You can tell from the store displays — the “holiday season” is upon us.The consumer culture that goes into overdrive around this time of year has led me to be pretty cynical about the whole thing.  Growing up in front of the television, many of us have been led to view Christmas as the time of year to cash in on the latest and greatest toy.Year after year, children become nothing more than tiny pawns for the objectives of retailers: to create a holiday hostage crisis as kids put their parents on notice for their latest toy demands.It’s around this time of year that “the list” is supplied to parental units so there won’t be any mix-ups.I suppose after years of the same routine, the gullible consumption wears off. It’s obvious that getting a new iPod really won’t change your life like you thought it would.I’ve been called a Grinch when this time of year rolls around. It’s hard for me to get excited about Christmas. But that changed last week.While sitting in the lobby of the College of Arts and Sciences with nothing to do but peruse a pamphlet about graduate school, I noticed a worker placing ornaments on a tree.Upon closer inspection I discovered the tree was being adorned with the wish lists of underprivileged children from around the Baton Rouge area.It seems the holiday season has become so predictable that even the idea of giving feels cliché. But after reading the wish lists of the children it was impossible to ignore.Underwear, T-shirts and socks are the most common items these children hope to receive this Christmas.I took one of the ornaments off the tree and, by doing so, agreed to buy a child some of the items on the list.While the tacky gimmicks for selling products to children may still exist, there is a way to break into something that will truly improve the lives of others.So if you’re feeling put off by the consumerism and excess of the holiday season, try giving to those who are less fortunate.  The impact will be real — unlike that robotic triceratops you see on TV.—-Contact Mark Macmurdo at [email protected]