Bah! Humbug!

These are the infamous words of Charles Dickens' character Ebenezer Scrooge in the classic Christmas story A Christmas Carol. The story from 1843 remains a staple of Christmas, and at 7 tonight, students have the opportunity to hear an oral interpretation of the timeless tale at Schlow Centre Region Library.

Tonight marks communication arts and sciences professor Tony Lentz's 30th year of doing the reading. He began his tradition in 1978 at Wingate University, a small college in North Carolina.

Lentz was first exposed to the idea during his undergraduate education at the University of North Carolina.

"I was surprised that one person could do all the faces and voices and get you involved in a story ... I was impressed with it, I liked what he had done," Lentz said.

The oral interpretation of the story is a tradition that dates to the 1920s. New readers picked up the gig as the old readers retired, and it was passed down through the generations in this manner, Lentz said.

Earl Wynn, who was the first person Lentz saw give the reading, serves as Lentz's inspiration for his interpretation of the story. His version of the story runs about two hours and 15 minutes, just 45 minutes shorter than Dickens' original reading.

Lentz explained that when Dickens did readings, he was prone to cutting out many of the emotional scenes.

Of his own oral version, "most of the powerful stuff is still there ... I'm prejudiced, I like my version better," Lentz said.

Edward Mills, associate professor of dairy and animal sciences, has attended the readings several times in the past.

The reading is a "really emotional, kind of deep, positive expression of Christmas, a sense of Christmas past and Christmas present," Mills said.

Lentz's fascination with the reading was something that had an impact on him throughout the rest of his schooling.

"When I started my career I had it in the back of my head. The first time I did it there was a very small crowd," he said.

Since that first reading 30 years ago, however, Lentz's crowd has grown to include members of the community, friends and students. There are many recurring attendees, even some students who return for the reading after graduating, he said.

"[The crowd] varies a lot, depending on weather and the amount of publicity it gets," Lentz said.

The library is also doing its part to contribute to the magic of the evening. Children's library technician Rebecca McTavish said that staff will be providing refreshments for listeners and that the library will be decorated with poinsettias to add a touch of elegance.

Despite the many Christmas story options, A Christmas Carol is the one that Lentz has performed every year during the holiday season.

"I think the story really brings the Christmas season alive for you. [Dickens] creates really vivid pictures in the imagination," Lentz said.