Let's enjoy an International Holiday together by embracing each other's holiday traditions. A Christmas Tree will be set up in the atrium however we encourage and welcome everyone to please incorporate your holiday favorites by bringing in items that best represents your holiday tradition. We will use them to decorate the atrium [cid:image003.png@01CA78DF.9CEC9170] Birck Nanotechnology [cid:image004.png@01CA78DF.9CEC9170][cid:image005.png@01CA78DF.9CEC9170]Center Holiday Party Carry-In For Faculty & Staff Join your colleagues for Holiday fun Friday, December 18, 2009 11:00 to 1:30 BIRCK ATRIUM * Don't be left out in the cold. Join in the White Elephant Swap at 12 Noon. * Bring A fun, gift-wrapped item if you wish to participate in the White Elephant Swap (if a new item please limit to $5). Any questions: Please see rules of white elephant game posted at the Atrium Front Desk [cid:image006.png@01CA78DF.9CEC9170]Please Bring a Dish to Share: Main course will be proved by Tim Sands and Monica Allain Last Name Beginning With: A-F = Desserts / Beverages G-Q = Appetizers/Dips R-Z = Side dishes/Casseroles

From Wikipedia: Gifts are wrapped, but are not labeled to reflect a specific sender or recipient. Gifts are typically inexpensive, humorous items or used items from home; the term white elephant<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant> refers to a gift whose maintenance cost exceeds its usefulness. All participants draw a number (from a hat, perhaps) to determine their order. The participant with #1 unwraps any gift from the pile and then shows it to everyone. Each successive participant, in the order determined from the drawing, can either 1) "steal" an already opened gift (if there's one they really like) or 2) be adventurous and go for a wrapped gift from the pile. If the participant chooses to steal, the person whose gift is stolen now repeats his turn and either 1) steals another person's gift (he cannot immediately steal back the gift that was just stolen from him) or 2) unwraps a new gift. This cycle of stealing can sometimes continue for a long time, until a new gift is chosen, at which point the turn is passed to the participant with the next number from the drawing. Since items can be stolen, the item in your possession is not yours until the game is over. However, we may amend the rule by declaring a gift "dead" or "safe" after it has been stolen a certain three times). The game is over once all the numbers have been called and everyone has had a turn.