Holiday Tree Evergreen

Wind gusts of 30 mph forced this year’s students to huddle like penguins for the annual campus tree lighting held Dec. 5 following the seasonal College Choir concert in Baker Memorial.

Hannah Elovich ’11, Student Alumni Council President

President Roger Casey quickly thanked the Choir for its musical feast that promised the light of hope and a better future. This year’s concert “Of Darkness and Light” included German, Argentine, and Italian works, as well as a current popular song, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," evoking the inner child in each of us.

McDaniel College Choir in Baker Memorial

Sporting a Santa-red beret, Casey flipped the switch to illuminate a  “live” balled Canaan Fir that was purchased using proceeds from recycled metals from repairs and maintenance done by the physical plant. After the holidays, LED lights will be removed and the tree will be planted on the golf course.

President Casey promises a carbon-neutral holiday at treelighting

This year’s event commemorates the 54th anniversary of the first campus tree lighting by then-President Lowell Ensor after the choir concert in 1956. The tradition began with the illumination of a pine tree, which stood outside the President’s House in view of McDaniel Hall. Although the tradition was discontinued in the 1970s due to a semester schedule change, it was resumed in 1997 and has continued since.

Planting of Holiday Tree on Golf Course will be in 2011