Special Section

Opinion Section Is Thanksgiving DAY A THankless Holiday? 10

In this busy day and age, finding time for extended family can prove difficult. With students’ schoolwork and activities plus their guardians’ packed work schedule, setting aside time for family can feel impossible, but holidays such as Thanksgiving can help alleviate the guilt from missing quality family interactions. The colonists of North America celebrated “thanksgivings” to commemorate especially bountiful harvests or even military victories during the cold autumn months. While Thanksgiving’s origins are questionable, today it represents something very different. Rather than symbolizing the colonists’ triumphs, Thanksgiving has become a time to put friends and family above all else. Thanksgiving is a time for self-expression through food and culture. It allows people to share their customs and traditions with their family and friends while they catch up or make new connections. Thanksgiving encourages individuality and quality bonding among people who otherwise might not have seen each other in years. Despite Thanksgiving’s roots, without it, people would be less connected than ever. It joins many different people together through one simple yet mutual feeling: thankfulness.

Story by: Teagan Willyard NO NO

Thanksgiving polls THANKSGIVING polls SWEET VS SAVORY HAM VS TURKEY

HOME COOKED

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RESTAURANT

STYLE PUMPKIN PIE

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SWEET POTATO PIE

STUFFING VS DRESSING WATCH FOOTBALL

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PLAY GAMES

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the occurRence

design by Daziyah fogle toxicty

during the holidAYS 1 2

find a support system Surrounding yourself with negative people for days on end can be tiring, after a while you could use the support of a good hearted person. a good hearted person acts as a sheild between you and the person trying to control you. diSTANCE YOURSELF

3set realistic expectations

It is is okay to not interact with people you do not feel comfortable around, it is especially hard to hold your tounge when people are saying outrageous expressions. despite those things it is imporant to keep your mental health in a good place, so for your sake take some time to get away from toxic family members.

Sometimes we tend to expect more from others and ourselves, our families also tend to expect more from us. this can cause us to become stressed and angry. you should understand that everyone has different expectation, and not all expectations will be answered, including your own. no matter how hard you wish, your toxic family members will not change.

It is okay to not be around family memebrs who are toxic and abusive in any sort of way. if you do not want to go to a toxic family members house tell your parent/guardian. they will understand and hopefully figure out a plan.

Before your family dinner, try to think of a neutral conversation to have. avoid things that would cause an uproar with toxic family members. focus on the things that the two of you have in common. for example, if your cousin enjoys shopping, talk to them about a deal you saw on amazon.

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it is okay to say no

5stay in the neutral

how to deAL WITH mental health SECTION 12 a TOXIC FAMILY

6holiday happiness is not a given We sometimes try to force ourself to feel happy during the holidays. between all the stress of exams, annoying family members, trying to find gifts for people, school drama and many other things finding holiday happiness is hard. do not try and force yourself to be happy, let it come naturally.

HolidayResources Assistance

The holidays are coming up, and that means spending lots of money on gifts and food. No one, kid or adult, deserves to go without these things during the holidays. If you or someone you know needs assistance, here are some great resources:

Salvation Army The Salvation Army is not just a holiday resource, they help year round. They provide homeless shelters, rent and bill assistance, the angel tree program (more on that later), and much more. Anyone can donate to help those who seek assistance in their programs. You can donate on their website or during the holiday season with their red kettles. Toys for Tots Toys for Tots is an assistance program dedicated to making sure kids are able to get presents every year through donations. It started in 1947 and has been donating toys for 75 years. They’ve donated 627 million toys to 281 million children. They also take donations to make sure Santa can visit Native American reservations, and have a literacy program to make sure children have the opportunity to learn how to read and communicate properly.

Holiday Project The Holiday Project provides help to kids and families all over Saline County. It was initiated by the Saline County Inter-Agency Council almost 50 years ago. Non-profit organizations, churches, and individuals come together to donate and organize this program. Their goal is to provide two gifts that are $20 or more to each child, and a box with 2 weeks of food for every family. Whole families or individuals can apply for assistance in November, and the gifts and food will be delivered during the middle of December. Salvation Army Angel Tree The Angel Tree is a program with the Salvation Army. They provide toys to children that were donated by citizens. You choose a child of the Angel Tree anonymously and then purchase things off of their wishlist for them. The Angel Tree has collaborated with Walmart to provide these toys for children. You can shop online or in store at Walmart, or you can drop off donations at participating Walmart stores or your local Salvation Army.

design by Dexter lowerythe occurRence13 How important ARE GRades to students?

Grades. This all-to-familiar system was invented in the 1940s, and follows the letter scale. The letter scale takes your percentage on a certain assignment or class and gives it a grade of either A, B, C, D, or F. (Shown below)

Some schools will add symbols to the letter grade, depending on if it’s a higher or lower percentage in that letter’s range. Regardless of what scale is used, grades matter. Letter grades are recognized in almost every corner of the world, and make it easy for students to set learning goals. But grades also have teachers spending hours to create a rubric that reflects the grade scale and it limits what we know about a student’s learning. Many parents take grades seriously, and colleges factor in GPAs when selecting a new group of freshmen. It’s no wonder why we think of grades when we hear school, and it’s hard to see a future in education without them.

Story by: Gabrielle Smith

A; 90% - 100% B; 80% - 89% C; 70% - 79% D; 60% - 69% F; 59% or less