That Carter, too. President Barack Obama nominated former Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter ’76 as his choice to succeed resigning Defense Sec Chuck Hagel yesterday. While at Yale, Carter majored in physics and medieval history, receiving Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa and Rhodes Scholarship honors. We submit that he’s qualified on some level.

Most wonderful Woad’s. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is … to go to the last class week Woad’s of the year. Courtesy of the Junior College Council, MistleToad’s is tonight. And if that’s not incentive enough, a select few attendees will receive a free Santa hat at the door.

The high road. Those looking for more wholesome ways to spend their Wednesday night could begin their freshman counselor applications, which were released for Morse College yesterday.

Not alone. “The Opposite of Loneliness,” the popular book published posthumously by Marina Keegan ’12, won the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for nonfiction, after 19,793 votes cast by readers favored it over 19 competitors.

But if you are lonely. pear yale, one of several web apps that seeks to *pair* Yalies with each other over random meals dubbed today “pear wednesday” in a mass-email sent to many students this week. This Wednesday, the email said, is set to be the first of many during which the app is particularly active in essentially Screwing students over Commons lunches.

Donation station. The New Haven Police Department will be hosting a blood drive at its Union Avenue station today. Held in honor of the late Sergeant Dario Scott Aponte — who was killed in a car crash in 2008 — the event will take place from 1 p.m. through 5:45 p.m.

Sneak peek. This evening, the Whitney Humanities Center will be hosting a special screening of the acclaimed film “Unbroken,” complete with a question and answer session with Production Designer Jon Hutman ’84. The film, directed by Angelina Jolie, will be available in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day.

Top dog. All-everything runningback Tyler Varga ’15 continues to plow through awards season as easily as he did through defenders this fall. On Tuesday, Varga was named a finalist for the Bushnell Cup for the Ivy League’s top offensive player.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY 2013 April Ruiz ’05 is named Calhoun College’s newest Dean, less than two months after the sudden death of her predecessor, Leslie Woodard.

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THE YALE DAILY NEWS