Higher Ed Holiday Video Countdown!

Ken Steele is back with his 4th annual Holiday Special, and this time he’s counting down the top ten higher ed holiday videos from last December, based on a rubric including production quality, acting, music, creativity and emotional impact.

The Holiday Top 10:

#10 – Elon University “Holiday Video” – A great sing-along video featuring 27 staff and student vocalists. https://youtu.be/0-pIVbnNxVM

#9 – The University of Virginia “Celebrating the Holidays” - Beautiful video of decking the lawn, baking cookies, and doing good deeds. (Featuring Holley Maher’s “This December.”) https://youtu.be/oS7rkgRjSvA

#8 – University of the Arts “Holiday Card” - Student musicians perform “Winter Wonderland” as we see artists, videographers and others. https://youtu.be/Q2tKXvdxW7o

#7 – Marquette University “Joy Is” - Freshman Ariana Madson performs “Joy to the World,” as we see students demonstrating the values of sharing, caring and kindness. https://youtu.be/OWOpJWCJCzI

#6 – University of North Texas “Building Mean Green Holiday Spirit” - More than 15,000 Lego bricks and painstaking stop-motion animation went into this recreation of 4 campus buildings. https://youtu.be/YFm-63zKa2g

The “Behind the Bricks” behind-the-scenes video may be even better – https://youtu.be/c06G0CLHutY

#5 – York University “Re-Connect this Holiday Season” - Student Olivia is heartbroken that her sister won’t make it home for the holidays, but gets a warm surprise after her exams. https://youtu.be/4KOYIhXz4JM

#4 – George Mason University “The Perfect Setting” - A diverse group of students brings together delicacies from all over the world to a shared holiday feast where they “pass the joy.” https://youtu.be/bPCezNjKuuw

#3 – Otago Polytechnic “Merry Christmas” - A senior executive “Christmas Squad” comes to the rescue as a group of students suffers through noodles for Christmas. https://youtu.be/u8dbPeBMCgA

#2 – Azusa Pacific University “Christmas Lights” - Students in residence reach out with a puzzling gift: light bulbs. But the lights awaken fond childhood memories of stringing Christmas lights, and ultimately build a community based on a gift of hope. https://youtu.be/IVKg2umsFMI

#1 – University of Connecticut “Warm Holiday Wishes” - uConn mascot husky Jonathan travels the campus with mistletoe, kissing students and staff. https://youtu.be/EhObu7AruiA

Also worth a watch is the uConn blooper video - https://youtu.be/_83vNKE8Ubk

We missed “Happy Holidays from all Huskies at Heart” back in 2015 - https://youtu.be/FU6caXxn8Kg


Honourable Mentions:

University of La Verne – https://youtu.be/rje5PQCEL3Q
Branksome Hall “Spread the Love” – https://youtu.be/SHzSjig3280
Branksome Hall ARLA music video – https://youtu.be/dKSYkNDarKA
University of Toronto Mississauga “Holiday Chemistry” – https://youtu.be/tPlMZADyHUg
Southern Connecticut State University - https://youtu.be/VWC4Xy12Zpg

Happy Holidays!