Orthodontic Residents Triumph in the Gingerbread House Competition
Armed with buckets of frosting, food coloring, and seemingly endless bags of candy, participants in the Second Annual Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Gingerbread House Building Competition put away their high-speeds and loupes and picked up their construction tools as they built, frosted and gum-dropped their way to candy-coated houses. The contest was held on Thursday, December 11, 2014, in the GSDM cafeteria preceding the annual GSDM Holiday Party hosted by Dean and Mrs. Jeffrey W. Hutter.
The rules were simple. Use only the supplies provided and construct a house within the allotted amount of time. Participants were provided with everything they needed: a gingerbread house kit, a tub of frosting, food coloring, candy, candy, and more candy. While outside supplies weren’t permitted, some groups got creative and used pieces of the box from the gingerbread kit and plastic wrapping from candy bags to help make their houses more structurally sound or to add additional flair.
This year, seven teams participated in the contest. The teams were comprised of staff, pre-doctoral students, residents, and one faculty member.
The houses were displayed at the GSDM Holiday Party in Hiebert Lounge and each attendee had the chance to vote for their favorite house. The winners were awarded a dinner at a restaurant of their choosing in Boston.
The teams were as follows: The Dean’s Office designed a classic gingerbread house with a marshmallow sheepdog in the yard and Santa Dean going down the chimney. The team included Director of Finance & Reporting Analytics Erica Abruzzese, Manager of Faculty & Staff Administration Kara Boucher, Executive Director of Finance and Operations Tim McDonough, and Administrative Assistant Kelsey Mussler.
The Lab and Facilities team made a gingerbread version of the 100 East Newton Street building. The team included Lab & Gold Coordinator Laila Irqsusi, Clinical Lab Manager Johnny Sihakhamfong, and Manager of Facilities & Operations James Taillefer.
Members of the Registrar’s Office took the “house” idea in a different direction by constructing a treehouse. The team included: Registrar Coordinator Annie Duong, Assistant Registrar Nikki Longe, and Administrative Coordinator Annie Nash.
The DMD 18 class made a strong showing with their traditional colorful house. Members included Scott Jegard, Caroline Michaels, Rafaella Sampaio, and Jonathan Ye.
The Geriatrics/Alumni Office team crafted a very colorful house lined with a candy cane fence. The team included Alumni Coordinator Leslie Caiola, Geriatric Administrative Assistant Leslie Gascon, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry Dr. Laura Kaufman, and Geriatric Fellow Dr. Annetty Soto.
The Clinical Research Center turned their house into a church complete with a detailed stained-glass window. Members of the team included Clinic Coordinator Carol Nicholson, Equipment Technician Roger Reizovic, and Administrative Assistant Kendrick Smaellie.
The winner of the competition was the Department of Orthodontics with their representation of the house from the animated film Up. The team included: Berokh Bavar ORTHO 16, Carmen Doumit ORTHO 16, Ana Serrenho ORTHO 16, Sara Lalani ORTHO 15, Elise Vincelette ORTHO 15, Sarah AlMugairin ORTHO 19, Meghan Graham ORTHO 17, Mary Evan Thacker ORTHO 17, Nada Tashkandi ORTHO 19, and Martha Neeley ORTHO 16.
Photos of the event are available on Facebook and Flickr.