The IMS Times
The Thankful Edition
A Note From The Editor
Fun Thanksgiving Memories
I reached out to students and teachers at IMS, asking everyone to respond with a funny Thanksgiving story. Thank you to everyone who responded. Here are the responses that I received. Thanks to all who took the time to share.
The funniest Thanksgiving for me was my first year of marriage to my husband. We were living in an apartment in Fort Myers, Florida. I was cooking my first turkey for his family. I cleaned and seasoned the turkey, stuffed the turkey, and roasted it for about three hours. When I took it out of the oven and removed all the stuffing into a bowl, I discovered there was something else still in there. I continued to scoop, and then I pulled out a bag of the heart, liver, gizzard, and neck of the turkey. So gross!! I never knew that you also had to remove a bag of the turkey's innards before you roast a turkey. I still served the turkey to my husband's family. Fortunately, no one knew my mistake and the turkey still was yummy.
Mrs. Ferguson
One time my grandma burped at Thanksgiving. My grandma! Then we all started laughing.
Alexis Brody
I was about 6-7 years old and we were at my aunt's house in Garfield Hts. for Thanksgiving. While we were waiting for dessert, my mom asked me to go into my aunt's living room to get something for her. When I went into the living room, I saw a baby owl sitting on top of my aunt's curtain rod. When I went back to the dining room to tell everyone about the owl, they of course ignored me, probably thinking I was making it up. Anyway, after 5-10 minutes of me talking about this baby owl, my aunt poked her head in the living room and screamed out, "He is telling the truth, there is really an owl in here." Everyone scrambled and all chaos broke loose. I don't remember how they got the owl out of the house, but I do know the following year, my aunt put a ceramic owl in the middle of the table. The story of course has been passed down to my kids and we always begin Thanksgiving by giving thanks to the same ceramic owl that now sits on our table.
Mr. Schuld
My funniest Thanksgiving was back when I was like 8. My mom had made a lot of good stuff, but she also introduced all kinds of rolls to the table that year. I tried one and found it to be very tasty; it was nice and sweet. My brothers also liked them and started eating them like crazy. I joined in on the fun, and all I could eat was rolls. It was hilarious; my mom had put hours into this fancy dinner and all we would eat was store bought rolls. Soon enough, there were no rolls left and there was still plenty of the other food. My mom scolded us, but the rolls were just too good. I ate about 10 rolls that night. While rolls are still my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner, I have now learned that the other food is delicious as well.
Tate McGovern
My grandma always makes the same kind of stuffing every year. One year, she made a different recipe. It was ok, but my family was really surprised when it tasted different. We tease her now that she ruined Thanksgiving.
Marian Carlisle
Mr. Durny
By Allie Bohrer
The Perfect Meal
Everyone's family has a different idea of “The Perfect Meal.” Some probably have turkey and some have ham. Some like stuffing and some don’t (but why wouldn’t you like stuffing?). Anyway, there are some staples that every Thanksgiving dinner should have like turkey. So, here are some staples you should try to incorporate into your Thanksgiving dinner.
First, we should talk about main dishes. A lot of families have meat for their main dish. Most people have turkey, ham, or even lamb. Turkey is a staple when it comes to Thanksgiving. My family personally has ham for Thanksgiving. But, you can’t have just meat for Thanksgiving. No, No, No, No, No. We need some side dishes.
Now, here are some side dishes needed to make the “perfect meal.”
Mashed Potatoes- Unlike anything else on this list, mashed potatoes you will eat all you round. Who eats pumpkin pie in summer?
Stuffing- Stuffing is a dish that everyone SHOULD like (or you're just weird). But, you can eat stuffing weeks after Thanksgiving.
Gravy- The icing on the cake for a turkey.
Candied Sweet Potatoes- They are sweeter and are actually as healthy as regular potatoes.
Dinner Rolls- Not much to say here. I like them, you like them, and we always eat one too many.
Finally, we need dessert. I first think of pie when I think of Thanksgiving dessert. Some of the most popular pie flavors are coconut cream, strawberry, blueberry, pumpkin, and apple. Some families don’t like pie and have some family recipes also. Some other desserts served on Thanksgiving are apple crumble, cheesecake, ice cream and cookies.
Hopefully you now have some new ideas for a new Thanksgiving dinner. I hope some of you will now try stuffing and actually like it. But seriously maybe try something new this Thanksgiving and you might find something you really like.
