Â鶹ÊÓƵ will celebrate the holidays with its annual tree-lighting ceremony Thursday, December 1, 2011, at 4:45 p.m. on the East Porch of John Sutton Hall.
The ceremony is free and open to the community.
The event will include music by the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Chorale and Chorus, directed by Heather Zosel, director of choral activities. The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Chorale will sing “Veni, Veni, Emmanuel,” arranged by Allen Koepke, and “Deck the Halls (in 7/8),” arranged by James McKelvy. The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Chorus will present “Riu Riu Chiu,” and together the choirs will sing “Silent Night,” arranged by Malcolm Sargent, and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” arranged by Sir David Willcocks.
The East Pike and Eisenhower elementary school vocal ensembles, directed by Debbie Sasala, will sing “Welcome: A Seasonal Greeting” by Carl Strommen and “Hot Cup of Cocoa” by Phyllis Aleta Wolfe.
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Brass Ensemble, under the direction of Christian Dickinson, also will perform during the event.
A student from one of the elementary vocal ensembles will flip the switch to light the trees.
Seasonal refreshments will be served immediately following the ceremony in the Blue Room, on the first floor of Sutton Hall.
The university's tree-decorating event continues for the seventh year. Fourteen fir trees, donated by Musser Forests Tree Farms, are being sponsored by Â鶹ÊÓƵ and community groups and businesses.
Trees are set up in the Blue Room of Sutton Hall, which is open to the community during the tree-lighting event.
Members of Â鶹ÊÓƵ fraternities and sororities, the Mortar Board Honor Society, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Ambassadors, Aramark employees, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Family and Consumer Sciences Club, the Student Cooperative Association, the women's lacrosse team, and the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Women's Club are responsible for decorating the trees this year. People can vote for their favorite decorated tree by donating $1 per vote.
All funds raised from the voting will be donated to an Â鶹ÊÓƵ scholarship fund to recognize students who exhibit leadership and participate in community volunteer service.
The fourteen trees and decorations will be donated to families in the Treasures for Children program through the Salvation Army.
Tree sponsors for the event—in addition to Musser Forests Tree Farms—are Aramark Corporation; Jack and Susan Delaney, Delaney Chevrolet-Honda-Hyundai and Subaru; the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Ambassadors; Â鶹ÊÓƵ Family and Consumer Sciences Club; Â鶹ÊÓƵ Interfraternity Council; Â鶹ÊÓƵ Student Cooperative Association; Â鶹ÊÓƵ Women's Club; the women's lacrosse team; Mortar Board Honor Society; National Panhellenic Association; Panhellenic Association; Quota International of Indiana, Pa., Inc.; S&T Bank; Rotary Club of Indiana; and Senator Don White.
In addition to student participation in the tree-decorating project, more than two hundred students from Â鶹ÊÓƵ's fraternities and sororities raised $3,000 recently for the Treasures for Children holiday tree initiative. They will donate another $1,000 to the Â鶹ÊÓƵ scholarship fund connected with this initiative.