Christmas lights have long adorned college residence hall rooms. This year, Ohio State’s Community Ambassadors encouraged students to string lights outdoors in an attempt to make the off-campus area more festive this holiday season.

“It was something we could see students really getting excited about,” said Laura Meyer, co-director of the Community Ambassadors.

“Light Up the Night” is both a beautification project and a contest complete with major prizes. All OSU students were invited to visit the off-campus area between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. yesterday to view the lights, and then voted online to determine the winners. Winners will be announced today.

The First Place winner will be awarded a big screen TV. Second Place will receive a $500 Best Buy gift certificate. Third Place wins a surround sound system. Best Greek House will get an $800 Best Buy gift certificate. The Santa Buckeye winner (most school spirit) will receive a $150 Kroger gift certificate in addition to an OSU blanket. The Clark Griswold Award goes to the residence with the most lights per square foot and will be awarded a $150 Kroger gift certificate and a “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” DVD.

More than 160 student residences registered for the contest. Each earned a free pizza with their registration. Online registration began last week and ended Tuesday.

“We’ve been really pleased with the response we’ve gotten,” Meyer said.

Seven locations in the off-campus area provided onlookers with hot chocolate, Christmas cookies and lists of all the participating residences. They were located at the corners of Tuller Street and Lane Avenue; 15th Avenue and High Street; 15th and Indianola avenues; 18th and Waldeck avenues; Chittenden and Waldeck avenues; 12th Avenue and High Street; and 13th and Indianola avenues.

From 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. 10 men from the Phi Mu Alpha fraternity provided musical entertainment, playing brass instruments and caroling throughout the off-campus neighborhood.

Phi Mu Alpha is a music fraternity and the men said they believe lending their talents to “Light Up the Night” helped further their mission of informing all people of music’s importance to the human spirit, said president Patrick Horton.

Kevin Smith, East Norwich Avenue Community Ambassador, spearheaded the entire event. He said the concept sprung from his desire to see the off-campus area lit up in the same manner many suburbs are at this time of year.

Smith said the best thing about “Light Up the Night” was the sense of community it fostered. He spoke of neighbors coming to his house to talk about their lighting plans. Until then, he had never talked to them.

“I’d like to see it (the event) become a tradition in some shape or form,” Smith said.