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How Students are Celebrating Thanksgiving During COVID-19

thelighthousetve

by Emma Ruggiero

Thanksgiving is almost here, and people are getting ready to celebrate this cozy holiday with their families and friends and, of course, their favorite food. Everyone has their unique preferences regarding Thanksgiving dishes, and some families have special traditions that they look forward to each year. COVID-19 has interrupted many social activities this year, and Thanksgiving is no exception. Despite the current circumstances, there are many wonderful things to be grateful for this year.

I interviewed four different students about how they celebrate this holiday, what they are most thankful for, and whether or not the COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted their usual Thanksgiving plans. For reasons of privacy, we will withhold the last names of the students interviewed.

Question: Who will you be celebrating Thanksgiving with this year?

Miles: I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my family.

Kiera: I’m going to celebrate Thanksgiving with my aunt, uncle, grandparents, family friend, my parents, brother, two cats and five dogs. 

Gaia: I believe I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my mother. 

Ava: I’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving with my immediate family this year. 

Question: Does your family have any special traditions?

Miles: No.

Kiera: We like to spend time together for the week of Thanksgiving and go on adventures (like hikes and escape rooms) and play games, (like Jenga and Catchphrase) as a family. 

Gaia: A tradition I have had for a couple of years has been spending Thanksgiving with some family friends. We play games and other pleasant things, and sometimes my grandmother brings me and my mom Salvadorian Tamales. 

Ava: My family always has the traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, etc., and we all go around the table talking about what we’re thankful for during the meal. 

Question: Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your usual Thanksgiving plans in any way?

Miles: The pandemic will affect what family members can attend our dinner, and as we get closer to Thanksgiving more limitations may arise. 

Kiera: The pandemic affected our celebrations for sure, unfortunately. Our original plans included spending a week with lots of our extended family, but because of the pandemic, we had to modify our gathering. 

Gaia: Yes. 

Ava: The COVID-19 pandemic has not affected our usual Thanksgivings [sic] plans in a significant way. 

Question: What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Miles: I would most definitely have to go with mashed potatoes. 

Kiera: Pecan pie and sweet potatoes. Turkey and cranberry sauce are definitely a close second! 

Gaia: My favorite dish would probably be Turkey with potatoes and the Salvadorian tamales my family eats. 

Ava: My favorite Thanksgiving dish is cranberry sauce – homemade is the best! 

Question: What are you thankful for?

Miles: I believe I am most thankful for the fact that none of my family members have been harmed by Covid-19. 

Kiera: I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given this year particularly, to spend time with family and explore my passions. 

Gaia: I am thankful for the life I have been given, and the opportunities that have presented themselves during confusing times. 

Ava: I’m thankful for the many opportunities I’ve been given to pursue my passions, and for being blessed with such an incredible family that supports me in all my ventures. 

Thanksgiving is a holiday for spending quality time with your family, your friends, and other important people in your life. Students look forward to the unique ways they enjoy Thanksgiving, from celebrating the traditional way, taking hikes and playing family games, or enjoying special foods. This year, for some students, COVID-19 has mildly impacted their Thanksgiving plans, but that doesn’t mean the holiday will be less enjoyable. When it comes to Thanksgiving foods, some common favorites include turkey, cranberry sauce, and potatoes. There is a lot to be thankful for, and the students express their gratitude for their families and the opportunities they have been gifted with this year.

Student Life

2020 – Virtual Games to Enjoy During COVID-19

thelighthousetve

By Ava Salado

There is no hiding that 2020 has not been the best overall. The COVID-19 pandemic has been, for most students, the most significant and most life-altering thing that has ever happened to them. It has been challenging, but we need to get through it safely. Unfortunately, the TVE community has not been able to do its regular events, such as Park Days, Seminars, Science Fairs, classes, and dances. Although these things can’t take place at the current moment, there are activities you can do to pass this time, and our job as writers is to make this time just a little more enjoyable.

TVE will hopefully get back to regular scheduling in the future, with the Teen Formal still scheduled for Sat, May 8th, 2021, safety guidelines permitting. The beloved Harvest dance may be taking place in late October 2021, but we are still waiting for further notice for both of these. In the meantime, you and your family can do lots of things, such as taking an exploration through your bookcase to uncover your new favorite story. Maybe an adventure on your couch to discover a brand new movie; or a journey past your favorite music app to find a song you haven’t heard before. Maybe take an online class to learn more about something you love.

 Other activities you could enjoy with friends and family are virtual games played over zoom. These are fun, easy games that take minimal prep. Very simple to understand games are quite fun with younger children. Consider having a virtual game championship by playing all the games, and in the end, whoever has the most points total wins.

Learn more about your friends on Zoom – This is a fun virtual game you can play with your friends on Zoom. You select one person to be the reader, and all others write in the Zoom chat three things they like and three things they dislike. The reader then reads each person’s likes and dislikes aloud, without saying their name, and the others have to guess who it is. 

Memory game over Zoom – Choose one person to be the leader. This person sets out some random items on a table in front of their computer camera. If you do not have a computer camera that points down, try to use a phone camera and point it towards the table. In the first round, the rest of the players have a 7 second period to write down and remember all of the items before they turn the camera off. After that, the leader turns their camera back on and announces all the items. If you get them right, you get a point. In the second round, the leader selects a new group of items for the table. The players get 7 seconds without writing anything down. You can talk amongst the other players to try and remember better. If you remember them correctly, you get a point. The only difference in round three is that the players must remember the new set of items with their microphones off and attempt to remember the items independently. Afterward, you add up all of your points, whoever has the most points, wins! 

Guess that Picture on Zoom – One person selects several photos. First, they share their screen, very zoomed in on the picture. Then, they slowly zoom out. The players write what they think the image is in a private chat with the person who selected the photos. If they guess right, they get a point. Then the process is repeated with multiple different pictures, and whoever has the most points wins!

Virtual Movie night on Zoom – It’s so much fun to watch your favorite movies with your friends. You can achieve this with Zoom or any video chat website. Collaborate with your friends, so you start your favorite movie or show at the same time.

While 2020 has brought up some unexpected challenges, we are committed to making it the best we can. Not seeing friends and family has been one of the hardest parts for most students. These virtual games provide a simple solution, an easy way to connect safely. Hopefully, we will be able to interact in-person again in the future, but for now, we can make do with fun activities like these.