Headlines
“‘Grand Ole Christmas’ connoted too much Christianity on campus”
UPDATE
Dec. 8, 2016, at 2:47 p.m.
According to a report on a national web site, Campus Reform, Ole Miss changed the name of its annual event called “A Grand Ole Christmas” to “Hotty Toddy Holiday” in an effort to “create a more inclusive environment.”
The report by investigative reporter Peter Fricke says “that for more than six years ole Miss has celebrated the start of the Christmas season with a festive event ‘A Grand Ole Christmas. This year, however, the event was renamed ‘HottyToddy Holiday’ in an effort to be more inclusive,” he wrote.
The Student Activities Association co-director of special events told the News Watch 99 team, the campus news broadcast station, “We really wanted to change the atmosphere from last year and that would explain the name change. Grand Ole Christmas’ connoted too much Christianity on campus and so we wanted to have a more inclusive environment for the holidays this year.”
The event took place on Dec. 2. It started in the Circle, in front of the Lycuem. To start the event, a Christmas tree was lit in the Circle. Although, the event’s name was changed because it “connoted too much Christianity on campus,” the Ole Miss Gospel Choir helped provide the music for the Hotty Toddy Holidays event.
Tom Epps, communications director at the University of Mississippi, sent this statement from Bradley Baker, the Director of the Ole Miss Student Union”
“In planning for the annual holiday event, the Student Activities Association Executive Council took the initiative to rebrand and rename the event to ‘Hotty Toddy Holidays’ in an effort to provide a more inclusive and respectful event for the entire Ole Miss community. As a student-led organization with the motto ‘Events for Students, By Students,’ the Executive Council took the opportunity to enhance the event by making it more welcoming and appreciated by all attendees.”
It is important to note that although Baker is the director of the Ole Miss Student Union, he is not over the Student Activities Association.
Jonathan Scott, Interim Director of Public Relations at the University of Mississippi, sent Hottytoddy.com a statement about the mission of the Ole Miss Student Union.
“The mission of the Ole Miss Student Union is to enhance social, cultural, and educational opportunities for students and the university community through innovative and entertaining activities and programs. Serving as a programming resource for the university, the Ole Miss Student Union often partners with campus organizations and departments to sponsor a variety of events and activities. Committed to the development of leadership and citizenship among students, the Ole Miss Student Union strives to promote excellence in student activities programming. Pageants, musical entertainment, special events, and the movie series are among the more than 125 events sponsored each year,” Scott said.
Rev. Eddie Willis, the pastor of Taylor United Methodist Church and the Ole Miss Wesley Foundation, said the Wesley Foundation had a Christmas observance on Dec. 3 with about 60 to 70 Ole Miss students. They sung Christmas carols, read the story of Christmas from the Book of Luke and had communion together, a sacrament found in the New Testament of the Bible.
“I don’t believe this party was ever a religious observance on campus. It sounds as if the SAA wants to include everyone in a one-time holiday celebration at the end of each semester,” Willis said. “I have many friends that are of different faiths and religions and understand being inclusive and sensitive to their feelings.”
Willis also said that this is a time that our local churches and campus ministries, like the Wesley Foundation, to proclaim the Gospel.
“However, the SAA is planning its event during the time of celebrating the Christian holiday of Christmas. Whether it’s an organization’s holiday party or a corporation that is using this season for its own focus, this is all the more reason for our local churches and campus ministries, like the Wesley Foundation I serve, to proclaim the Gospel,” Willis said. “I will celebrate Christ-mas and I will choose to observe and respect my friends of different faiths and not change the names or focus of their holidays.”
HottyToddy.com is checking campus sources and will have more on this later today.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | 6:30 PM • ESPN |
Debby
December 8, 2015 at 7:33 pm
This makes me upset as a Christian, and I wonder how the Christian students feel at Ole Miss. We love Ole Miss, but the students need to honor the Christian values, too!!!! Like someone said on this page, the Christians wouldn’t change the name of some other religion’s holiday.
Merry Christmas!!!!
Ashley
December 8, 2015 at 8:52 pm
Is the girl who won the freedom from religion award on this executive council?
Paul Goldman
December 8, 2015 at 9:41 pm
So we continue to go down that road of political correctness. If we change the name of this event as we have many others around the country, would someone please tell me what holiday we are celebrating? We now want to apologize for making such a big deal about the baby Jesus. I pray that I don’t have to explain to my grand children why we gather around the holiday tree on holiday morning and open our holiday gifts. I don’t want them to miss the Joy, the Jesus, the Christmas! All are invited to celebrate. So during this “holiday” season, I wish you all a happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year!
