Running head: ATTENDING A HOLIDAY EVENT

Attending a Holiday Event: Recent Lessons Learned

MSG James V. Southern
Southern New Hampshire University

Author Note
This paper was prepared for EDU-765, taught by Mr. Ron Barnes.

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Attending a Holiday Event: Recent Lessons Learned
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on a recent holiday event held at the United States
Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA) in order to identify lessons learned in an attempt to
prevent future mistakes of this magnitude. Several key factors set the stage for this embarrassing
moment for what is considered by many as the premiere Non-commissioned Officer institution in
the world. Ultimately though, it was poor decisions by USASMA staff & faculty coupled with a
failure to properly screen Christmas holiday event programs and guest appearances that led to
nearly two dozen foreign students and their families being completely caught off-guard and stuck
square in the middle of an incredibly uncomfortable situation.
A little background. Every class that attends USASMA is directed to coordinate a series
of national observances, holiday events, recognition ceremonies, etc. as a formal part of their
curriculum. The idea is for every student to volunteer to be a part of at least one of the
committees formed around each of these events. The panning, coordination, and execution of the
event is meant to impart knowledge to the committee members about future obligations to plan
and host formal, or ceremonial events at the rank of Sergeant Major.
So, at the annual USASMA Christmas Celebration in December of this year, 2014, over
800 students and their families, many with small children and handicapped individuals, were
crammed into the main auditorium with no forewarning about the content or length of the event.
The start time was delayed for about 45 minutes so that physically impaired individuals could be
moved into the auditorium. There were not enough seats for everyone, therefore crowds of
people were blocking main entryways which further delayed the event. Groups of small children,
who had grown increasingly impatient, were running through the aisles or screaming at each
other. The event finally began with nearly a solid hour of guest speakers who would have been
more appropriately booked at a Southern Baptist convention. After the lectures in what I can only

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describe as old-testament scripture, the auditorium was out of control. The next hour featured a
gospel choir, complete with drums and bass guitar, from a local Baptist church. I personally hail
from the state of Georgia, so I can say with some certainty that this choir would give any deepsouth gospel group a run for their money. The event finally concluded with a lighting of the
Christmas tree, upon which signaled the entire assembly to disperse like cockroaches into the
darkness with muffled words of discontent.
The underlying tensions among students and their families due to this event being
conducted as it was stem not from the length of the program or the overcrowded conditions, but
for another reason that went seemingly unnoticed by the USASMA leadership. First, the event
was mandatory for all students to attend. This included over 40 international students from 27
different countries, many of which are Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, etc. This being the case, well
known to everyone in attendance, the entire program was limited in its entirety to what might be
considered by even the most devoted Christians as an extreme religious depiction of Christmas
celebration. I know first-hand that the Muslim student that I sponsor at USASMA was nearly in
tears as members of the choir roamed the audience goading him to sing along in praise of Jesus.
My advice to USASMA leadership would be to live by the philosophy that they teach.
Tolerance and understanding for one another, regardless of nationality, race, religion, etc. An
event of that nature should be absent of religious and focused on the middle ground that we find
in during the Christmas season. It should be a time to share a little bit about Christian culture and
traditions, not to convert the non-Christians. And if we cannot find a middle ground in this
particular occasion, do not make the event mandatory for those who may be offended by the
content. And, if the USASMA leadership is unsure of the event committees ability to tread water
for such an occasion, they should screen the program for inappropriate material and guests

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beforehand. Doing so will go a long way in building the long-term partnerships that we seek
instead of breaking them before they have a chance to flourish.