By Veronica Kasperski
Let's Give Thanks
What I’m thankful for? Well gee, that’s a loaded question. Of course there’s the obvious stuff, I’m of course thankful for having such a loving family that cares for me, and friends that are helpful and nice. Now that that’s out of the way, I’m thankful for dogs, aren’t you? How are we so very fortunate enough to have such adorable and lovely creatures roam our Earth? Truly splendid. Lastly, I’m thankful for my creativity. Without my creativity, without my drawings, my stories, and my ideas, where would I be now? All of these things mentioned are things that I could never part with, and I am thankful to have them in my life to make it just a bit brighter.
Robby Kalman
I am thankful that I have a nice house to live in and have food on the table every day. I am also very thankful for my friends and my family because I don’t know what I would do without them.
Dylan Volk
After going completely virtual for a year and a half and feeling like I was missing many things that made life enjoyable, I am immensely grateful. For a gentle snowfall while I lay, cozy with fuzzy socks on, inside. For my energetic little fur balls that will occasionally act like little angels. For my beautiful house that I can run and jump in without worrying about cranky neighbors beneath us. For the sidewalks that I can travel through my entire city on. For my friends that will always have my back and will love me whether I show the need for it or not. For my family that is incredibly accepting and understanding when it comes to grades, disagreements with friends or each other, and different beliefs and views on religions and politics. For living in an amazingly safe city and neighborhood. For having a healthy mind-set and loving myself. For the well-being of my loved ones and the fact that I know they wish the same upon me. This is my first Thanksgiving out of virtual and in my relatively new house here in Independence. I had no idea how much I valued simple little things like chatting with one, single friend for two minutes, in person or having the outdoors as my escape. Living in Brecksville was certainly a unique experience, but coming out of two and a half years of living in a two bedroom condo with my two sisters has surely opened my eyes to all of the simple things. After all, it doesn’t matter how small an action, word, or scenario is. What truly matters is whether you take it for granted or not.
Tillie Averre
Tate McGovern
Saying what you are thankful for is a perfect way to show gratitude to your friends and family. To start off, I am very grateful my family and everything that they granted me with over the years. They have stuck by my side through all of my years here on earth. However, I am most thankful for art and creativity. To be frank, without those two things I would be one broken 8th grader. Without a way to express myself I couldn’t have my personal therapy that pushes me throughout everything. Therefore, I’m thankful for gesso, paint, pencils, canvas, paper and the ability to create what makes me happy.
Natasha Rehlender
Veronica Kasperski
I’m thankful for many aspects in life. I’m thankful for all the basics, my family, friends, pets, a roof over my head, food, water and life, but I’m also thankful for theatre, feminism and writing. To sum it up, I’m thankful for many aspects in life, even if they aren’t the most popular aspects to be thankful for.
Adriana Randjelovic
I am thankful for my family, my friends, animals, food, having a home in a good neighborhood, clothing, and a lot more.
Emma Bohrer
Being thankful for many different things in my life is something that I am thankful about! There are so many different things that you can be thankful for, that I’m thankful for everything. But, I’m going to list more specific things that I am thankful for. These can include smaller things, like my watch that I wear everyday or the glasses on my head. But other things that may not seem as “proudful” to be thankful for is the technology I have, like my phone, wifi, tv, and many more! Technology has made human lives easier for years, and that is something to be thankful for. Last but not least, the things that I am most thankful for are my family and house! Every day I spend lots of time with these two things. They are most important to me. Overall, I am thankful for everything since everything has a reason to be thankful for.
Matthew Liepert
The Cranberry Wobbled & Walked
Complain-sgiving
It’s that time of year, everyone. When Kohl's starts playing Christmas music, the Halloween decorations have been completely removed, and we have moved on to the next holiday: Thanksgiving! Yep. Every year, it seems as if the Christmas season starts the day before Halloween, itself, and pauses for a week to fit Thanksgiving. Along with the Christmas music comes the school projects. I have been asked what I am grateful for more than I can count on my hands and toes combined. It is unofficially a cliche by now. In fact, I, personally, would be more grateful to be asked that question less.
I feel the thankful concept began in pre-school when we made the classic hand-turkeys. I believe I stopped making those in third-grade. My mom would never admit this in the entire history of space and time, but those things were a mess. I wouldn’t expect a full-out Michelangelo hand turkey coming from my 3-9 year old self, but come on. When one makes hand-turkeys for six years and they all manage to fall apart within weeks, one tends to be some-what ashamed. After those hand-turkey wrecks, I graduated to writing short stories or drawing pictures about what I’ve been thankful for. Those prompts gained repetition rapidly.
