Arriving back in Hanover after Thanksgiving, we'll once again be greeted by that gargantuan needled mass that mysteriously grows overnight from the Green's fertile soil, strands of lights and all. When it comes time to light up this year's hunk o' pine, though, things will be a bit different. Instead of listening to the usual Glee Club carols, we'll be hearing a new musical selection. You see, this ain't no ordinary Christmas tree. This is a secular tree.
The choice of music for winter concerts is a touchy subject. For many of us, Christmas music is an important part of our culture. Some of the best music is religious. On the other hand, perhaps sensitivity to the entire college community should come first. After the tree-lighting, we can always pop in some Bing Crosby and wallow in Christmassy schmaltz in the privacy of our own dorms.
Toning down the most specifically religious elements of the tree-lighting ceremony is an attempt to make more students feel comfortable attending the program. But will changing the music further Dartmouth's goal of inclusiveness? Some people feel that a big old tree with lights on it is a Christmas tree -- and a Christian tree -- no matter whether you're listening to "O Little Town of Bethlehem" or "O College Town of Hanover."
Couldn't we just expand the musical selection a little? After "The First Noel," we could all sing "I had a little dreidel, I made it out of clay ... " Um, no. (I was kidding!) Attempts to accommodate Jewish students usually include hesitant steps to add Chanukah observances to other activities. But many Jews see this as not just patronizing but theologically inept, since Chanukah is a minor Jewish festival that does not parallel Christmas.
In general, I think Dartmouth has sincerely attempted to include and respect all students, but some groups still feel neglected by the College because they lack a space of their own to hold activities. A massive Christmas tree is more objectionable when all groups do not have equal opportunities on campus. Even if the school attempts to "secularize" the tree, it is secularizing a Christian icon. Some of my non-Christian friends find the tree itself a bit overwhelming. Not only does it sprout right in the center of the Green, they know a lot of money comes from President Freedman's discretionary account (I'll bet he's got a lot more DBA than me) to put it there.
The best way to avoid making groups feel marginalized is to remember that Dartmouth is an academic institution. The College is private, but it might be well advised to follow the framework some public institutions have established to resolve disputes. Holidays throughout the year that have a religious basis can be observed, but their history and associated values must be presented objectively. These rules are intended to create a "secular program of education" that should make no students feel excluded or identified with a religion not their own.
Holidays can actually be a wonderful chance to educate our community about its diversity. In my 3.2 years at Dartmouth, I've seen interesting debates arise over the meaning of holidays like Columbus Day and Cinco de Mayo (which is about a lot more than drinking Mexican beer). My first October on campus, Native Americans at Dartmouth put on an interesting and positive Columbus Day celebration, encouraging people to think about the social implications of the holiday and expressing the richness of Native American cultures. They proved that holidays can be a time of education, celebration, music and great food ... for all of us.
Sophomore year, I shared a triple with a Jewish woman and a Catholic woman. Come December, we had lights, dreidels, mistletoe, a tree, a menorah ... we were so darn festive that my month-old jack-o-lantern was still rotting on the mantle. We also had some interesting discussions about why particular holidays were important. Since my religious background is basically limited to my freshman fall Religion 1 class, I learned a lot from both of them. Most importantly, we were open about our differences and we learned to treat each other with respect.
If the College is going to recognize holidays, it should do so factually and not devotionally, taking cognizance of the fact that they are observed differently by different people and perhaps even turning them into educational opportunities. The problem is, what more is there to learn about Christmas? We're drowning in it three months a year. I think the real lesson is that, come Christmas or Saint Patrick's Day, we should combine our festivities with discretion and respect. We need to continue to explore ways of doing that, but this "secular" tree may just be a good start.