SMU students and faculty weren’t the only people enjoying Celebration of Lights Sunday night. Fifty students from Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Dallas were bussed in by Student Foundation to enjoy the festivities with an SMU student sponsor.
The elementary schoolers, ranging in age from 8 to 11, were chosen by teachers and counselors at Cesar Chavez for good behavior.
Student Foundation placed sign up sheets in its office, and SMU students chose students to sponsor. As a sponsor, these students were responsible for attending Celebration of Lights with their child and purchasing a gift for them based on the child’s wish list.
Rebecca Wolfe, a sophomore CCPA and psychology double major, was the Student Foundation member in charge of the event.
She said that in past years, Student Foundation has had to step in to sponsor children because not enough students volunteered.
“This year I am incredibly proud to say that every child has a sponsor,” said Wolfe. “We actually had more sponsors who wanted more kids and we had to tell them no.”
The children met their sponsors before the event, and were taken to the Hughes-Trigg Commons in order to get to know their sponsors and munch on cookies before heading to the big event: Celebration of Lights.
Tau Sigma, the engineering fraternity, sponsored four children, according to sophomore mechanical engineering major Daniel Windham. The chapter as a whole pitched in to buy gifts, and several members came to the event to celebrate with the children.
“I think this is good community outreach, and its nice not to just get our name out but pull the community in and, in a seasonal spirit, make as many people as we can happy,” Windham said.
Destiny Gipson, 9, and her brother Michael, 11, were both sponsored by members of Phi Gamma Delta. Michael said that they were chosen because they “turned in all of their reading logs,” and followed the rules.
Destiny hoped that her sponsors were able to get her the babydoll she asked for, while Michael was waiting in anticipation for a New England Patriots cap.
“I’m really excited,” said Desiny. “I really want to play bingo.”
Eric Sabandal, a sophomore member of Phi Gamma Delta, said that this was a “great way to get involved,” and that he was enjoying spending time with Destiny and Michael.
At Celebration of Lights, the children spent their waiting time running through the lawn in front of Dallas Hall and jumping into the piles of leaves that were strewn around SMU. They sang along with the carols and listened intently to President R. Gerald Turner’s reading of the Christmas Story.
After the event, the children were escorted back to Hughes-Trigg where they were met by Santa and two elves, one of whom was Rebecca Wolfe, who gave them the presents from their sponsors.
Destiny happily opened up her baby doll, and was surprised with a Barbie Doll as well. Michael wore his New England Patriots cap with a smile, as he tossed his new football with his sponsor. A new basketball sat Santa and the elves then led the children in games, which rounded out the evening. The children left with smiles as they boarded the bus to be taken back to Cesar Chavez.