Adriana Randjelovic had a particularly unique comment. I found this to be an interesting observation rather than an annoyance. Adriana explained, “I associate Thanksgiving with thanks, but also racial injustice, seeing as so many Native American lives were taken when pilgrims came. I do think the Native Americans who died should definitely be remembered. Also, I’m pretty sure that the Native Americans died from pilgrims, but it’s possible they could’ve died from diseases that were brought over.” I ended up sitting on that response, pondering how deep it was. Considering that she is two years younger than me (she is in 6th grade), and she wanted to bring up the historical aspect of it, I was taken aback, slightly. I grew up with the idea that Thanksgiving happened centuries ago when the Pilgrims first came to North America and feasted happily with the Native Americans. However, I’ve learned that this is not even close to the actual events Thanksgiving originated from. Adriana has more information about the historical aspects of this nation-wide holiday. Make sure you check out her article if you are interested in learning a little about the actual events of Thanksgiving.
Adriana’s response helped bring me back to my interpretation of Thanksgiving. Although I carry the responsibility to make everyone’s lives miserable from being a moody teen, I find it necessary to bring the purpose of this article back into focus. Even though I would certainly enjoy doing that to you, my innocent victim- excuse me- reader. Thanksgiving is a time that people across our nation celebrate their privileges. Being the sweet, complain-y fourteen year old I am, I wanted to bring people’s focus on how much I have experienced people expressing gratitude around this time of year. In all honesty, it is precious when one finds something they are truly grateful for, without instruction or guidance. Therefore, I suggest that you think of one thing you’ve never expressed gratitude for. Be thankful. Go out and love the world. Don’t listen to some crabby, indecisive teenager.
By Matilda Marie Averre
The Dark Side of Thanksgiving
Most people think the first Thanksgiving was a happy and peaceful time with pilgrims and people from the Wampanoag tribe. At least that’s what we learned, but it’s not the truth. What we learned in school was partially true, but many were myths. What we were taught in school about Thanksgiving was that the Native Americans welcomed the pilgrims to the new world and they taught them how to live in the new environment. To celebrate the new alliance, the Native Americans and the pilgrims had a feast, which is now known as the first Thanksgiving. After the first Thanksgiving they all lived in peace.
Now time to get to the truth. After the first Thanksgiving, the chief of the Wampanoag tribe, Massasoit turned out to be an amazing ally, like how he allied with the English settlers against the French, but the alliance got tense over time. As people came to America and took up more land, the immigrants started to claim control over aspects of Wampanoag life. When Massasoit’s son, Metacomet took over, war started. The English attacked then the Wampanoag attacked back and it went back and forth. Finally, war was declared by the New England Confederation of Colonies in 1675. The war was harsh. In the end, Metacomet was killed in a final battle. Then, some more deaths occurred which seem too violent to list.
Now back to the present. In an article for The Historical Journal of Massachusetts it was stated that the war’s death toll was possibly as high as 30% of the English population and half of the Native Americans in New England. Now, people are starting to rethink the holiday, due to racial injustice. Some people say it’s time to rethink the holiday as well as its meaning. Some people, after rethinking the holiday, have given it new meanings, like “Takesgiving”. They believe it’s time to share the holiday’s true story and so do I. One group has even been mourning Thanksgiving since 1970! Overall, Thanksgiving can be about thankfulness, but take time to recall the war and the racial injustice of this holiday.
By Adriana Randjelovic
The Horrid Thanksgiving
(The Turkey's Point of View)
Prologue: It’s been two years since the first Thanksgiving, and this year the turkeys are striking back, well at least Fred the Turkey will try to.
(Two days until Thanksgiving) “SOLDIERS we have two days until Thanksgiving and we have to stop the big giant creatures with hats from eating our brotherens, and sister…ens!” Fred yelled. The audience was silent, Fred had failed trying to create an army to fight the big creatures with hats.
Then Renny the turkey yelled, “This Thanksgiving I was just going to dig a hole and hide in it for a while.”
“Shut your gobbler!” muttered Fred.
