Poles, tarps, corn stalks and food are making life near the Scramble Light more interesting.
The Ball State Hillel, a Jewish organization, is celebrating the Jewish holiday Sukkot from Monday at 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Wednesday, said Ray Novotny, treasurer of Hillel.
The group built a temporary structure called a sukkah next to the Scramble Light on Monday.
The group plans to sleep, eat and smoke Hookah in the sukkah while they camp at the light, said Ben Goldenberg, Hillel secretary.
Tonight Hillel will have a traditional meal for Sukkot, said Jake Christoff, co-president of Ball State Hillel. Hillel will eat traditional foods such as Schwarma chicken, pilaf rice, cous cous, spiced vegetables, dried fruit, challah bread, humus and pitas, he said.
Sukkot started at sundown on Sept. 27 and ends at sundown Thursday, Christoff said.
The Jewish festival is a yearly event but, like all Jewish holidays, its date changes with the lunar calendar, Goldenberg said. The holiday takes place during the fall when farmers harvest their crops, he said.
During Sukkot a temporary structure called a sukkah is built, Goldenberg said. The sukkah has three sides, is open in the front and is typically made out of wood, he said. The roof of the structure is made with harvested material spaced far enough apart so the stars can be seen and a breeze can be felt, he said.
The roof on Hillel's sukkah is made with corn stalks spaced over the top, but a tarp was added to keep out the rain, said Stephanie Lipkin, freshman and member of Ball State Hillel.
The rest of the sukkah is decorated with corn stalks, and can be decorated with paper chains, colorful hands and paper leafs, Christoff said.
"It's a neo-twist to a cultural tradition," said Christoff.
After the sukkah has been built a prayer is said and the luvav and etrog are held together and shaken in different directions to bless and sanctify the dwelling, said Goldenberg. The luvav is comprised of a palm tree branch, a leafy tree branch and a willow branch, he said, and the etrog is the fruit of a tree resembling a lemon.
Sukkot began with the Jews wandering through the desert for 40 days, Lipkin said. The Jews built a sukkah to take shelter in for the night, she said.
On Monday Lindsay Gross, Hillel co-president, and Lipkin gave away Papa John's pizza to people passing by the sukkah. Gross said Hillel is trying include students and let them participate in another culture.
"Hey, come and smoke Hookah with us later tonight," Gross shouted as students walked by.
Rain will not deter the group members from staying in the sukkah all night, she said.
"If it rains we're going to stick it out," said Gross.
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