Holiday cheer has finally graced Western’s campus. Carols have been sung, cocoa has been sipped and most importantly the clock tower has been lit. Rain was no match for the holiday spirit floating through the misty air during the second annual Light the Night celebration on Nov. 27.
Before the lighting, Beth Wheeler, director of external affairs, gave a short, interesting speech about light and what it symbolizes. Then the men of Phi Mu Alpha and the women of Sigma Alpha Iota performed holiday carols under the clock tower as onlookers gathered around to listen despite the misty rain.
Brittany Enyard was glad that she brought her umbrella.
“It was very beautiful,” said Enyard. “It made me think that the holidays were here.”
Phi Mu Alpha member, Keith Langabee said it was a good feeling for him and his organization.
“The word for it would be inspiration from Beth Wheeler’s words of encouragement about the lights,” Langabee said. “You always learn something new.”
After the lighting, everyone moved to the Blum Union for hot cocoa and snacks. On display were different holiday traditions and information that showed the many different holiday celebrations during this time of year.
“We wanted to highlight different celebrations that are out there,” said Stan Sweeney, director of the Center for Student Engagement. “A lot of people celebrate Christmas, but there are other holiday cultural celebrations that are out there.”
New hopes for future years are for Light Up Western to expand through the campus.
Initially, there was a thought to light up all the buildings on campus, but after determining the price, the Center for Student Engagement decided to just stick with the clock tower.
“The clock tower is one of the main focal points on campus,” Sweeney said. “We thought that if we did this it would be an opportunity, not only to bring the campus together, but also to bring the community too.”
After the celebration commenced, the holiday spirit was thick in the air. It was official that Western had finally been hit with the ‘holiday stick,’ and from the looks of Light Up Western, a lot of people are excited for the holiday season.
“It’s just a time to reflect on the holiday season and giving thanks,” Sweeney said. “There are a lot of students, a lot of people, who are not as fortunate as we are. We need to be thankful for the many blessing that we have.”
This is the second year in a row that the Center for Student Engagement has sponsored a multicultural holiday event in collaboration with the Center for Multicultural Education.
Last year, the $8,000 price tag of lighting the Glenn E. Memorial Clock Tower kept the students and the center from lighting it. This year, the center was finally able to afford all the expenses involved in giving Western a proper lighting.
Sweeney said that to rent the lift and to just put the lights on cost quite a bit of money, but to continue the event in future years would be a lot cheaper.
“Unfortunately, it was way overpriced,” Sweeney said. “We couldn’t do it with the companies we were looking at, so we just did the second half.”
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