“Well, I’m going alone then.” Fred cried out. Fred walked out of his home hopefully to return. One day until Thanksgiving food supplies were running low, but then he saw the first home that he was going to help his brothers and sisters from being eaten. He ran as fast as he could on his little two legs, and into their hom…BANG. He ran into a force field or something. “The big giant creatures with hats knew I was coming clearly, so the question is how do I get into their home…also what did I run into, I can see my reflection in the object I should think of a strategy.” (10 minutes later) After running into it about 187 times he went around it and through the door.
He saw a horrific sight…they turned the turkey’s precious corn into BREAD!? “Is that some kind of…Corn Bread, how dare they disgrace our corn!” Fred cried out, a few seconds later BAM, BAM, BAM, They were coming! They heard the gobbles. He knew it was over for him.
“What is it?” the tinier but still big creature non-wearer of a hat asked.
“Oh, it’s just a turkey.” said the big creature wearing a hat.
“Well, what are you gonna do with it!?” said one of the big creatures wearing a hat with a sassy tone.
Fred watched as they argued. This was his chance, he then got up and ran.. He turned back and saw a head pop out of the bushes. It was Carl the turkey. By this time the big giant creatures saw Fred escape. They started chasing after him. The non-hat wearer pulled out a bat. He started swinging it at Fred. He missed. Another swing.
“Ooh,swing and a miss. Wait,wait...ooh,that was close. Better luck next time,”said Carl.
Fred turned his head. “Is that really necessary,Carl. I’m on the brink of death, for cryin’ out loud!” he said. Fred got away from them with Carl, but once they went over a hill to hide they saw more houses! “How could this be? They only came two years ago and they already have…75 houses.” exclaimed Fred.
“I really don’t know,” said Carl.
“How are we going to get all the turkeys from all those houses before tomorrow?” Fred asked.
“We burn them down to the ground!!” cried Carl.
“NO!” yelled Fred. “What should we seriously do?” asked Fred.
“We should bur…” began Carl.
“You already said that," said Fred.
“No, it’s different, how about we burn the rest of their food, and then take our friends back?” said Carl.
“Yes you're a genius!” exclaimed Fred. They went out to save their friends and end the horrid Thanksgiving. It’s the last house and they were happy because they had an army of 74 other turkeys who were ready, but this house was different. “This is the last house and we will ruin their Thanksgiving!” yelled Fred
“FORWARD!” cried Carl. They walked into the house, not a sound could be heard. They all had an eerie feeling, except for Crazy Bill (He doesn’t have feelings). Chatter began between everyone they had the same feeling of eeriness. No one was there. So they left, then the non hat wearing CHILD with a bat came out and started swinging a bat, and basically turned into a tornado. The other turkeys were being sucked in, until it was only Fred, Carl, and Crazy Bill. Crazy Bill might have just looked into his eyes for a minute and then he ran away. The non hat wearing child chased him. We watched as they ran,the child aggressively swinging his bat at Crazy Bill. “Ooh...in the butt! That oughta hurt!” said Carl. Then we all walked away,with 365 days left to survive.
By Sam Caruso and Connor Noll
History of Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Black Friday is a day you can be really “thankful” for! What’s not to be loved about lowered prices on a large array of products? We could go on and on about every item we’ve personally bought. However, you do have to wonder, where did this iconic date originate from? To receive an answer, we must travel back to the 1960s to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The first usage of the term “Black Friday” came from the sudden influx of tourists shopping for the holiday season. The day after Thanksgiving would be a day for everyone to go on a shopping spree. Police officers often had to work longer, harder shifts due to heavy traffic, shoplifting, and car accidents. After years of the event recurring, some merchants attempted to give the day a positive connotation by calling it “Big Friday”. The name didn’t stick though. In the 1980s, Black Friday became nationwide and the time shops turned a profit for the year.
There’s another meaning for Black Friday, unrelated to the commercial splurge we know today. Jay Gould and Jim Fisk wanted to corner the gold market to try and make money. So they bought a plethora of gold, hoping the prices would skyrocket as a result. However, President Ulysses S. Grant caught on to them and put a stop to their shenanigans. Unfortunately, thousands of Americans lost their jobs because the stock for gold plummeted. This occurred on Friday, September 24th, thus obtaining the name “Black Friday”.
