IMU candles burn bright

Holiday candles typically adorn the surfaces of coffee tables or desks, emanating some sweet scent and burning out by the end of winter.

Two candles at the Indiana Memorial Union, however, have been burning during the winter holiday for more than 20 years.

Students know well the 75-foot pillars of light that hang from the east and west towers of the IMU.

They are the biggest part of the IMU’s holiday decorations, typically taking a group of workers several hours to mount on towers’ sides.

“They hang from the top of the building with brackets holding them down,” said Gary Chrzastowski, assistant director of facility services. “There are laws that the workers need to be harnessed and tied off. We follow all the necessary procedures.”

Before the candles are hung, Chrzastowski said, the strings of lights are all checked to avoid any faulty bulbs.

If a bulb does go out during their decorative stead, it must wait to be replaced until next year.

Chrzastowski emphasized their mission to hang the candles before Black Friday.
“Especially with the west tower, our focus is to get them up and operating for the day after Thanksgiving,” he said.

“The west tower more so, though, because it’s visible from the town square that Friday, when they light the canopy of lights downtown."

Chrzastowski began his work at the IMU in 1991, and associate director of the IMU Thom Simmons has been working there since 1989.

Both said the candles were a decoration the two inherited. They both emphasized the broadening of holiday décor in their time at the IMU.

“It used to be more of a traditional Christian theme, and we’ve been trying to be more inclusive with other themes for the holidays,” Simmons said.

“It’s been more of a group effort in recent years,” echoed Chrzastowski. “We’ve tried to account for Hannukah and other holidays this time of year. It’s a combination of different groups from around campus helping decorate, not just us.”