Posted on 12/07/2005 7:41:58 AM PST by Pikamax
Holiday season brings out campus multiculturalism By Ellen Burke Staff Reporter December 07, 2005
As the sun sets on the Capstone, simple white lights shine from a tree in front of the Rose Administration Building as workers assemble the final branches. But there's a mystery about the tree - it has no name.
Across the nation, debates rage about whether trees on public property should be designated as Christmas trees or as "holiday" trees, incorporating other religious holidays into the meaning of the tree.
The UA tree hasn't been named and won't be, UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen said.
"If people want to refer to it as a 'Christmas tree' or as a 'holiday tree,' it's up to them," she said.
The artificial tree, which was donated to the University in 2003, will not have ornaments or other features recognizing other religious holidays. It is only decorated with white lights, Andreen said.
The issue has heated up at Auburn University. In a meeting that drew 70 spectators, Auburn's SGA senate voted Monday to keep a lighted tree on campus called the "Holiday Tree" instead of changing its name to the "Christmas Tree," the Auburn Plainsman reported.
Andreen said the University does not have any policy that symbols of other religions must be in place if a Christmas display is put up on campus, but many such displays seem to follow that idea.
Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa are represented in a display in the Ferguson Center.
Jane Stanfield, assistant vice president for international education and global affairs for the Capstone International Center, said it is important to remember that though the majority of students celebrate Christmas this time of year, other religions' most significant holy days occur at different times during the year or even change from year to year.
The center puts up displays not only for Christian and Jewish holidays, but also for Islamic, Hindu and Shinto holidays, along with Kwanzaa, she said.
Alicia Browne, spokeswoman for UA Housing and Residential Communities, said officials realize students have different religious beliefs and celebrate different holidays.
"Most residents celebrate Christmas but are probably interested in learning about other traditions. The RAs do a good job at paying attention to other holidays," she said.
Even the UA Counseling Center is incorporating multiculturalism into its holiday "Night of Relaxation" on Thursday.
Jennifer Turner, coordinator of clinical services, said students can get together and decorate cards and cookies for the holiday season, but the cards and cookies won't focus only on Christmas.
Since Hanukkah's starting dates change from year to year, the Jewish holiday sometimes starts before students get out of school for the semester break. While Hanukkah starts on Dec. 25 this year, it started on Dec. 7 in 2004, nearly 10 days before the end of finals week.
Adam Dayan, a senior majoring in biological and chemical engineering who is Jewish and originally from Israel, said Americans seem to be recognizing other religious holidays more.
"I am less surprised to see the integration of Hanukkah and Christmas during my fourth year here, far from my amusement when I first arrived at the U.S.," Dayan said.
Please it is AUBURN UNIVERSITY. Not University of Auburn. That is like scrapping fingernails on a blackboard to me. It just ain't right.
It appears this was a bad decision made by some administration types. I understand from my daugher ( a junior at Auburn) there is quite a controversy about this. School is out soon and it won't be changed this year, but I bet it won't be misnamed next year.
War Eagle!
There is no issue of names. Do I really have to hijack the thread to explain it to you or can we just let it go saying you have been informed wrong?
War Eagle!
I teach at Auburn. I and my students are calling the big lit-up tree the "Christmas Tree". If Ward Churchill has the academic freedom to call 9/11 victims "Little Eichmanns" (the notorious Nazi subordinate of Adolph Hitler who drafted the policy to industrially exterminate the Jews), then I have the same freedom to call this a Christmas tree.
Bottom line here: Christmas is an official United States federal holiday. As an official government holiday, each and every American can celebrate it or not as they see fit. Us Christians can thank God for sending his Son, and other religions those folks can thank whoever for the day off.
College Republicans site for Auburn Univ. -
http://www.auburn.edu/aucr/officers.htm
Laura Steele is the person who was on with Hannity yesterday. Sean invited her onto Hannity & Colmes for an upcoming show as well.
Correction above: "and AS FOR those other religions...."
The "Crimson Tide"
The University of Alabama’s early teams were not always known as The Crimson Tide. Early media reports refer to the team as "The Varsity" or "The Crimson White" in reference to the school’s colors. "The Thin Red Line" was also made popular by sport’s writers. After an Alabama-Auburn game in which Auburn was favored to win, the team was able to hold Auburn to a 6-6 tie. The game was played in a sea of red mud, and sport’s writer Hugh Robert’s coined the name "The Crimson Tide, and Zepp Newman of the Birmingham News made the name popular.
The Elephant Mascot
In 1930 during an Alabama-Ole Miss game Coach Wallace Wade started his second string in the first quarter, they were still bigger than the Ole Miss team, but Ole Miss hung in there . . . "The Alabama team of 1930 is a typical Wade machine, powerful, big, tough, fast, aggressive, well schooled in fundamentals, and the best blocking team for this early in the season that I have ever seen. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes", wrote Everett Strupper four weeks earlier. After the game Strupper wrote" At the end of the (first) quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, hold your horses the elephants are coming’, and out stamped this Alabama varsity". After that other writers started referring to the Alabama linemen as Red Elephants. The "Red Elephant" team of 1930 shut out eight opponents had an overall record of 10-0, allowed 13 points, and scored 217, and became National Champions by defeating Washington State 24-0, in the Rose Bowl.
Call me Deacon Blues.
I was waiting for somebody to say that.
See post #18.
No its called a Christmas Tree,
this is culture war....those who shrink from it should move over.
i'm proud ya'll are fighting back
the same folks who are trying to minimize Christmas wish to minimize everything about our common culture here MOST hold dear.
don't give up...that's what they are counting on
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
this is the dumbest thing i've ever heard (okay--exaggeration)... however, why have a "Christmas Tree" at all if the holiday itself is offensive? so--do we call the Menorah a "Holiday Candelabera?"
Yup! We're singing Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down":
Well I won't back down
No I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
No I'll stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin me down
gonna stand my ground
... and I won't back down
Chorus:
(I won't back down...)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(and I won't back down...)
hey I will stand my ground
and I won't back down
Well I know what's right, I got just one life
in a world that keeps on pushin me around
but I'll stand my ground
...and I won't back down
(I won't back down...)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(and I won't back down...)
hey I will stand my ground
(I won't back down)
and I won't back down...
(I won't back down...)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(I won't back down)
hey I won't back down
(and I won't back down)
hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(and I won't back down)
hey I will stand my ground
(and I won't back down)
and I won't back down
(I won't back down)
No I won't back down...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.