Another popular shopping event begins on the Monday following Thanksgiving: Cyber Monday. Being “created” by consumers, many realtors saw a massive increase in sales on that day. We aren’t aware of the exact cause of it, but we do have theories. Parents bought gifts for their children at work due to the faster internet speeds. When this purchasing phenomenon was perceived, people prematurely granted it names such as “Blue Monday” after blue links or even “Black Monday” after Black Friday. The title, “Cyber Monday”, was created on Thanksgiving, 2005. When the New York Times used the new term, it spread like wildfire. Sales on Cyber Monday boomed. Each year, more revenue flowed in. More recently in 2014, there were over two billion dollars in profit on Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday has now firmly established itself in American Culture.
So, that’s where we stand today! The stories behind these two events might not have been what you anticipated, but it’s history nonetheless. From a gold market crash to a number of people shopping at once, we ended up with two dates to receive some awesome deals. Now go be thankful, push your way through crowds, rest over the weekend, and then go snag some more sweet online prices!
Want to learn more about these shopping crazes? Check out the sources we used!
Written by: Matthew Liepert and Nathan Lu
Everyone's Favorite Things To Buy On Black Friday
I have been talking to people around IMS (mostly 8th graders, 8th grade teachers and staff )to see what their favorite things to buy on Black Friday are. Below are some answers. Thanks to all who talked to me!
Mr. Ambrose is too lazy to do anything on Black Friday.
Mrs. Satola likes to buy video games and consoles for her kids. She has bought the switch and the PS4 on different years.
Mr. Schuld never buys anything on Black Friday.
Mrs. Lewis also buys electronics and video games for her kids because they are expensive and she waits until Black Friday to get the best deals.
Mrs. Vecchio does not buy anything because it is too stressful to be in the stores with so many people.
Mrs. Fike buys “Big One” blankets from Kohls because they are quality blankets and are super cheap on Black Friday.
Matthew Liepert buys any kind of technology he can find because they usually have the most price deductions.
Owen Jenks purchases computer parts on Black Friday because building computers is one of his favorite hobbies.
Tillie Averre and her family buy appliances on Black Friday because they enjoy upgrading their home.
Paul Kundmueller buys PS4 games because they have amazing deals on Black Friday, some even reach 60% off!
Nora Olexa purchases hoodies and other clothes because some deals reach 50% off on Black Friday!
Nathan Lu and his family like to buy kitchen stuff on Black Friday just because it is necessary.
Thank you!
By Tate McGovern
A Few Tips From Dylan & Thomas
Hello FRIENDS, we are yet again, back again, to provide you with our extremely helpful and not pointless advice. This month we will be explaining how to survive Black Friday, and hopefully after taking our advice you will be able to get the latest and greatest deals on that new TV WITHOUT having to punch a grandma for it. Have fun and punch responsibly.
Step 1. Planning ahead
Even though planning ahead may seem to be less important than making a battle plan or survival of the fittest it is probably one of the most useful but at the same time the hardest to figure out. When planning ahead the main thing that needs to be accounted for is knowing exactly what you want when you get there, now this may seem easy but there is a high probability that you are not going to get everything that you want. Therefore you have to determine what you want most out of the list of everything that you want. Also when figuring out what you want the most, plan accordingly and save some room for if you see something that you want that is on your list or if it’s just something you found that you didn’t know that you wanted.
Step 2. Make a battle plan.
This may seem a little complex but trust me, it’s worth it. You should go to the stores that you plan on visiting a couple days before and write down the locations of all of the items that you want. You could even try asking an employee for a map of the store. Once you have your map whether you made it yourself or you got it from an employee you will want to use a highlighter or colored drawing tool to plan your route. Now you need to memorize your route because you won’t have time to pull out your map to look at where to go. Try and think of something to remember your route such as “Walk past the cash register and turn right at the first bathroom.” Also, make sure that you color your battle map otherwise it won’t look nice which is a very important aspect as no one wants an ugly battle map. The final thing that can be included in the battle plan step is singing “Joy To The World” to the people who are arguing or fighting over an item. Just walk up and scream it, voice cracks and all. Just belt out. Also, be prepared to get punched, trampled, kicked, punted, mauled, or cussed at by singing this sacred tune at the people who are fighting.
Step 3. Take along anything you need to help you.
Now when some people hear the word anything there are things that they immediately think of. But in the case of taking anything that you will need to survive Black Friday is a whole different story. Of course there are the usual things that need to be taken along with you like food and water. Then there are the fun things that can be taken along that can benefit you getting what you want. For example, bringing along a rat and releasing it where the toy or gadget that you want is located so people will leave, therefore allowing you to get the thing you wanted.
