LSU Campus Life kicked off the holiday season Tuesday with its annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Free Speech Circle.
The LSU community gathered outside of the Student Union to watch the lighting of the tree at 7 p.m. while a band of student musicians from the School of Music played jazz.
Director of Campus Life Josh Finch said this student-led live entertainment is a new addition to the event this year.
Students could grab free hot chocolate from the CC’s Coffee House truck, take pictures with Santa or play in the fake snow. Mike the Tiger was at the event as well as this year’s Homecoming King and Queen T’Senre Gray and Kalayna Walker. Walker led the countdown for the tree lighting.
This holiday tradition provided a fun outlet for many students amid finals and end-of-year stress. It was the first tree lighting for marine biology freshman Malorie Taylor.
“School can be really stressful, and this event feels like something you can escape to for a little while,” Taylor said.
Campus Life partnered with Toys for Tots and encouraged students to bring toys to donate to children in need.
Finch said that Campus Life’s purpose is to help students find their community and make lasting memories, and this holiday tradition is one of those memories.
“This event is a moment of relief, a moment of fun and something that is truly a little spark of holiday magic for people as they’re getting homesick, thinking about home and the holidays,” Finch said.
The Holiday Tree Lighting was not the only festivity on LSU’s campus on Tuesday. Finch explained that the LSU Staff Senate hosted its 35th annual Holiday on Campus event inside the Student Union before and during the tree lighting. Their event created a space for LSU staff members and their families to celebrate.
The first event on Tuesday was Auxiliary Services’ Deck the Union Halls, which was in the Student Union lobby.
Students came to participate in cookie decorating and ornament decorating for the indoor tree.
There were two jars of candy canes and ribbons for students to guess the amount. The winners got vouchers for lunch at The Club in the Student Union, said Catherine Zachariah, the events and special projects coordinator for Auxiliary Services.
Zachariah said one station was for students to write cards to send to the troops overseas. Another station was for students to make candy-cane-a-grams, which contain encouraging messages to other students during finals. Zachariah said that next week, someone will dress as Santa Claus and pass out the notes.
Medical laboratory sciences sophomore Aliyana Knox decorated an ornament for the tree. She said she loves attending all kinds of campus events because she always meets someone new, but she enjoys these in particular because Christmas is her favorite holiday. She also said that these events are good ways to spend more time with friends before the semester ends.
