Northwestern Facilities Management is implementing non-personnel cost containment measures amid the University’s $790 million funding freeze by the Trump administration.
The changes — including standardized building hours, reviews of general maintenance projects and the removal of winter tree lighting on the Evanston campus — will be implemented throughout 2025.
The facilities cost containment measures will lower spending, with a “priority on decreasing spend with external resources,” according to NU Facilities’ website.
The seasonal winter lights were removed because they required “significant resources” to implement and were solely for aesthetic purposes, a University spokesman told The Daily in an email.
McCormick sophomore Jasper Weng said he feels like the winter tree lights added spirit and warmth to campus during Winter Quarter.
“I really liked the Christmas lights,” Weng said. “Especially the ones that are colored outside of Norris. I feel like they make campus a little more festive. It does make Sheridan a little more pretty when you walk up campus.”
Weng said that although the budget cut will have a minimal effect on his mental health, it might have an impact on other students during the winter.
“I think (the tree lights are) one of those small things that the school does that makes it a better experience,” Weng said. “If you cut down on all the small things, it can ruin the experience.”
For some students, the tree lights added a fun flair to winter. McCormick sophomore Nidhi Thirthamattur said she was always excited to see the lights on campus during Winter Quarter when walking north to study and even climbed a tree once to take pictures with the lights.
Thirthamattur said the decorations boosted her mood during Winter Quarter, when the days got shorter and there was less daylight.
“Christmas lights, or even just holiday lights, bring joy and brightness, especially at Northwestern, where it gets really dark and gloomy at night and a lot of people are studying because Winter Quarter courses are difficult,” Thirtamattur said.
Communication sophomore Grant Irons, who is from Los Angeles, said he will miss the presence of lights on campus during the holidays, especially since he is not going home for Thanksgiving.
He said that despite not being able to be with family, the lights created an atmosphere that allowed him to enjoy campus during the break.
“I feel like those little things that they do with the Christmas decorations makes me feel like, ‘Oh, this is home right here,’” Irons said. “When I came back to Chicago last year (after winter break) and saw all those lights up again, that was like, ‘Wow, I’m reliving my childhood again. This is amazing.’ I’ll miss the lights for sure.”
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