Brown and White Vol. 125 no. 24

              Vol. 125 No. 24
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
‘All the Lehigh News First’
THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
SPORTS
Men’s basketball beats UMBC, 70-68
Page 12
ONLINE
Poll: What makes the ideal holiday gift?
thebrownandwhite.com
Saxbys: New off-campus hot spot
Page 5
LIFESTYLE
Christmas comes to Bethlehem
B&W photo by MATT FEINMAN
This Christmas tree in front of the Bethlehem SteelStacks represents the Christmas spirit of the city. It, like many others, was placed around town to demonstrate holiday cheer.
Students enjoy festive cookie, cupcake event
Menorah lighting brightens Hanukkah spirit on campus
B&W photo by JOANNE CHOU
This menorah outside of Linderman Library was lit during Hanukkah to represent the celebration that took place earlier this semester.
By MEGAN WOOLBERT
The Lehigh community was invited to celebrate Hanukkah with the lighting of the Grand Menorah Wednesday, Nov. 27, outside of Lindeman Library.
Students and faculty gathered on the path leading up to the library on Wednes­day to recite the Hanukkah blessing, light the Menorah, enjoy traditional Jewish food and listen to lively music in great company.
This year Hanukkah began on the eve­ning of Nov. 27 and ended on Thursday, Dec. 5.
The holiday demonstrates the power of a miracle through the humanism of the Jewish people and is celebrated by the consecutive kindling of eight lights.
At the heart of the festival is the nightly lighting of the Menorah. Only the shamus and the first candle are lit on the first night. A candle is added on each subsequent night of Hanukkah, until eight candles are lit on the final night of Hanukkah.
The word Hanukkah means
See MENORAH Page 4
By REBECCA FACTOR and CHRISTINA CAVANAUGH
Every year during the Christmas season, hundreds of tourists pour into Historic Bethlehem to experience the holiday spirit and events the city has to offer. Whether it be ice sculpting or tasty food, there is bound to be some­thing for everyone to enjoy.
Across the river to the north of Lehigh’s campus is the beautiful North Side Beth­lehem. But students may not know that the city is a major destination for tourists who want to indulge in all things Christmas-related.
The city was christened “Bethlehem” on Christmas Eve in 1741 by Moravian Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf. In 1937, the Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign to dub Bethlehem the official “Christ­mas city” of the United States. Since then, Bethlehem has become a place rich in holiday spirit and traditions.
Bethlehem offers several events, tours and festivals throughout the month of December where people can learn the history of Christmas. Just driving through the North Side, the holiday cheer is con­tagious. Visitors and residents alike are wowed annually by horse-drawn carriages; 35,000 lights adorning the city’s streets; 35 festive wreaths; and 26 decorated Christmas trees.
The 5,000-square-foot Le­high & Keystone Valley Mod­el Railroad Museum is open from the day after Thanksgiv­ing until the new year; for just $7, visitors can experience a model railroad and learn about the history of the system that crisscrossed the nation.
The “Pass Into History” also allow visitors to take a step back in time; the Keme­rer Museum of Decorative Arts is the only museum of its type—an exclusive highlighter of decorative arts—in the state, while the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem highlights the history of the city itself, in­cluding multiple aspects of life in early Bethlehem. Guests are
See CHRISTMAS Page 3
By ANNA BOLD
University Productions hosted a holiday cookie and cupcake decorating event Dec. 5 in Lamberton Hall.
About 150 students attend­ed the afternoon gathering for a chance to decorate delicious treats. Cookies and choco­late cupcakes were available to decorate with vanilla and chocolate frosting; they could then be topped with colored sprinkles. Hot chocolate was also available to the attendees.
Members of University Pro­ductions, who donned Santa hats for the event, dotted the hall.
“We wanted to do some­thing before finals that people could come out, have a good time before everyone has to study,” said Tierney Walls, ’17.
Joe Skibbens, ’17, said the goal was to get everyone in a good mood for the holidays. To help set the mood, Christ­mas music blared through the speakers throughout the event.
Tae Hong Min, ’16, the special events director of UP, planned the event as a last-minute idea.
“I remember last year there was no event like this, so I de­cided that it’s good for the stu­dents, and I thought it would be a great break for everyone,” he said. “Usually stuff like this is for specific groups like ma­n
Decorating treats helped bolster holiday cheer on campus.
See COOKIES Page 2