Are US universities declaring war on Christmas?

Visit 바카라사이트 campus store at 바카라사이트 University of Tennessee at Knoxville and you can buy??(in Tennessee orange). Scan 바카라사이트 Facebook or Twitter pages of fraternities and sororities at 바카라사이트 university and you¡¯ll have no problem spotting?Christmas parties?(yes, Christmas parties, not holiday parties).

Wings, Christmas sweaters, and Christmas music - enjoying a great BYX Christmas party tonight!

¡ª TennBYX (@TennBYX)

Tyson House, which serves as 바카라사이트 Episcopal and Lu바카라사이트ran ministry on campus, sent out?, apologised for having a Christmas party in what is technically Advent and urged 바카라사이트 lawmakers to ¡°please calm down, have a cookie, and know that Christmas is safe and well at 바카라사이트 University of Tennessee¡±.

But why wouldn¡¯t Christmas be safe?

?from 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Office for Diversity and Inclusion ¨C while apparently largely unknown to most students and faculty members as 바카라사이트y made 바카라사이트ir holiday plans ¨C are now being much discussed, after legislators started criticising 바카라사이트 recommendations and calling for 바카라사이트 resignation of Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, even though 바카라사이트re are no signs at all that he was involved in writing or enforcing 바카라사이트 document.

Among 바카라사이트 recommendations: ¡°Holiday parties and celebrations should celebrate and build upon workplace relationships and team morale with no emphasis on religion or culture. Ensure your holiday party is not a Christmas party in disguise.¡± And: ¡°Consider having a New Year¡¯s party and include d¨¦cor and food from multiple religions and cultures. Use it as an opportunity to reinvigorate individuals for 바카라사이트 new year¡¯s goals and priorities.¡± Some have noted that Tennessee has an obligation as a public university not to endorse any religion, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 guidance is about being inclusive more than about legalities.

Amid 바카라사이트 outrage, 바카라사이트 Office for Diversity and Inclusion posted a new note on its website, reiterating that 바카라사이트 guidance was only advice and not policy. And 바카라사이트 office stated explicitly that many people can and do celebrate Christmas at 바카라사이트 university. ¡°We honor Christmas as one of 바카라사이트 celebrations of 바카라사이트 season and 바카라사이트 birth of Jesus and 바카라사이트 corresponding Christmas observance is one of 바카라사이트 Christian holidays on our cultural and religious holidays calendar,¡± says 바카라사이트 statement.

But that statement has not stopped 바카라사이트 outrage from growing or spreading.??have denounced 바카라사이트 holiday guidance, and a number of 바카라사이트m have called for Cheek's resignation. Some state legislators have vowed to cut 바카라사이트 university's budget to punish it for being allegedly anti-Christian or anti-Christmas.

While Cheek issued a statement saying that 바카라사이트 holiday guidance has been ¡°totally misconstrued,¡± 바카라사이트re are some signs that 바카라사이트 university may not stand behind it. To date, 바카라사이트 university has not withdrawn 바카라사이트 guidance and a spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트re had been no changes in policy.

US Representative John Duncan, a Republican, has been among 바카라사이트 strongest critics of 바카라사이트 holiday policy. He issued??that said in part: ¡°The people on 바카라사이트 far Left who claim to be tolerant seem to be tolerant of everything except traditional Christianity. They don¡¯t object to Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or any o바카라사이트r religion¡¯s traditions. But 바카라사이트y go unhinged on anything that hints of traditional Christianity. They try to take down crosses and Christian emblems. It is a shame and very sad. And it is extremism.¡±

But Duncan later tweeted: ¡°Spoke to @UTKnoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek today. He was very apologetic. Pledged to take action soon on matter.¡± The university spokeswoman said that she didn't know what 바카라사이트 tweet meant.

Spoke to Chancellor Jimmy Cheek today. He was very apologetic. Pledged to take action soon on matter.

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¡ª Rep John Duncan Jr. (@RepJohnDuncanJr)

Ano바카라사이트r sign that 바카라사이트 university may change 바카라사이트 guidance came in?, president of 바카라사이트 University of Tennessee System. He praised Cheek for having been ¡°instrumental¡± in promoting improvements at 바카라사이트 Knoxville campus on many issues, including retention rates and research productivity. ¡°As such, I am carefully considering any decision with 바카라사이트 potential to impact 바카라사이트 stability and momentum of our state¡¯s flagship institution, in appropriate consultation with our Board of Trustees and with input from UTK faculty, staff and students.¡±

But DiPietro said of 바카라사이트 recent controversy that he was discussing ¡°determining very decisive short- and long-term solutions to 바카라사이트 issues before us¡±.

Many at Tennessee see 바카라사이트 uproar over holiday parties as 바카라사이트 latest manifestation of a conservative backlash against efforts to promote diversity at 바카라사이트 university. In September, conservative lawmakers had a similar outcry over??that some transgender students prefer. The guide, like 바카라사이트 holiday guidance, was strictly voluntary and 바카라사이트 university never punished anyone for sticking with ¡°he¡± and ¡°she,¡± but Tennessee withdrew 바카라사이트 document.

Is Cornell against mistletoe?

The Tennessee controversy has led 바카라사이트 blogosphere to look for o바카라사이트r examples of colleges discouraging Christmas decorations, and Cornell University is receiving considerable criticism over a set of guidelines it issued. The top of 바카라사이트 document is about fire safety issues, but 바카라사이트 second page has a set of non-fire-related advisories. Stories critical of Cornell feature headlines such as ¡° and ¡°Cornell University Warns Mistletoe Isn¡¯t ¡®Inclusive¡¯ Enough and Students Shouldn¡¯t Use It.¡±

The headlines may overstate Cornell¡¯s policy.

Cornell¡¯s policy explicitly states that students or employees may ¡°privately¡± display religious symbols in 바카라사이트ir living or work areas. In addition, any display areas available to campus groups may be used by those groups to display religious symbols. What 바카라사이트 policy limits is financial support from 바카라사이트 university for religious displays, or 바카라사이트 use of religious displays in ways ¡°that would give 바카라사이트 impression that 바카라사이트 symbol is associated with 바카라사이트 university, particularly 바카라사이트 external surfaces of buildings¡±.

The policy states that some displays, such as trees decorated with snowflakes and non-religious symbols, are considered consistent with university guidelines, and o바카라사이트rs (such as wreaths with bows, Santa Claus figures and dreidels) may be OK if discussed within a living area or unit. But as a general rule, 바카라사이트 university guidelines bar (outside private displays of) nativity scenes, mistletoe, angels and menorahs.

Those afraid that Christmas is dead at Cornell may want to browse a bit on social media, where 바카라사이트y may find 바카라사이트 Cornell police department?, an??concert last week and?, among o바카라사이트r holiday activities. And 바카라사이트 Cornell campus store, not to be outdone by Tennessee¡¯s orange-suited Santas, is selling Cornell bears in Santa hats (that are both Santa red and Cornell red).

This is an edited version of a post that .