Step 4. Know what you want to buy.
Ok, this is a very important step. If you don’t know what you want to buy, some random grandmother might steal that last TV. But if you know that you really need that $200 TV your young and agile legs will easily out run that old grandmother with her walker. I know that on Thanksgiving, after my family eats dinner. We always look through the Black Friday magazines and look at the Black Friday deals online. Then we highlight or circle the stuff that we want to get. I would recommend this strategy so that you can easily mark what you want to buy on Black Friday. If you wander around aimlessly not knowing what you want, buy the time you decide what to get, and find out where it is, chances are, it will be out of stock. So make sure that you know what you want to buy ahead of time so it isn’t out of stock by the time you get to it.
Step 5. Hit the shops and head in with confidence.
This is going to be short and sweet. Step 5 basically means to not sleep in, or leave your cart unattended, or have a game face look and be determined to get exactly what you came to the store for.
Step 6.Scope it out ahead of time.
Imagine that there is something that you want for everyone else as well and you, have searched everywhere for it on websites and you can’t seem to find it, but it is at a store, where everyone else is going to get the same thing. Well, I believe that your best bet is to head into the store just a day or two before Black Friday and take whatever it is that you want and find somewhere where you think no one else will look. Then, on Black Friday you go into the store, get exactly what you came into to get and pay for it and leave. It is that simple. Now everything that I said before this seems pretty easy but there is one key component that cannot be overlooked, well in can, but it shouldn’t be and that is where to hide it. It has to be the most unimportant, inconsequential, insignificant, and inconspicuous place that no one would ever think of. For example, a place like a baby section or a section of the where something there was good last year or two years ago and now means absolutely nothing.
Step 7. The final step.
This is the most important step by far, I do not endorse this but it is important anyways. This step is called "Survival of the Fittest" or to put it simply violence. Say for example a little child named Lil’ Eddie is in the store. Now, Lil’ Eddie is a spoiled little brat who has a girlfriend at the age of three and drives a Maserati power wheel to preschool everyday. He needs glasses but his girlfriend Jacqueline, hates boys with glasses. So, Lil’ Eddie watches his cartoons but he has to sit very close to the TV because he only has a 55 inch TV. He is shopping for a new TV on Black Friday that is 75 inches and he is with his mom. They steal the last TV and you are furious. You whip out your silly string Spiderman web shooter and blind his mother. Then you walk up to Lil’ Eddie and punt him. Just send him flying. His mom sets down the TV and chases after Lil’ Eddie and you get the TV. It’s perfect because you get the TV and the mom will never know who punted her son because you Spiderman silly stringed the mom before you punted the child and hopefully Lil’ Eddie learned his lesson. Another option would be if you wanted on those candy canes that the mall Santa’s pass out but he says you're too old. Just maul (wound a person by scratching and tearing them) him. That fake Santa deserves it but there is an exception. If the mall Santa actually looks like Santa he can be spared your wrath. He is just a happy old man spreading Christmas cheer but if the Santa looks like they don’t even care about Christmas cheer, that's another story.
To sum up this month’s advice, I (Dylan, because Thomas didn't answer the phone so I wrote the conclusion) hope that you learned something helpful for Black Friday and you get that $200 TV that you wanted! P.S We don’t endorse the punching of grandmothers, the punting of children, or the mauling of mall Santas! P.P.S. Dylan Volk was the one that came up with the idea of punching a grandma, punting a child, and finally mauling mall Santas. All him, not me. P.P.P.S I (Dylan) am proud of coming up with the idea to punch grandmothers, punt children, and maul mall Santas. P.P.P.P.S. I (Thomas) don’t believe that anyone should be proud that they came up with the idea to punch a poor innocent grandma or punt another innocent human being and the lowest of them all maul a mall Santa who sacrifices their time to give young children the thought that someone breaks into your house to give you presents.
By Thomas Graham & Dylan Volk
Editor's Note: Dylan has been placed on leave for promoting acts of violence and he has been assigned to work 400 hours of community service at local malls serving as security to mall Santas. If all goes as planned, he should be back with us sometime during his junior year of high school.
Back In The Day...
