The holiday season at Syracuse University officially began Sunday evening with the traditional lighting of the tree in front of Hendricks Chapel.

The ceremony, which featured the Syracuse Sour Sitrus Society playing holiday carols, attracted about 100 people, predominantly Syracuse residents, who watched the lighting and sung along.

‘It is kind of a tradition, we all come here together,’ said Judy Oplinger who attended with her friend and husband.

Tom Davenport, a chaplain in Hendricks, hosted the event and announced each song as well as the other speakers.

Sitrus, which was led by director Mike Olivera, played through six holiday standards including Away in a Manger, Silent Night and the First Noel, as well as an impromptu version of Jingle Bells at the request of Davenport. The band, which is considerably smaller than the Pride of the Orange, usually performs during SU basketball games and traditionally plays the lighting ceremony every year.

‘We had our brass section play and our woodwind section sang along to encourage the crowd to sing,’ said Alyson Wasko, the secretary for Sitrus.

Wasko said the band practiced for about an hour today to get ready for the event.

‘We have done this for longer than I have been here,’ Wasko said. ‘We have a lot of fun with it.’

The Rev. Thomas Wolfe, the chaplain of Hendricks, told the crowd to remember that the winter season is not only important to those of the Christian faith. He said Muslims who are currently celebrating Ramadan and Jews who will begin the celebration of Hanukah should not be forgotten.

‘These are seasons that hold significance in these communities,’ Wolfe said.

Finally, SU’s Vice President of Human Services Eleanor Ware gave the crowd what they were waiting for and lit the tree, but not without some technical difficulties.

Ware had the crowd count down from four to zero twice ( both times the tree remained unlit. It was not until the crowd began filing into the chapel for a choir concert that look place after the ceremony that the tree suddenly became illuminated.

Not even the miscues could damper Wares message. She wished the faculty a happy season and had a special message for the students.

‘Let me wish that the students do well on their finals, so they can end their semester on a high note,’ Ware said.

Published on December 2, 2001 at 12:00 pm