As I was speed walking past the Bell Memorial Union to get to the Performing Arts Center with my friend Julia for our history class, I couldn’t help but notice how her eyes were glued to all the Christmas decorations.

I didn’t blame her. What better way to show that Chico State is in the holiday spirit than by slowly filling more and more of the school with beautiful arrangements?

As we entered the lecture hall, it was safe to say that Christmas had thrown up in there. I personally had no problem with it because it’s my favorite time of the year, and something about all the lights and festive ornaments instantly puts me in a better mood.

Julia, on the other hand, was more bothered by it than anyone I know. I quickly learned that she’s Jewish, and that despite the fact that she doesn’t hate Christmas, she wishes that Chico State acknowledged more than one cultural holiday.

She made such a good point that I couldn’t help but wonder why a school that preaches to be so big on diversity doesn’t embrace other holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and many more.

I think that a lot of people don’t take the time to think about what other cultures celebrate, because it’s not what they are used to. But that shouldn’t mean that other cultures can be forgotten.

It’s apparent that the school has enough money to spend on decorations for holidays, so by splitting it and showcasing different religions and culture, others will really feel like their identity matters on this campus.

By the time class was over, I had asked Julia plenty of questions about what her family does to celebrate Hanukkah. I don’t know if it was just me, but I sensed that her mood had improved just because I took an interest in something that was important to her.

If I can take five minutes out of my day to appreciate someone else’s cultural holidays, then our school should do the same.

Veronica De La Cruz can be reached at [email protected] or @Veronica_dlc on Twitter.