This Monday the university celebrated its 36th annual Celebration of Lights. From humble beginnings, the event has become a staple of the SMU and Dallas communities. Thirty-six years ago, Student Foundation founding President Mike Miller had a vision for Celebration of Lights. He raised enough money to purchase 5,000 Christmas lights and a new tradition was born. The program has grown over the years, and at the conclusion of Monday night’s event, nearly 138,000 white lights twinkled across Dallas Hall Lawn.
Beginning at 7 p.m., the program brought out current students, alumni and Dallas-area families who hoisted small children above their shoulders for a glimpse of the Christmas enchantment. Student Foundation provided song lyrics, candles, Tiff’s Treats and hot chocolate for all attendees.
Student Foundation President Antonea Bastian welcomed the student body as Jack Murphy introduced the first group of performers. The Southern Gentlemen crooned carols and Ryan Cole, a 2013 alumnus, made a special appearance to sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” As the seasonal tunes set the mood, attendees began lighting each other’s candles.
Soon enough the darkness of night was illuminated by hundreds of individual candles and President R. Gerald Turner was vividly narrating “The Christmas Story.” Shannon Conboy, a sophomore vocal performance major, sang “Silent Night.” Halfway through the middle of the chorus, Conboy’s voice was drowned out by the “oohs” and “aahs” coming from the crowd. In a single moment, the trees lining the lawn, the columns of Dallas Hall and a massive Christmas tree in the center of the lawn were twinkling against the Dallas night sky.
Sarah Digiovanni, a first-year student from Huntington Beach, Cali. recounted the sense of school spirit she felt this year.
“Celebration of Lights has definitely been one of my favorite events I’ve been to on campus. I’ve never seen the student body so united and it really made feel like SMU was one big family. It made me so proud to say that I’m a Mustang. Needless to say, I will be attending that event every year,” Digiovanni said.
