by Eric Kopp ’22, Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Dec. 4, students and faculty gathered in the Sadove Student Center to celebrate the first annual Lighting of Our Village, with sparklers, s’mores, chocolate chip cookies, hot chocolate, a wish-making station, a cappella performances, and other entertainment.

The event’s proximity to the end of classes and finals week allowed students to take a quick break from studying.

“I know this is a challenging time of year,” said College President David Wippman. “We wanted to take this opportunity to come together as a community.”

As the event’s title suggests, holiday lights have been put up on lamp posts and buildings in Beinecke Village. While the administration did not light up the tree in front of Sadove this year, they are planning to make this event an annual tradition and to keep adding more lights.

“Light is used quite often as a metaphor by poets, artists, philosophers, politicians, and religious leaders,” said Dean of Students Terry Martinez. In her opinion, light is the representation of community and hope at Hamilton.

“I hope that you find hope in each other as a community, as I see you using each other as a spark, to light you own light,” she added. “As we head into the darkest days of the year before we turn back and go back towards the sun, I want to wish you all a wonderful last week of classes and wish you luck on your exams in the following week. Find hope in each other and make sure you stand as a beacon of hope for everyone else.”

While outside, David Gagnidze ’20 and members of the Shenandoah-Kirkland Initiative (SKI) took a moment to pay respect to the Oneida Nation, who gifted the land where Hamilton College currently resides to Rev. Samuel Kirkland.

Gagnidze said he and SKI hope that by spreading awareness about the history of the campus, Hamilton can continue to improve its relationship with the Oneida Nation.

After moving inside, the audience was treated to performances by The Hamiltones and Special K, who sang renditions of traditional Christmas and holiday songs like “Silent Night.” Students wrote what light meant to them on whiteboards and had their photos taken. These photos will be put up on the large whiteboard outside the bookstore, where students can also write what light means to them.

The Wellness Collective, HAVOC, and Student Activities will all be hosting events throughout the week to help students de-stress in between their finals. They hope students will stop by for a break when they are able.