By Joshua Ford and Bob Holmes

“Twas the week before Thanksgiving, and all through the campus,

The CIU students were all stirring, celebrating Christmas too early.”  

Despite Christmas being over a month away, CIU students celebrated Christmas in mid-November. They would soon be leaving campus for Thanksgiving break, and finishing the semester online because of COVID concerns, an administration decision that was made before the fall semester began. 

Students gathered in The Quad on a chilly night to sing Christmas carols and drink hot chocolate.

“I think the decision to end the semester early is a wise one,” said sophomore Drew Olson, a Master of Divinity major. “It’s a little bit weird celebrating Christmas this early but at the same time it makes a lot of sense. I’m just glad we get to celebrate it.” 

The annual Christmas Chapel also came early as the worship band led in carols and the Ambassador Choir performed acapella style through face coverings. Their voices still came through strong in their renditions of “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.”

Another end-of-semester tradition came early as the Admissions Department served a 10 p.m. breakfast to students who may have been pulling “all-nighters” to finish class projects and prepare for finals.

“Everything this year has just been so different so that it’s hard to compare anything to any other year,” added Drew Olson. “2020 will definitely be a unique year for the books.” 

BestColleges.com ranks Columbia International University the 2020 Best Online College in South Carolina, and CIU is #2 in the state for Best College Campus. CIU also consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Excitement is growing on campus with increased enrollment and new academic programs. Request information on enrollment at CIU and Columbia Biblical Seminary or call (800) 777-2227, ext. 5024.