This is a Christmas tree. It’s in a triangle shape, and it has decorations. It’s a Christmas tree. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. Apparently, in 2000, someone at Auburn decided to name the big Christmas tree they put in front of Samford Hall a ‘Holiday Tree’, even though it’s a Christmas tree. The logic behind it is; those who don’t celebrate Christmas may be offended by a Christmas tree. Being a Christian, I don’t know if non-Christians are offended by Christmas trees or not. However, I think I know how they feel. I haven’t celebrated Valentine’s Day many times during my life. It hasn’t been by choice, but still, I dont often have the opportunity. Do people around me need to change the name of ‘Valentine Cards’ to ‘Mid February Folded Paper"? Of course not! Even though I’ve spent most Valentines Days in a dark room crying while listening to my Barbara Streisand CD, it doesn’t mean those around me should change their practices.

So, we’ve established that Christmas trees are ‘Christmas trees’ and by no means ‘Holiday trees’. But despite this, the big tree in front of Samford* Hall is being called a ‘Holiday Tree”. SGA Representative and Auburn College Republican President Laura Steele made it her mission to change this. This is a good thing; however, in doing so, she apparently contacted a couple of right wing news sources.. which is a bad thing.

From World Net Daily:

“A leader at Auburn University is calling on her student government to reclaim a recently dubbed "Holiday tree" as a Christmas tree.

The Alabama school's Student Government Association has lit a Christmas tree at the beginning of December for the past 25 years, but this year, a press release announced the lighting of a "Holiday tree" last Thursday.

Laura Steele, a student senator-at-large and chairwoman of the campus College Republicans, will propose a resolution tonight to the SGA to restore the traditional name for the tree.”

[later in the article]

“SGA Vice President B.J. Agnew said calling the tree a Christmas tree "creates a problem of exclusion rather than acceptance."”

This article made it seem like Auburn made the change this year, and that B.J. Agnew was to blame. When in reality, it has been that way since 2000- before Agnew was even a student at Auburn.

I think Ms. Steele should work towards having the name changed back to ‘Christmas tree’, doing things like that should be her job as an SGA Representative. However, I’m very disappointed that she took the route she did in contacting the right winged media. There are articles about her and Auburn on Townhall.com and World Net Daily. They’re portraying Auburn in a horribly unjustified bad light while lifting up Laura Steele as a shining beakon of justice... all while the SGA and Ms. Agnew are probably getting huge amounts of e-mail from wacky conservatives from all around the country. This shouldn’t happen.

Steele

The SGA doesn’t exactly do anything for the average student such as myself, I’m OK with that. All I ask is they don’t paint Auburn, the most rockin’ place in the world, in a bad national light. That’s TheAuburner’s job. The SGA and Ms. Agnew should be getting upset letters from STUDENTS, such as this excellent example which was forwarded to me.


In Ms. Steele submitted resolution to the SGA Senate, the first line read;

“Whereas, a decorated tree is the traditional, historical symbol of Christmas;”

Wrong! The traditional, historical symbol of Christmas is the nativity scene, which represents Jesus, our Lord and Savior. It’s not a Christmas tree and it’s not a piece of stone in front of the Montgomery judicial building.

Ms. Steele and whoever came up with the ‘Holiday Tree’ idea: Your actions got me all worked up and you caused me to waste 30 minutes of my day to write this article when I have two tests tomorrow. If I do poorly on those tests, I’m blaming the both of you….

Uh oh… I’m starting to use the logic of a liberal... I’m blaming other people’s actions for my poor performances… I better go watch some Fox News.

WAR EAGLE!

E-mail mark at mark@theauburner.com