The Campus Activates Board wants to bring holiday spirit to the University. The CAB is collaborating with the Student Support Center, Residential Life and the Alumni Association to bring a new holiday event to Southern.

Southern lights is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29 in the Oval at the blue spruce tree near the rock-sitting wall.

The event is free and open to students, faculty, staff and alumni.

“We hope Southern Lights will be a huge success and become a Southern tradition,” said Natalie Trent, counselor and prevention coordinator.

“The holidays can be a stressful time for many, and we wanted to put together a night to de-stress and get everyone in the holiday spirit. This is an event that we hope students would feel comfortable bringing their families to.”

“Students can look forward to horse-drawn sleigh rides that will take them from the dorms to the festivities on the Oval,” she said. “I’m sure this will be a favorite.”

Trent also said participants can take holiday pictures with the Lions, make holiday crafts, sing holiday carols with Southern’s Concert Chorale and warm up with hot cocoa, cider and cookies.

Students can take part in decorating the Oval Tree, and acting Univesity President Terri Agee and her family will be lighting the tree.

“It should be an event that causes many oohs and ahhs,” Trent said, “And after Southern Lights everyone is invited to Taylor Auditorium to watch the MSSU Jazz Orchestra’s Swingin’ Holiday Show.”

Also from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 29 in the University Java on the bottom floor of Spiva Library students can decorate sugar cookies and make holiday crafts.

The CAB closes out November with the Gingerbread House Contest. Registered organizations can pick up a kit in the student activities office in Billingsly Student Center room 222 on Nov. 26. Gingerbread Houses will be judged at noon on Nov. 28. The top three winners will receive gift cards from Wal-Mart.

The CAB events for December include CAB Comedy Night with Comedian Jimmy Failla at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 in Webster Auditorium, and The Relaxation Station at 10 a.m. in the Lion’s Den and then again at 10 p.m. in Mayes Dining Hall on Dec. 11. Students can enjoy massage chairs and a Midnight breakfast in Mayes Dinning Hall.