To the Auburn SGA and whom it may concern, I had planned on attending the Tree Lighting Festivities on December1.

This was before I found out that the Univeristy was no longer allowing it to be called the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Now, in the name of diveristy and politcal correctness, the ceremony was going to be addressed as the "Holiday Tree Lighting". Never in my life have I heard of a holiday tree. That's because it's never been called a holiday tree, but a Christmas Tree. And do you know why it's called a Christmas Tree?
Because it is a tree that is put up for decoration at CHRISTMAS TIME. I don't understand how a tree with multi-colored lights and a big red bow can be offensive to some people. It's not like the tree stands on Samford lawn and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ everyday at noon like the bell tower chimes. It is merely a tree that has been decorated for your viewing pleasure becuase it is asthetically pleasing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Christmas Tree a tradition that has been carried out for a hundred years or more in the US? And now, just becuase Auburn has to be diverse in every way possible, we are going to take a tradition that has been observed for so long and completely change it?!
This is how the Encarta defines a Christmas Tree:"tree decorated with lights at Christmas: an evergreen tree, especially a conifer or an artificial version of one, that is decorated with lights and ornaments at Christmas". This is a link to an essay written about the history of the Christmas Tree:
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/christmastreehistory.html
Did you know that only 32% of US households in 2002 did not have a Christmas Tree? And I know that there are not that many Christians in the US. So, that leads me to conclude that even people who didn't categorize themselves as "Christians" still bought a Christmas tree to observe a tradition. I think it is sad that the University big-wigs are being allowed to completely deface a tradition such as the Christmas Tree. I think it is rediculous that we have to rename traditions that aren't even religiously based just becuase it might offend some people.
I don't observe the holiday tree, I observe the traditional Christmas Tree and we didn't have one of those ceremonies this year, so there was no need for me to go. Please don't let Auburn be one of those places where people can't do anything because they are afraid of offending people. If I wanted to live in a place like that, I would have gone up north somewhere to Harvard or Yale where everybody does everything in the name of diveristy.
WAR EAGLE AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Allison Youngblood
youngal@auburn.edu