Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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With the l.uhbock Hky an the back drop, the adminiKtralion buildinK shines during the ( ' anil dI I.i)ihts. (l ' h(ilc) l)v [lenrv I.iaol Underneath the wreath, the Carol ul Lights choir sings ChriKlma caroU durinK the light festival. (Photo bv Henr ' Liao) I

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In the spirit of Christmas Lubbock, students and surrounding towns stood in awe when 15,000 red. yellow and orange light bulbs and nearly 1,600 candles lit the Tech campus on Dec. 4. The freshmen and newcomers to Tech are the people that really enjoy the Carol of Lights, said Scott Kafora, 1988 Carol of Lights co-chairman. They don ' t think it ' s (Carol of Lights) a big deal, but they really feel the magnitude when the lights are turned on. I think what I liked most was the different colored bulbs that covered the campus, said freshman Gregg Wintner. The Carol of Lights began 29 years ago when a few Tech students sang Christmas carols around Memorial Circle be- fore December finals. It ' s (Carol of Lights) something special we have that not every school has, said sophomore Kristi Alford. The Residence Halls Association organized the Carol of Lights, but several Tech clubs helped prepare for the event. Tech Panhellenic donated the 30-foot Christmas tree that was located in the center of the campus. The Women ' s Service Organization provided the wreath that adorned the science building, and Alpha Phi Omega and Chi Rho positioned the candles that lined the center of the campus. We could not have put on the event if it were not for the maintenance grounds men that strung the lights. said Ka- fora. They are irreplaceable. — Lisa L. LaBrant A bright spot in the night would best describe the math building during the Carol of Lights activities. (Photo by Corby Roberts) .V.7 f I ktr

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Texas Tech takes England by the toes Under the Hyde Park Coli- seum in London, England, the Willis Ballet Company of Tex- as Tech made its world pre- miere in June. The dancers performed for the Queen of England and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, in honor of the 100th anni% ' ersary of St. John ' s Ambulance Brigade. Performing in England was a great experience, said Lacey Moore, a Tech graduate and lead dancer in the com- pany. Tech students and gradu- ates primarily made up the body of the company. Jerry Woods, also a graduate and lead dancer, said, The per- forming conditions in Eng- land were so different that I no longer fear performing on a stage I ' ve never seen before. Being a member of the Con- servatory Classical Ballet, Tech is home of one of the few American companies that per- forms true classical ballet. How did a small ballet com- pany from Lubbock manage to make its way to England? I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, said the director of the com- pany, Peggy Willis. In fall 1986, Willis visited the British American Arts As- sociation, where she met Peter Galanders, the press and pro- motions officer for a program called the AU-American Mar- di Gras. He wanted to bring over American entertainment, said Willis. I sent him a video tape of my company, and he liked what he saw. She ac- cepted the invitation to par- ticipate in the AU-American Mardi Gras and began the ex- tensive preparation for the world premiere. Later, the Willis Ballet Company was invited to par- ticipate in the St. John ' s Am- bulance Brigade ' s 100th anni- versary, which benefited dis- advantaged children. We were received well by the British, said Willis. At one point in a parade for the AU-American Mardi Gras, people in the crowd were actu- ally yelling how much they en- joyed our performance. I ' ll never forget the Fourth of July party in South Tyne- side when the Norwegian band next to us began playing the (American) national an- them, said Moore. They didn ' t have to; they just did it for us. I was very proud of my company, Willis remarked. They had a very professional attitude throughout the entire trip. —Robin Storey In an arabesque position, ballerina Lacev Moore performs in Esmeralda Pas Deux. The Willis Ballet Com- pany presented its world premiere in June. (Photo by Buddy Myers) 28 — Ballet World Premiere