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Show Ooh,ahh Hall of Enchanted trees opens If a hundred "ooh's and Ahh's" are a sign of success, the Southern Utah State College Hall of Enchanted Trees is a success indeed. Since the Hall opened on December 5, several hundred elementary school children have visited the display. Over 8,000 visiters-including the many who come time and time again-are again-are expected to have walked through the exhibit by the Christmas Eve closing date. The SUSC Drama Club's annual gift to the community is open each evening from 6-9 p.m. in the auditorium foyer. Drama Club members are on hand each night to explain the seven creations. "We do have reoccurring themes each year such as the non-organic tree, traditional Timberline, a children's tree, and an elegant tree, but each year each tree is different," Hall Chairman Chip Bruss explained. "For example, a must each year is the traditional Timberline Tree, the precursor of the annual exhibit. Drama Club legend has it that many years ago there were several Hawaiian students going to school here who were unable to go home for Christmas. The Club found a bristlecone pine stump and decorated it for these students and from this event the traditional exhibit has eveolved," the Albuquerque, NM student said. The same bristlecone stump is decorated each year with hundreds of tiny blue lights and pine boughs to represent the longevity of the bristlecone pine, SUSC's symbol. "We use ponderosa pine boughs for the greenery on the Timberline because the bristlecone itself is a protected species," Robin Stepp, Timberline designer, said. This year the bristlecone pine stump is bathed in snow drifts, "in hopes of things to come," the Payson coed said. This year's religious exhibit is a traditional creche designed by Ellen Adams, Salt Lake City. The natural barn wood creche is filled with straw and two-feet high figurines of the Holy Family. The mystic glow of thousands of blue and white lights shining through a coral shaped mass of sacrament cups is this year's non-organic tree. The Plastique Tree was designed by Pioche student, Dick Cottino. The Rainbow Tree, a heavily flocked pine surrounded with spirling rainbow colored ornaments and ribbons, was sponsored by a donation from First Security Bank. Tree designer Marilyn Baird, Cedar City, reports that over 5,000 lights and colored bulbs and over 1,000 irridescent snowflakes were used to reach the desired effect. Also included in the Hall is a traditional elegant tree. It was donated this year by Lloyd Grimm, Cedar City. Another Cedar City resident, Mike Webster, donated flocking for the huge tree. Grimm and Webster have donated materials for the elegant tree for several years now, tree designer Karine Beesley reports. The American Beauty tree is resplendent with over 600 red roses made from 600 yards of ribbon, 14 strings of pink and red lights and over 300 glass ornaments. The Kanab coed said that the roses were made over the Thanksgiving holiday by Drama Club volunteers. A perennial favorite is the children's tree, this year a carousel of eight dancing reindeer under a candy-coated candy-coated canopy. The tree was designed by Cedar City coed Cindy Sawyer with $100 worth of candy donated by Albertsons. "We used over 50 bags of mar-shmallows, mar-shmallows, countless bags of assorted Christmas candy, and 20 gallons of royal icing, part of w hich was donated by the Ron and Cris Bakery," s Sawyer said. The amount of hours spent preparing the trees and directing tours of the Hall is enormous but well worth it. Drama Club members say. J "- y t. P i ? . (1ATHER ROUND. Elementary students gather around the Rainbow Tree while SUSC students explain its meaning |