After living through one Thanksgiving under a pandemic, no one wanted to do it again. Yet here we are. For all the hardships that COVID-19 has caused, students found plenty of reasons to be thankful, both on campus and at the family dinner table.
In the year between holidays, several effective vaccines have become available. The protection they provide has been a major factor in bringing life back to campus. Classmates who previously only interacted online are now learning side-by-side. Theatre, concerts and sports are once again playing to cheering crowds. Many of those strides were top of mind for students as they reflected on the holiday.
What are you thankful for?
GABBY MARTIN (Health Sciences, 1st Year): “I’m definitely thankful for the opportunity to have my car down here so I can travel between classes. And just thankful that I have the opportunity to get an education, really.”
NATHAN COUTURE (Business, 1st Year): “The flexibility of the teachers, switching to online and being able to switch over to doing Zoom calls.”
KATIE PAUL (Social Work, 1st Year Master’s Program): “I think for me, my gratitude really comes from a place of feeling really supported by my cohort. I’ve learned a lot from everyone’s collective experiences. And just the opportunity to afford an education in general is something I’m really grateful for.”
CAMERON COLEMAN (Social Work, 1st Year Master’s Program): “I’m thankful for easy access to education and being able to still spend time with my family but have quality education right out the door.”
ASHLEY SALGUERO (Human Biology, 4th Year): “I’m thankful for the education, and I’m grateful as well that we’re able to come to classes in-person and have that ability to have online classes, as well.
LIZ THIBEAULT (Human Biology, 1st Year): “Definitely my family this year because being far away from them makes me more grateful when I go home to be with them. And I have a lot of cousins, so we all hang out then.”
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
MARTIN: “Definitely mashed potatoes and gravy. I’ve just always liked those. I don’t really like stuffing or anything else, but turkey is good.”
COUTURE: “I like mashed potatoes. I also like apple pie. And I do make a good peanut butter cream cheese pie with Oreo crust.”
PAUL: “Mashed potatoes because they’re superior. And that’s it!”
COLEMAN: “I’m going to go cranberry sauce. And adding some zest to the meal is definitely important.”
SALGUERO: “I would say pecan pie. I think it’s very sweet.”
THIBEAULT: “Definitely squash because my grandmother makes the squash, and no one else in my family really likes it, so we all get it to ourselves.”