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A 44-foot tall tree covered in purple and gold decorations towered over attendees of the 12th annual Candlelight Celebration as they stood in line for hot chocolate, coffee and holiday themed snacks. Hundreds of eager University students, faculty members and Baton Rouge residents gathered Tuesday at the Memorial Tower to celebrate the holidays. Among the festivities were appearances by Mike the Tiger, Miss LSU Liz Dunn, Miss Louisiana Amanda Joseph, LSU cheerleaders and Santa Claus. The celebration began with a performance by University Baptist Church's Christmas Bells and continued with a dance performed by the LSU Ballroom Dancing Club. Mike Futrell, director of the Agricultural Leadership Development Program, hosted for the evening's event, introducing the performers and providing lighthearted banter throughout the night. "How about those Tigers," Santa said before reading aloud from the "Cajun Night Before Christmas." Small children and parents gathered on the steps of the tower to listen to Santa and then joined in as the LSU cheerleaders led a holiday cheer. Dancers from the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre performed excerpts from "The Nutcracker" after Rabbi Corie Yutkin from Temple B'nai Israel and members of Hillel, a Jewish student organization, lit a menorah in honor of Hanukkah. "The word 'Hanukkah' means 'dedication,'" Yutkin said. "On Hanukkah, we celebrate the miracle of the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem. Tonight is actually the first night of Hanukkah." The African-American holiday Kwanzaa was also represented at the event, with a detailed explanation of the holiday and the seven principles that are celebrated during the holiday. Joseph, mass communication senior, performed a rendition of the "Sugar Plum Fairy" from "The Nutcracker" after more than 50 students from the School of Music performed Christmas carols. "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" were among crowd favorites. Members of the audience lit small white candles provided at the beginning of the event and sang "Joy to the World" together as Chancellor Sean O'Keefe was introduced to light the tree. "It feels seasonal, doesn't it," O'Keefe said before thanking the donors and volunteers for their generosity. Cheers and clapping echoed around the tower as the tree was lit. The Baton Rouge Concert Band accompanied the School of Music for more Christmas carols as the event drew to a close. At the celebration's conclusion, students and faculty gathered around the tree to talk to friends and family about the event. "I loved the dancing and singing," said Deanna Caesar, business sophomore. "It really got me into the Christmas spirit. It feels like Christmas now." Nancy Little, marketing strategist for the Office of Public Affairs, attended the event with her parents. "I'm very pleased with the celebration tonight," she said. "I think it's a showcase of LSU's talent. It's a time to get together and celebrate the holidays." Atalecia Hudnall, business sophomore, summed up the evening as she stood in front of the purple and gold tree. "It made us feel like one big family," she said.
---- Contact Joy Leopold at jleopold@lsureveille.com
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