Aside from a lone Christmas tree in front of Hendricks Chapel and a menorah on top of Huntington Beard Crouse, it seems like the campus holiday spirit may have taken an early winter vacation.

‘I’m surprised at how unfestive it is,’ said freshman Marshall Moritz. ‘There aren’t any lights on the trees. It’s all very anti-climactic, even with the snow, and the Quad seems empty. I was expecting something to signify the holidays.’

Many students’ opinions reflect Moritz’s sentiment about the December holiday spirit at Syracuse University.

Despite the under-whelmed response blurred by snow and impending final exams, plenty of campus organizations are helping to stir up the joy of the December holidays.

Hendricks serves as the inter-faith epicenter of the university. Registered religious organizations turn to Hendricks for space and resources when planning events, especially during the holiday season.

Thomas Wolfe, dean of Hendricks, assumes responsibility for working with campus organizations to provide meaningful religious experiences to students.

‘This chapel is a home for all faiths, and a place for all people. We do what we can to foster celebration,’ Wolfe said.

Hendricks continues to maintain its active role in university community by hosting holiday events for the SU Brass Ensemble and the Chabad House, a home for Jewish student life.

On Sunday, Hendricks hosted a holiday concert with its choir, Handbell Ringers and Brass Ensemble. The concert featured a candle-lighting ceremony and songs like ‘The Christmas Song,’ ‘Hark, the Herald Angel Sings’ and ‘Frosty the Snowman.’ Though the evening program was mainly Christmas music, the celebration’s festivities provided an important religious experience for students of all faiths, Wolfe said.

‘The choir decorated the chapel with wreathes and garlands, making a cheerful environment for the concert,’ said Ginny Yerdon, Hendricks administrative specialist and special events coordinator.

Thirty students attended a Chabad menorah lighting Tuesday to celebrate the start of Hanukkah. Prayer and song lit the snowy night in front of Hendricks as students watched Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport light the Hanukkah candles with a blowtorch.

‘Our role is to facilitate observance of all Jewish holidays on campus. With Hanukkah, we provide students a chance to celebrate by lighting the menorah,’ Rapoport said.

Office of Residence Life policy states that students are permitted to light candles ‘in public areas designated by staff with constant vigilance by the user.’ Yet many Jewish students still turn to Chabad, as well as Hillel, to celebrate the eight nights of Hanukkah.

Sophomore Cory Weiss helped to plan Hillel’s Hanukkah party, which featured a special latke waffle prepared by Funk ‘n Waffles.

‘It’s difficult to celebrate during finals. Everyone’s forgetting that it’s Hanukkah. So we wanted to give students a study break and a place to light the candles,’ Weiss said.

Weiss and other student leaders at Hillel spent six weeks planning the holiday program, attracting more than 180 students.

Celebrating the December holidays on a university campus is widely understood as an opportunity for education.

Hillel Executive Director Lowell Lustig recognizes the importance of open dialogue and open cultural and religious experience.

‘We create opportunities to discuss the meanings of holidays and share that with the other members of the campus community, in the spirit of interfaith relations,’ Lustig said.

Wolfe also supports this outlook. He encourages students of every religion or belief to share their knowledge with all members of the campus community.

‘Inclusiveness raises questions, and these questions result in knowledge being shared. Here, the holidays are a time for learning,’ Wolfe said.

Published on August 31, 2008 at 12:00 pm