Elf on the Shelf brings whimsy, delight & mischief to LIT campus

12/10/2018

Beaumont – An Elf on the Shelf, so-named Lenny (In-Trouble or L-I-T), arrived mysteriously and not without notice just 10 days before Christmas, imposing minor havoc and amusement on the otherwise quiet, bucolic Lamar Institute of Technology campus.

He immediately was spotted lurking around corners in the Paul & Connie Szuch Multi-Purpose Center. On Dec. 18, he was collared by LIT Director of Police Academy Jimmy Leboeuf—caught red-handed under the Christmas tree. Lenny eluded the large, human-size handcuffs and went on to instigate more trouble.
LIT President Lonnie L. Howard deemed Lenny’s seemingly random appearance on the campus exactly 10 days before Christmas rather curious and significant. The number “10” could symbolize the college’s “Shared Vision” to reach a goal of enrolling 10,000 students within 10 years, or by the year 2028.

Regardless of the spirited tomfoolery and naughtiness Lenny the Christmas elf brings, social media is watching. One poster humorously noted, “(We) have to dispatch two patrol units to catch him.”  Another quipped: “I hope Lenny finds his way to the cashier’s desk and marks ‘PAID’ on my husband's tuition bill.”
The original book, “The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition” was written in 2005 by Carol Aebersold for her twin daughters and is based on the concept of Santa's "scout elves" hiding in homes to watch over events.

Once everyone goes to bed, the elf reports back to Santa the good and bad activities throughout the day. Before the family awakens each morning, the elf flies back from the North Pole and hides in a new spot, playing an ongoing game of hide-and-seek.