With the novel Coronavirus plaguing the lives of many and interrupting the day-to-day groove that people initially had, it has become increasingly harder to maintain close ties and relationships in the same manner as before. Physical touch is restricted, and each day it is harder to gain that sense of normalcy from the regular mundane activities that now, in hindsight, were taken for granted.
Thanksgiving kindles a day of appreciation — it is a time meant to bring people closer. It is a holiday celebrated on various dates widespread and across the United States. Whenever this holiday comes around, family gatherings, feasts, and all the extravagant celebratory traditions seem to explode.
With the current circumstances, however, a lot of those previous Thanksgiving traditions have been put on hold. Despite all, students at MLEC have remained resilient and have continued to find ways to spend time with the ones they hold near and dear.
There have been many ways that students at MLEC have decided to celebrate while still staying safe. Many students have taken this opportunity to meet with friends that they haven’t been able to see since the abrupt ending of the last school year with their very own way of celebrating. Students have come together to plan Friendsgiving get-togethers to make up for a lot of that lost time and lack of physical contact.
“There’s not that many of us so my friends and I have decided to get together on Thanksgiving. They have been there for me since the very beginning and being able to stuff our faces with some good food and spend time with them is something I will be forever thankful for,” says Erol Morice, a Communications student at MLEC.
Other students at MLEC are still taking this opportunity to meet up with many of their close and distant relatives while still being aware of their safety and the safety of others.
“For my family, we’re planning on having Thanksgiving at my grandparents’ house. I believe we’re moving everything outside just to make sure that everyone is a little safer,” said Melanie Fernandez, a sophomore at MLEC. “Also, there are a lot less people coming this year and some parts of the family are having smaller separated dinners,” she continued.
Although the number is limited in comparison to previous years, MLEC Jaguars are still able to come together and spread that feeling of gratitude all throughout their community — even with the many limitations. Whether it be through a screen or even six feet apart, Thanksgiving is still a time for many to appreciate all that has been positive in a hectic and chaotic, pandemic-filled year.
