Students at Eureka College go home over the Thanksgiving break to spend time with family and friends.
Thanksgiving is a national Holiday that is celebrated in the United States of America. The holiday is celebrated to remember the Plymouth colonists from England and the Native American people of the Wampanoag tribe coming together to share an autumn harvest feast in 1621. For about two centuries, Thanksgiving was celebrated by individual colonies and states. But in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed Thanksgiving to be a national holiday to be celebrated every year in the month of November.
This year, Thanksgiving was on Thursday, November 28th, which was the last week of November. Over the years, Thanksgiving has become more about coming together, sharing a home cooked meal, and spending time with friends and family. The traditional Thanksgiving meal involves turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Some students share their thoughts on what their favorite Thanksgiving food is.
Kenzie Molden is a junior at Eureka College, double majoring in psychology and sociology. She is originally from Springfield, Illinois and went back to Springfield for Thanksgiving to spend time with her mom, stepdad, and dog, Jupiter. Over the break, Molden helped put up Christmas decorations and baking.
Molden really looked forward to going home and eating home cooked meals and expressed her favorite Thanksgiving food.
“My favorite Thanksgiving food is pigs in a blanket dipped in the filling from deviled eggs, it’s so good!” Molden said.
Something that Molden strived to do over the break was to take a phone break and spend more time outside playing with her dog. She also wanted to take a full break from school and not do any homework unless absolutely necessary. Molden really wanted to take time for herself over Thanksgiving break and detox.
Katelynn Tripp is a senior at Eureka College, majoring in environmental science. She lives on campus and went to her hometown Somonauk, Illinois located south of Eureka, over the Thanksgiving break.Tripp really enjoyed going back to a cozy home setting to relax and see people that she had not seen in a while.
During the break, Tripp expressed how she really looked forward to seeing her family again.
“I look forward to seeing my siblings. We have all just become very distant, but with the holidays we all come together, and it is really exciting,” Tripp said.
Tripp, like many other students, were excited for a much deserved break from their course load.
Lexi Hickman is originally from Creve Coeur, Illinois. She is now a senior commuting from East Peoria to Eureka College studying as an education major. Over the Thanksgiving break, Hickman spent her time in East Peoria with her boyfriend, family, and extended family. One Thanksgiving dish that Hickman looks forward to every year is candied yams. Hickman was excited to sleep in and see a close friend she had not seen in a while over the break. She plans to take some time off of school and do some of her favorite activities.
“Instead of doom scrolling on my phone, I read because I really like to read and made more time for my personal hobbies,” Hickman said.
Although Thanksgiving is a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of the school semester, it is also a sign that the fall semester is coming to an end. This can be a very stressful and overwhelming time of the year as it can be very difficult to balance everything from school to the student’s personal life.
“I like to go places that are not my house because it is easier to focus. I feel like I am a bit more productive because if I am home, then I do everything else but homework,” Hickman said.
She also talked about students living on campus should leave their dorm and go study in other areas like the Burgoo or the Faire Coffee place in Eureka. .
“Do not wait until the last minute to start doing things, try to get ahead for yourself. Also reach out to your professors, I know it is a scary thing to do, but it is a good thing to do, and it shows the professors you truly care,” Tripp said.
Other helpful tips for students at the end of the semester preparations include establishing good habits, staying organized with a schedule, self-care, limiting time on social media, and rewarding themselves for all of the hard work accomplished, and more. The end of the semester can be tough, but with some dedication and personal care students can get through it.
“Tips for Finishing the Semester Strong” can be found here.
