or go home. There will also be an all-school Winterfest assembly on Jan. 31 that will include the Golden Paddle finals in the Welch Activity Center

Unlike the previous years, there will not be an intramural game taking place this Winterfest, but for the most part, Winterfest will remain the same.