With Thanksgiving around the corner, OH’s community is more than ready to feast on their favorite holiday traditions.
“[Thanksgiving is] about spending time with others and just being with one another,” said OH junior Mia Gasper.
Throughout the building and in the community, students and staff participate in local Thanksgiving celebrations. Whether that be student-led events, food drives, or debating the best dish, everyone is trying their best to get involved in this fall season of gratitude.
Juniorettes host a food drive and holiday meeting
The Oswego Juniorettes is a volunteer organization where students aged 13-to-18 engage in a variety of events. This year, Juniorettes emphasized the importance of Thanksgiving by dedicating time and effort to the holiday.
OH Juniorettes President and junior Delaney Segarra said, “We are celebrating with a food drive for the Kendall County food pantry, and at our November meeting, we are going over the importance of gratefulness, why it’s important to be thankful for the things in your life.”
Juniorettes came together and donated a large assortment of food to Oswego’s local food pantry.
“Now, more than ever, it’s super important to do a food drive,” said Segarra. “Especially considering everything that’s been happening in the country, with the fact that so many families are going without food this Thanksgiving… We know we’re in a position of privilege to be able to give that to the community locally.”
At the Juniorettes’ monthly meeting, students participated in activities that taught them more about the meaning of Thanksgiving.
“People can write one thing they’re thankful for, and we’ll put them all up on this board,” said Segarra. Such outward reflections of gratitude demonstrate students’ kindness in this season of giving thanks.
The Thanksgiving menu at home and at school
What’s Thanksgiving without the dinner’s iconic dishes? Most Thanksgiving feasts are comprised of classic meals.
“[We have a] stereotypical Thanksgiving meal with mashed potatoes, turkey, green beans, and corn casserole,” said Segarra.
But not everyone enjoys the classic dishes. Many people’s meals are altered due to factors like preferences or dietary restrictions.
“I’m a pescatarian, so I don’t eat traditional turkey [or] things like that. I have fake chicken that’s made of plant products,” said Gasper.
At Segarra’s dad’s house, her family enjoys eating Hispanic food for Thanksgiving. “[We eat] more Hispanic food… Like empanadas, [and] paella,” said Segarra.
OH’s culinary classes celebrated the holiday by hosting a Thanksgiving feast where students participated in cooking meals. “We served 151 people [and] we did a traditional meal,” said Thomas Dwyer, a teacher in OH’s culinary department.
Students got in groups and prepared a variety of food for the celebration.
“They worked in teams of two to three… For Thanksgiving, we roasted old turkeys, We made sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, [and] gravy. We [made] three different types of dessert, [and] homemade bread,” said Dwyer.
This isn’t the first year the culinary department has hosted this event. “It’s been going strong for… about 15 years,” said Dwyer.
Students enjoy getting involved and coming together to learn more about the culinary arts.
Dwyer said, “It’s all coming together and working as a team. The one connecting thread is they all want to make good food, and they want to be able to eat.”
Students’ thanks goes a long way
Around this time of year, everybody is asked the same question: What are you thankful for? Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year. On this day, many gather with family and friends to honor all that they’re grateful for.
As the holiday rolls around, OH students share their thankfulness. “I’m thankful for my family, and my friends, [and] spending time with family,” said Gasper.
Segarra said, “I’m very grateful to have such a nice group of people who all care about me and support me.”
OH’s community truly enjoys celebrating Thanksgiving, and it shows. With a variety of events and an inside view on students’ holiday perspectives, it’s clear that Thanksgiving is an incredible event that brings all kinds of people together.
“Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year,” Dwyer said simply, smiling with gratitude.
Hello!!! My name is Jia Nair, and I am a sophomore at Oswego High School. It is my first year on the staff 42Fifty. At OHS, I am involved in BIONIC, Youth and Government, Girl Scouts, and Business Professionals of America. I also serve as the president of The Rightfully Project. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication.
Hi, my name is Peyton. I'm a junior in highschool and it's my first year on staff. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication.
