When it comes to holiday decorations, the University seems to take a hands-off policy.

According to Scott Curtner, director of Fountain Dining Hall, the University has never given the dining hall guidelines about what holiday decorations it could display.

“No one from the University has ever mandated that we not display certain decorations,” Curtner said.

The dining hall has changed its decoration scheme from past years, following a complaint during the 2005 holiday season.

According to Curtner, a person asked why the decorations were Christian-oriented and not more diverse.

During the spring 2006 semester, the dining hall contacted numerous religious organizations on campus to form a more diverse holiday display.

“We just wanted to cover all the bases and ensure that we have a display that everyone enjoys,” Curtner said. “We contacted Christian, Muslim and Jewish groups about holiday displays but received little response from them about it.”

Fountain Dining Hall displays a Hanukah menorah and a Kwanzaa kinara at its front entrance as well as a Christian nativity scene.

“The decorations should acknowledge the diversity of the winter holidays and what people choose to celebrate,” Bianca Trevino, a freshman in chemical engineering, said. “Although I wouldn’t be personally offended if a place I enter only had decorations for one holiday.”

The rest of the decorations in Fountain are supplied by a Raleigh-area decorating firm, A ThemeWorks, which specializes in decorating large, themed events for corporations.

According to Curtner, the dining hall no longer requests decorations for Christmas. Instead, it asks for a winter holiday theme. The decorations the dining hall displays for Thanksgiving are themed fall holiday.

“I love decorating for just Christmas, but at the same time, the campus is full of different religions,” Michael Altman, a sophomore in electrical engineering, said. “If the students want to see some type of celebration for their holidays, let them have it.”

While the facility does not have to put up decorations, it does so for the benefit of students. Curtner said the dining hall tries to put up something that everyone will enjoy and give the semester a positive end.

“I really enjoy all of the decorations they put up for the holidays,” Trevino said. “They help get me excited about celebrating Christmas.”