TC Students share their Thanksgiving plans
By Lilla Gleeson and Lauren Thiell
Holidays are normally a time of happiness and joy where families gather together and celebrate; however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, families have been forced to change their normal plans and opt for more covid-friendly approaches to the holiday season. How are T.C. students and families planning a Thanksgiving with corona?
Most students are staying home for Thanksgiving like sophomore Aly Roster and junior Daviana Robles. Robles said she will be “having a small dinner with my immediate family at home.” An intimate dinner with family members that already live together is the perfect idea for a covid-friendly Thanksgiving. “My mom lives in South Carolina, and the cases are spiking down there, so it’s probably not the best for her to come up to join us for dinner,” Robles said. While she wishes she could see her mom during the holidays, she is grateful to have the opportunity to spend time with her family and stay safe.
Similarly, Josh Ayala, a T.C. sophomore, said, “I’m just going to have a small gathering with my mom, stepdad, and sister at home.” Ayala was supposed to visit family in Florida, but the trip got canceled due to concerns about the spike in coronavirus cases. He said, “I was looking forward to a change of scenery and weather down in Florida, but my mom doesn’t want to put us at risk.” In addition, Ayala is planning a small social distanced gathering with friends for a Friendsgiving.
Lily Fanning, a T.C. sophomore, said “[I am] staying in the safety of my own home because Thanksgiving is projected to be a superspreader.”
T.C. Junior Henok Amanuel plans to safely travel to North Carolina during the pandemic. While there are currently no travel restrictions in North Carolina, Amanuel will be taking precautions before spending time with his extended family. He said, “I haven’t seen my cousins in a while, so I’m excited. I have a lot of high-risk family members, so we will be eating outside.”Amanuel emphasized that when he returns, he will be quarantining for two weeks. Despite the risk, Amanuel said that “it is worth it to see my whole family, since this is a very important holiday to all of us, and we cherish the memories we make each year.”
Sophomore Anaïs Dellaria too will be safely spending time with extended family, saying, “My grandma quarantined, so we could see her.”
Miracle Gross, another T.C. sophomore, came up with a creative way to see her entire extended family without the risk of spreading covid by planning a family Zoom conference. She said she will be “chilling at home with family,” and “going to cook and play games together.”
Though this is a difficult time, Titan students and families are finding creative ways to safely stay in touch with their loved ones throughout the holidays. Some T.C students’ Thanksgiving plans have more risks than others, but the most important consideration is the safety of friends, family, and the rest of the community. There are many safe ways to see family and friends by either setting up ZOOM calls, going to parks with social distancing and masks employed, or having safe distanced outdoor Thanksgiving dinners. This is not ideal for anyone, but to keep safe and stop the spread of coronavirus, these ideas can provide both the family experience and safety. Theogony wishes you and your family a fun-filled and safe Thanksgiving!
