2008 Woodie Awards
The first Thanksgiving and the college experience
Catherine Conley
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: Opinions
Well, Halloween is over and you know what that means! As Americans it has become our way of life to jump frantically from one holiday to the next. Nov. 1 marks the beginning of Thanksgiving planning, the last Friday in November marks the beginning of Christmas, etc.
So, as an American I feel it is my duty to launch myself headlong into Thanksgiving. I was momentarily tempted to start picking out stocking patterns and candy cane flavors, but I reassured myself that one holiday at a time was for the best.
Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday. It's warm, loving, and filled with family and friends. We look upon it as the beginning of a great nation and a truly all-American holiday. However those who weren't sleeping/talking/texting/whatever during U.S. History find the origins quite different than the way their second grade teacher described it. So, what better way to delve into the history of Thanksgiving than to compare it to the life of a college student?
The Pilgrims were a little embarrassed because their siblings in England, the Puritans, were making a big fuss over the Anglican Church. The Puritans kept fighting their parents and the Pilgrims, clearly distressed by the tension, pitched a temper-tantrum, and decided to leave. They needed to move out of their corner of Europe in Holland and away from rebellious siblings and parents who didn't let them express themselves. They wanted to get as far away as possible and Plymouth, Massachusetts seemed just as good a place as any.
However, living on their own proved to be more difficult than originally planned. Being away from mom and dad was troublesome, though they'd never have admitted to it. Food was scarce and they longed for home-cooked meals and a warm bed. The cost of living was ridiculous and they decided that maybe getting a roommate would be a good idea.
Then came the Native Americans. Although eccentric and hostile at first, they calmed down after a nice chat and the Pilgrims decided to give them a try. The Native Americans were upperclassmen and were able to show the freshman Pilgrims the ropes. The Pilgrims were very grateful for the help and the two roommates decided that they should have a big family dinner to celebrate.
So, as an American I feel it is my duty to launch myself headlong into Thanksgiving. I was momentarily tempted to start picking out stocking patterns and candy cane flavors, but I reassured myself that one holiday at a time was for the best.
Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday. It's warm, loving, and filled with family and friends. We look upon it as the beginning of a great nation and a truly all-American holiday. However those who weren't sleeping/talking/texting/whatever during U.S. History find the origins quite different than the way their second grade teacher described it. So, what better way to delve into the history of Thanksgiving than to compare it to the life of a college student?
The Pilgrims were a little embarrassed because their siblings in England, the Puritans, were making a big fuss over the Anglican Church. The Puritans kept fighting their parents and the Pilgrims, clearly distressed by the tension, pitched a temper-tantrum, and decided to leave. They needed to move out of their corner of Europe in Holland and away from rebellious siblings and parents who didn't let them express themselves. They wanted to get as far away as possible and Plymouth, Massachusetts seemed just as good a place as any.
However, living on their own proved to be more difficult than originally planned. Being away from mom and dad was troublesome, though they'd never have admitted to it. Food was scarce and they longed for home-cooked meals and a warm bed. The cost of living was ridiculous and they decided that maybe getting a roommate would be a good idea.
Then came the Native Americans. Although eccentric and hostile at first, they calmed down after a nice chat and the Pilgrims decided to give them a try. The Native Americans were upperclassmen and were able to show the freshman Pilgrims the ropes. The Pilgrims were very grateful for the help and the two roommates decided that they should have a big family dinner to celebrate.
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