State House "Grinch" Dulls Christmas Lights

An Emerson College journalism student is being called the "Grinch who stole the State House Christmas" after a decision to leave lights off the 20-foot tree in Doric Hall.

Katie Clapp, a senior, said building officials were slow to respond to her complaints that the lights violated city ordinance. She turned it into a project for an investigative journalism course.

"They're calling her the Emerson College journalism Grinch who stole the State House Christmas," Robert Hoyt, Katie Clapp's journalism professor, said Wednesday.

The decision was made Tuesday to leave the lights off the tree in Doric Hall for the remainder of the holiday season.

But Rudy Sibilio, the assistant superintendent of state office buildings, insisted it had nothing to do with Clapp's flap.

"There's an ordinance about lights, and I want to obey it," said Rudy Sibilio. "I don't know anything about complaints from a student."

Sibilio also said a live tree without lights was removed this week from a spot near the Senate chambers "because it was starting to dry out."

Clapp said her challenge was backed up by fire officials.

She said it didn't bother her that she was being compared by some to Scrooge. "I don't care," she said. "I went into this with a very light heart anyway."