I am back, gobble gobble! It’s almost Turkey Day! Time to start writing what you are thankful for and go Black Friday shopping. Other holidays are fine, but nothing can beat that first mouth-watering slice of the turkey, or that sweet as candy, sweet potato casserole. You may not think of them much this season, but there are other people during Thanksgiving, other than the people you see at the Thanksgiving parade in New York. They are your teachers who love and celebrate Thanksgiving as well, and also love meeting with their families this time of year. So, that is what we are going to talk about. lThis month I asked our teachers to share what Thanksgiving was like when they were younger. First up is Fantastic Mrs. Mac! Second, the amazing Mr. Adams. Then lastly is the Marvelous Mrs. Renton.
Mrs. Mac. So back in the day...when I was in middle school...My family would always go to Pennsylvania.....we would make the journey to spend time with both grandparents and then bring one of them (my mom's mom) back to stay with us for the winter...until Easter. My favorite food was stuffing… all about the stuffing. Back then I was thankful for the time off school and getting more time to go ice skating. I loved hanging out playing cards with the family and watching games on TV. I hated having to do the dishes! I hated it because there was no dishwasher!
Mr. Adams. We would go to my Aunt Mary's house for dinner. We never hosted. My favorite dishes were the amazing green bean casserole, stuffing, and stuffed cabbage. I was always thankful for back then being off from school and watching football all day. I loved being with family, eating pumpkin pie, playing football in the morning, and watching the NFL games. I hated getting dressed up.
Mrs. Renton. Our family tradition was the wishbone. We had three kids in the family and only two could pull the wishbone so it was always a race to be one of the lucky two. My mom is an amazing chef and she always made dinner for our family of 5 and my grandparents. Now the family has grown to 17! My favorite dish has changed over the years. In the early years, I didn't like any of it… absolutely not one thing, now I enjoy all of the food, but probably my Secret recipe mashed potatoes and grandma's stuffing are my faves. When I was a kid, I was most thankful for days off from school, while I am still extremely thankful for that, now I am thankful that our family is all still around to enjoy the day together. I Loved when my grandparents came up...that was always my favorite part of every holiday. I hated turkey! haha!
By Macon Taylor
Thanksgiving Family Traditions
Families celebrate Thanksgiving in all sorts of ways. For instance, one tradition that families partake in on Thanksgiving is to break the wishbone for good luck. After carving the turkey, the wishbone, a Y-shaped bone that carries much superstition, gets set aside to dry. Once the meal is over, two people make their wishes and break the wishbone. Whoever ends up with the bigger piece is said to have their wish come true and will have good luck for the upcoming year. I do that every year and it is fun. Some may think this is silly, but it is true for those of us that believe. Other families watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and have even expressed that the parade is the best way to spend Thanksgiving.The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is now one of the most famous holiday traditions in the United States. In New York City, thousands of people line the streets of Manhattan to watch. This particular parade is known for its giant inflatable balloons that float between the skyscrapers, high above the onlookers. People go there to have fun and see all of the big balloons, floats and even famous people. I think it would be a cool and fun experience to go.
Although there are a lot of traditions among families, eating a traditional Thanksgiving meal and spending time with loved ones is one tradition that everyone agrees is most cherished. I like this tradition best! I love it because you get to gather up with your family and spend some good quality time with them. While most people spend time with family on Thanksgiving, others have a “Friendsgiving.” This is when friends get together and celebrate the holiday and eat the most amazing meal. No Thanksgiving Day would be complete without the traditional meal. Must-eats are: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Green bean casserole has become a popular dish, especially in the Midwest. Completing the meal, is of course, pumpkin pie for dessert.
Holidays like Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without time-honored family traditions. Some are classics shared across different communities, like giving thanks before eating or saying a toast, while others are unique to you and yours. It’s the most wonderful time of the year in the US – a time for food, family, friends, and being thankful. Originating as a harvest festival, Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays in the US. People across the country gather together to share a meal and reflect on all the things they’re grateful for. But there’s much more to do during this beautiful time of giving thanks than just eating. From parades to shopping, running to volunteering – Thanksgiving is celebrated in a wide variety of ways. We’ve put together our bucket list for the ultimate US Thanksgiving celebration.
Football is the most popular sport to watch in the US and the idea of games played on Thanksgiving Day actually dates back as early as 1876, shortly after the game was invented. Families and friends gather around to watch their favorite teams compete in one of America’s favorite sports. Or, to burn off some of those Thanksgiving calories, some families split into teams and play a game of football themselves. Some people like to watch the football game on Thanksgiving.
