VSU’s Honor Student Association hosted the third annual Lighting of the Honors House on Friday, Nov. 22. The event was created as a nod to the Christmas party tradition of former VSU President Hugh Bailey and his wife, Joan Bailey.

The party lasted from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and included food, a live jazz band and information regarding the Honors College before everyone was gathered to watch HSA light the front of the house.

The event was hosted in honor of VSU’s sixth president, Hugh Bailey, whose contributions to the school included introducing six new degree paths and the current University Center and Bailey Science Center, among other things.

The Bailey family hosted an annual Christmas party in their home on campus every year, which would be open to the entire community of Valdosta. This is the legacy that HSA strives to honor, and when they learned of this tradition, they set out to recreate it.

According to members of the Honors College, this event is meant to serve as an homage to the Baileys.

“The Honors College in general has wanted to reach back into that history of the Baileys, who gave so much to this college, and our first-year representative a few years ago started this again at the Honors students level,” Sarah Pirkle, a senior art major, said. “Last year we brought it up to the whole of VSU, and now we’re bringing it to the community.”

Now, in their third year of hosting this event, it has drawn the attention of not only students, but faculty and community members.

“In so many ways, it’s the community that defines the place,” Richard Carvajal, president of VSU, said. “We have a beautiful campus, but when you ask people what makes Valdosta State special, pretty quickly what you’ll hear is discussion of the people.”

Plenty of homages were paid to the Baileys, and there was an archival exhibit for the Bailey family Christmas, where archives provided documents from an earlier era.

HSA honored the Baileys not just in spirit, but physically; several items belonging to the Baileys were on display and used at the party, including the Bailey family punch bowl, which was used to serve hot apple cider at the door.

There were also ornaments on sale for $2 during the celebration. The funds went directly to HSA, who use the money to fund activities such as the Christmas celebration.

Participants said that they believed that events such as these are instrumental in creating community, and are important as on-campus events.

“Oftentimes, college students can tend to sequester themselves into their own little corners,” Halena Walker, a sophomore biology major, said. “So having moments where we can come together with the community to help create that connection, it helps show the value of people, of community.”

The community has taken the event in stride, and the tradition is on track to continue well into the future.

“They take so much pride in putting this event on and showing off their home to the public,” Dr. Carvajal said. “That’s pretty special.”

Written by Bailey Wilson, Managing Editor. Photos by Bailey Wilson.