On Tuesday, Nov. 29, Sadove Programming hosted the fourth annual Lighting of Our Village ceremony. The Lighting of Our Village is hosted every year to celebrate light as a symbol of hope and the different meanings of light in several cultural traditions and faiths. Students gathered in the Beineke Village to watch as the area began to glow with holiday lights. Students were encouraged to light sparklers as each building lit up. This event included prizes, swag giveaways of hats, snacks and hot chocolate.

Three of Hamilton’s student a cappella groups — Duelly Noted, Tumbling After and Special K — performed at the event. One of the members of Duelly Noted, Kirk Petrie ’25,

remarked that the group, “performed ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas,’ and it was a lot of fun helping the campus celebrate the coming of the Christmas season!”

Dulany Bloom ’25 shared, “at the Lighting of Our Village I really enjoyed the sparklers and s’mores! It was so pretty to see Ham all lit up! My friends even ended up winning the raffle which was so fun and silly!” Jessie Stern ’26 commented that they “hung out and enjoyed the atmosphere, but the best part was after lighting the village, everyone lit sparklers, and it really lit up the whole area.”

Katie Stewart, the Associate Director of Student Activities, commented on what the Lighting of Our Village means to her. “I enjoy planning and hosting the Lighting of Our Village tradition because to me it represents solidarity and hope within the Hamilton community as we start to embark on the long dark season of winter. My mood always starts to take a hit during the darker, colder months, but this event brings us all together to celebrate the start of the winter and holiday season. Seeing the Sadove Terrace lit up on December evenings always brightens my spirits and makes me proud to be part of a campus community that comes together for joy, fun, and support.”