The wind-down of the fall semester can be a challenging time. It’s dark at 4:30 p.m., exams loom large on the immediate horizon, and, for many, holiday to-do lists sit uncompleted. For nearly 25 years, the antidote for this stressful time of year has been Lloyd Lights, a bright spot of holiday cheer on the northeast end of Haverford’s campus.
Every year, the denizens of Lloyd Hall decorate its nine entrances (Norris, Logan, Kinsey, Smith, Strawbridge, Stokes, Morris, Leeds, and Janney) for the chance to claim bragging rights as best decorators. The friendly competition is decided by an online poll, so check out the decorations in the gallery below and go vote for your favorite before the poll closes at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15.
“I love Lloyd Lights, especially during finals when everything is stressful and the weather is dismal,” says Jocelyn Leal ’26, Lloyd’s residential student liaison and this year’s organizer. “Being able to participate in it this year — not only putting my own lights up but helping to facilitate the whole event — makes me really happy.”
In her role, Leal coordinated decoration requests with the Office of Residential Life and reminded harried College students to hang their decorations. For an extra dose of holiday spirit, she also organized a celebration for Wednesday, Dec. 11, beginning at 7 p.m. Alongside other Lloyd Hall residents, she’ll be handing out hot chocolate, tea, and cookies for those who stop by to check out the displays.
For her own display at Strawbridge, Leal says she opted for solar-powered holiday lights, a reflection of Haverford’s commitment to sustainability. However, Strawbridge’s entrance doesn’t get a lot of sunlight during the day, so Leal is content to let her peers take the spotlight.
“I still put them up, but I’m going to let everyone else shine,” she says. “The decorations all look absolutely great, and it’s been so exciting to see them all go up.”
All photos by Patrick Montero.