In the spirit of giving thanks and helping others, many communities across the US hold annual food drives that collect non-perishable packaged and canned foods for those in need. These organizations also host Thanksgiving dinners so that everyone has a place to enjoy a warm meal.Each year at EF Academy New York, students from all over the world get to share in the holiday spirit. They share the traditional Thanksgiving meal together, go Black Friday shopping at a nearby mall, and decorate the halls for the holiday season. It’s a fun and festive way to share this important piece of US culture with our international community. These are some of the most fun traditions that people celebrate on Thanksgiving.
By Sarah Messina-Dysert
Give Thanks
Thanksgiving is right around the corner so I sent out a survey to all the students and staff asking what your thankful for here are some of the more popular answers I got.
27 people said family
23 people said friends
19 people said good health
16 people said pets
A lot of people had very unique answers. On the first survey I sent out everything was an option, so I sent out another survey with a spot were people had to type. Some of my favorite answers and some really unique answers I got were:
Mac & cheese
Me
Sports
RV
Toilets
A good neighborhood
My neighbors
Having a nice house
My brothers being with me for all my life
All the people who have enriched my life
Each and every day
My friends my family and my friends, and everyone who cares about me as much as I care for them
Hot and cold water coming right to my house
My car
My job as a teacher
There were a lot more responses that I got but those were some of my favorites and some more unique answers that were submitted. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.
By Emma Bohrer
Devilish Days & Dogs
Save Room For Dessert
Do you love the fall, and the aesthetic emotions it brings? The food, the smells, the weather all coincide to produce one of the best times of the year. Why not the best desserts too? There are all kinds of desserts in the world but I rounded up tastiest thanksgiving desserts ever to exist.
Why do we start with the famous pumpkin pie? Even if you have ever tasted pumpkin pie before, you have definitely heard of it. And if you have never heard of pumpkin pie here is a description of it. Pumpkin pie is a very custard dessert. And the crust is like any other pie crust. Not only is pumpkin pie the classic Thanksgiving dessert but also the most popular one too. Out of 69 responses 29% of kids and staff members voted for pumpkin pie being there go to Thanksgiving dessert. Now that we have the most popular Thanksgiving dessert let's move on to the desserts that I think sound good and more people should have.
To start, we should go over more Thanksgiving desserts that people voted for. Out of 69 reponses 21% of people voted for pumpkin ice cream. It is really surprising that 15 people voted for their Thanksgiving dessert to be ice cream. Now on another hand 18% of people eat apple pie as their Thanksgiving dessert. Now that seems a little more festive. Finally, let's get to the desserts that more people should have. To begin, pecan tarts sound amazing and look amazing but, if you are allergic to this Thanksgiving dessert then you should try coconut cream pie. However if you are one of the many people that dont like coconuts then dark chocolate cranberry bundt cake might be just right for you.
To sum it all up there are many tasty Thanksgiving desserts in this world but I might have found the one that fits you the best. And a little something extra I am thankful for all animals and my parents.
By Jillian Frazier
What Should We Do With All The Leftovers?
In my family, we make a bunch of Thanksgiving foods that we have leftovers of. Apple pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey and a bunch more food options are not being eaten. I have a couple tips on what to do with leftovers, and you may want to try them too! We freeze some of our foods, like cranberry sauce. Or, we reheat it the following day and eat it with leftover mashed potatoes. Those are the two commonly used options in my household that we use with leftover cranberry sauce, but there are many more alternatives other than reheating and freezing cranberry sauce. You could try to make a cranberry pie, because you already have everything for the filling. When we make mashed potatoes, we don’t have too many leftovers, but when we do, we just reheat it the day after. My family makes a really good cabbage salad, with only cabbage, vinegar, some salt and some pepper! When we have leftovers of it, we just keep it in the fridge and save it for later. We also make really good apple pie, but there is always some leftover! We usually give it away to our grandparents, the leftovers, I mean. I saved the best for last: the turkey. There are obviously many things you could do with leftover turkey, You could make a chicken pot pie, except with turkey, you could give some to your dog, You could eat it, you could throw it away, you could give some to your cousins, your grandparents, or just finish it on Thanksgiving. But what we do is split it with our grandparents, cousins, and we keep a bit to ourselves. There are many different things you could do with leftover food on Thanksgiving, but these are a few options you could do with your leftovers. I hope you have a happy thanksgiving.
By: Maya Toth