Tag Archives: holidays

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#SPEAKOUT: Kum Ba Ya during the holidays

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By Danielle Sheally

Dec. 26th, the most unhappy day in the world.

During any big holiday, everybody help each other and it seems like all the people in the world turn into one big family.  We ask about your family, ask how we are doing in school, etc.  We take extra time out of our schedules to help the homeless, feed the hungry, and collect money for the sick. Maybe because we feel like if we do a couple good deeds during the holidays that we are good for the rest of the year?

If we’re being honest with ourselves no one volunteers as much as they should. I think volunteering isn’t really part of our nature so when the holidays come around we automatically think “Oh my gosh have I given enough of my spare time.” When that answer is no, we automatically go into the state of thinking that we need to volunteer 50 billion hours in one day. Personally, I believe volunteering is built on the basis of when we feel it in our heart, do it. Don’t do it just because a holiday rolled around.

Volunteering truly is fun. When we give a helping hand you get to see the gratitude spread across the faces of the people we’re helping. They could be totally down in the dumps but, when we help them it could turn their day sunny side up. Lending a hand doesn’t have to be manual, it can be as easy as just spending some time with an elderly person talking or picking a handful of trash so the custodians don’t have to clean so much.

I’m passionate about this because what if we actually did pay it forward. Imagine how much kinder people would be. Instead of being envious of others we could actually be happy for them when they achieve their goals. What if schools around the country had a National Volunteering Day and we cleaned the school in teams. We may miss a day of academics, but imagine the lessons of paying it forward we would learn.

What are you going to do when your hand is needed?

 

Features, Michael Pepin

Students share Thanksgiving traditions

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By Michael Pepin

Thanksgiving break is right around the corner, and many students are preparing to see their friends and family over the brief vacation.  At this time of year, there are many different traditions that all center around Thanksgiving break and the famous dinner.

“I am really looking forward to thanksgiving break, it’s a chance to get out of school, get a break from everything, and have great food.  The food is the best part,” said senior Eric Ordonez.

Some students spend their break with their family.

“We always go hunting during Thanksgiving break. It’s deer season and I enjoy going hunting with my brother and dad, its always more fun with more people,” said junior Austin Carl.  In fact, he said he has gone hunting with his dad and brother ever since he was first able to hold and shoot a gun, and has not missed one year since.

However,  the famous dinner is the event that many people are looking forward to at this time of year.

“Thanksgiving dinner is a tradition we do, in fact I think almost every family looks forward to the Thanksgiving dinner. We always put really spicy seasoning on our turkey because we’re from New Orleans,” said Ordonez.

Many agree however, that spending that time with your family is the best part of Thanksgiving.

“We always go to my grandparents for thanksgiving dinner, so we can have the whole family at the table when the turkey comes.  I like seeing my grandparents and afterwards we always watch thanksgiving day football together. I watch Christmas vacation during this time of year as well, and have been for a couple years,” said senior Daniel Sheppard, who also admitted that seeing his grandparents is one of the highlights of Thanksgiving, and has been seeing them every thanksgiving without fail.

However students choose to spend their break, Ordonez said it is important to remember what the holiday is all about.

“I think for me Thanksgiving has a much deeper  meaning than the food and the family and the football. It’s a way to remember all the things we have taken for granted, things that many others do not have and might never. A lot of people don’t remember what thanksgiving is really all about when they get all caught up in the traditions.  It’s about being thankful for what you have,” said Ordonez.