Nelson
December 9, 2015 at 9:14 am
The news release from last week makes the party look very Christmas oriented to me:
http://news.olemiss.edu/have-a-hotty-toddy-holiday-with-ole-miss-this-wednesday/
People were invited to a Hotty Toddy Holiday to celebrate a “Hotty Toddy Christmas” with the lighting of the “University Christmas Tree” with music provided by the “Ole Miss Gospel Choir”.
Please point out to me where I’m supposed to be offended so I can make sure that I have the right talking points when I complain on Facebook.
dabba
December 9, 2015 at 9:30 am
Stupid liberals and political correctness will eventually lead to the end of this country as we know it. Ever notice that it’s only things related to Christianity that are required to be “more inclusive”? Seems to me that it’s Christianity that is under attack.
John Breland
December 9, 2015 at 10:48 am
I’ve been a long-time Rebel fan and supporter. No more.
UM Law School Class of ’91.
I can hardly wait for the next fundraising call from the Alumni Association….
This, I will add, is but one addition to the “long train of abuses” that this once proud university has cravenly heaped on its alumni. But one too many for me. My son is a Texas Aggie. Good school, that one. I think I’ll claim it.
Lillie
December 9, 2015 at 12:03 pm
To me, it isn’t the name that offends me, it is the comment “too much Christianity”. That is insulting to Christians! The event is not REQUIRED, there was no reason to change anything. If Ole Miss doesn’t get stand up for the values of their state and citizens of Mississippi, they will be very lost, very soon.
I am an Ole Miss alumni and season ticket holder. I am very sick of Ole Miss and their recent changes. I need to make a change, that will include the team I root for and my purchasing of season tickets.
Matt
December 9, 2015 at 12:20 pm
“Too much Christianity” is HATE SPEECH!
Rebel
December 9, 2015 at 1:14 pm
Nelson makes a valid point. It does look Christmas oriented. The person who made the “too much Christianity” statement is the Student Activities Association co-director of special events. Is that a student or staff?
Tim Heaton
December 9, 2015 at 1:51 pm
Someone’s not paying attention: Excerpt from the article:
“To start the event, a Christmas tree was lit in the Circle. Although, the event’s name was changed because it “connoted too much Christianity on campus,”
If you gonna rename the event, you have to rename the Christmas Tree that’s lighted.
How about :
the “Festivus Bush”?
or “Hotty Toddy Timber,”?
or “Black Bear Bough”?
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas
December 9, 2015 at 2:18 pm
The comment about it being “too much Christianity” was made by a student. While the student may have an agenda, I believe the university did not or they would not have called it a Hotty Toddy Christmas or a Christmas Tree. It is disappointing that the name of the event was changed. I don’t believe the intent was to ban Christmas, it was simply to include other holidays.
Anonymous
December 9, 2015 at 2:26 pm
Shame on you, Ms. Maye, for helping Muslims hijack Christmas (please do not pretend that other religions have serious objections). Perhaps, you need to explain to the rest of us why we should concern ourselves with a religion that denies its own members as well as non-members freedom of religion, even threatening them with death. Individually, I have found many Muslims to wonderful people on the surface. However, most of them appear to be afraid to stand up to this monstrosity of a religion that preserves its membership through violence and threats thereof. Giving this demonic cult any consideration is a huge mistake. It is time to enforce the religion freedom guaranteed by our Constitution.
Mike Hughes
December 9, 2015 at 2:59 pm
Shame on you, Ms. Maye, for helping Muslims hijack Christmas (please do not pretend that other religions have serious objections). Perhaps, you need to explain to the rest of us why we should concern ourselves with a religion that denies its own members as well as non-members freedom of religion, even threatening them with death. Individually, I have found many Muslims to wonderful people on the surface. However, most of them appear to be afraid to stand up to this monstrosity of a religion that preserves its membership through violence and threats thereof. Bowing down to this demonic cult is a huge mistake. It is time to recognize that this so-called religion violates many aspects of our Constitution. By any standard, its core documents constitue hate speech.
Denise
December 9, 2015 at 6:46 pm
I hope your donors and alumni decide there’s “too much Ole Miss” to give them money.
Don Douglass
December 31, 2015 at 1:58 pm
Ole Miss has gone crazy! Black Bears? Too much Christianity? Prison for someone for defacing statue of the Adulterer? I have been an Ole Miss supporter for my whole life. Now, I am a State fan!