There’s no sunshine without Justin Bieber

I’ve been at my current job for less than a year, which means this is the first time participating in the winter festivities. There are some interesting competitions around these parts. A dessert contest, which I’ve entered. Something about a holiday sock contest and a door-decorating contest.

In the past, IDEA has had some “out there” ideas. This is all hearsay and, again, it all comes from the people who worked on it… so I have no idea if what they say is pure nonsense, the undisputed truth or something in the middle.

What I have been told is that IDEA comes up with the best doors and always manages to come up short to some cutesy kumbaya-esque motif. For example, the year they put a three-dimensional dragon on the door as some homage to imagination and fantasy, like Santa Claus. ??? *shoulder shrug* Or the time they put up a collage of Los Angeles. ??? *Never got info on that theme.*

I decided 2010 would be the year that our door would blow them all out of the water. And our hard work would be rewarded with, at least, an honorable mention.

Armed with a great theme for the year’s holiday party—international traditions—I came up with an amazing concept. We would utilize all FOUR doors that face the hallway and my theme would be carried across each.

Justin Bieber Saves Christmas!

And Chanukkah!

And Kwanzaa!

And Winter Solstice!

It seemed perfect to me. If the judges reward sticking to the theme, we’d do that by putting a whole bunch of nick nacks from around the world. Who can say “no” to Spain’s Christmas Log?

If the judges wanted cute, someone has to like Justin Bieber, right? Or else how do you explain that maddness!?!

If the judges wanted international, The Bieb’s Canadian.

If the judges wanted some kumbaya b.s., then I’m sure we could have thrown a little of that too.

Here are a few of the other doors around Moore Hall that were decorated:

I don’t know which door will win. What I do know is that, properly executed, Justin Bieber could have rocked it out. Yes… could. With hectic schedules, late-in-the-game planning and other December calamity, my dream was never fully realized. Christmas will fall this year, so will Chanukkah and Kwanzaa and there will be no sunshine on winter solstice. Why? Because the Bieb wasn’t there to save us.

PHOTOS: Justin doing his thing on a bike; Christmas log from Spain; handful of decorative doors in UCLA’s Graduate School of Educatin & Information Studies