Last Friday night, Cairn celebrated Christmas with the annual Starry Night event. Student Life and Campus Services decorated the walkway with lights, arches, and, for the first time, a real Christmas tree. Student Life set up tables full of cookies and large pots of cocoa and cider as Christmas classics wafted through the air. On top of the new addition of the Christmas tree, this year everyone received presents from under the tree. There were baskets of goody bags filled with various candies, which were available for all who attended. Dean Porcella and a few student volunteers could be spotted passing them out. 

Students had mixed feelings about Starry Night this year. Students commented that the campus was well decorated, and many liked the candy presents under the tree, but some found the whole event underwhelming. One anonymous student expressed that she missed the extravagant events of the 2017 Starry Night, which included ice-less ice skating. Another student, Ashley Adams, commented that the lights, candy, and carriage rides were cool, “but I wish they had various events along the walkway.” Overall, it seems that Starry Night was a nice break from preparation for finals week, but it was not what many older students hoped for in light of previous years. 

In contrast, the Christmas at Cairn concerts drew their usual crowds of people. With performances from the Handbell Choir, the Gospel Choir, and some individual students, the concert was a resounding success. Even with two concerts in one night, everyone performed well and impressed the audience. Dr. Harding and Mr. Borrmann brought the Christmas chapel tradition of playing Sleigh Ride together on the same piano to the concert. Students who have seen it time and time again were buzzing with excitement as they anticipated the duo’s performance, and the outside guests were smiling and laughing as they experienced it for the first time. 

Regardless of what you may think about Cairn’s Christmas celebration, it is important to remember that a lot of people made these events possible. We would like to extend a thank you to Student Life, Campus Services, the School of Music, and everyone else that made Christmas such a priority at Cairn.