Hundreds of students, faculty and staff and members of the Dallas community braved the cold weather to take part in SMU’s annual Celebration of Lights Sunday evening.
Sponsored by Student Foundation, the celebration began in 1977 as a way to thank university donors and usher in the holiday season. While the original celebration faced some technical difficulties (specifically 5,000 orange light bulbs that had to be hand-replaced), this year’s festival went smoothly.
The Garland High School Chamber singers, Voices of Inspiration, Meadows Chorale and a men’s quartet sang classic Christmas carols such as “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.” Many audience members, holding lit candles, joined these groups in song.
An invocation given by Chaplain William Finnin asked to “fill us with childlike awe and wonder tonight as we kindle the light of advent hope.” Later in the program, President Gerald Turner read the Christmas Story.
As T.K. Stillman lead the audience in singing “Silent Night,” Dallas Hall was set aglow with thousands of white Christmas lights. The dark night was further illuminated with the flashbulbs of cameras as groups of friends gathered together to take pictures in front of the scene.
Many first-years were anxiously waiting for the carols to end so they could see, for their first time, the campus covered in Christmas lights. First-year Eduardo Garcia said he would come to next year’s celebration, but only for the lights. He did, however, find merit in the rest of the celebration as well.
“It was amazing, because I am from Mexico and there is not this sense of community,” Garcia said. “I think it’s interesting to see how other cultures celebrate Christmas.”
Sophomore Vienna Catalani enjoyed the celebration for a similar reason.
“I really like it when people come together for as a community for a common cause,” she said.
While she agreed that the celebration went well, sophomore Lauren Welte believed that more organization would have benefited the ceremony.
“I think it should have been clearer when to light the candles,” Welte said, “because you’re suppose to light them when the songs start. They also need a bigger Christmas tree because that was the best part last year.”
Other than the cold weather, most students found little fault with the celebration.
“I loved it,” sophomore Daniel Liu said. “I look forward to it every year, because it’s an SMU tradition and I am a huge supporter of SMU traditions. They are what make a school a university.”
