When the leaves start changing color to our favorite shades of red and orange, and apple cider and pumpkin pies find their way to the front page of grocery store brochures, you know Thanksgiving is around the corner. Thanksgiving, one of America’s most beloved holidays, is a time for us to fill ourselves to the brim with delicious food, meet with family that we may only see once a year, and look forward to leftovers. Food is a huge part of this holiday, but we can always ask ourselves, what significance does Thanksgiving really have? And in our Burroughs community, how do we see this special holiday?

Claire Hoffman ‘18, our Thanksgiving speaker this year, stressed that what she has learned throughout her life is to keep perspective. In a rigorous school like Burroughs, it can be hard to remember what is really important. On Thanksgiving, Claire urged us to think about the things that matter.

After talking to some students at Burroughs, it is clear that the most important thing to keep in mind is the opportunities we are constantly offered. Arianna Latuda ‘18 noted that the most important thing Burroughs stresses is “gratefulness for the opportunities we have been given.” She adds that she is not the only one who thinks this, as it is “a recurring theme you hear with each Thanksgiving speaker.”

Asked what he thought about Boroughs’ perspective on Thanksgiving, Isaac Bledsoe ‘19 states that, “A lot of people in our community reflect and give thanks about the incredible life we all have been given.” There is no doubt that Burroughs approaches Thanksgiving with gratitude, reflection, and grace. But there is more we can do to make this holiday even more significant.

Bledsoe suggests in order to improve our outlook on Thanksgiving, “A lot of people take Burroughs for granted and forget what a special opportunity it is, and that there are so many things Burroughs offers, tangible and intangible.” He continues, explaining that there needs be a way for us to realize what an amazing place Burroughs is, not just for the exceptional education, but for our community.

Bledsoe offers a solution, suggesting that we bring back alumni speakers to go along with our senior Thanksgiving speaker. He recognizes that “because we [Burroughs students] are focused on grades and are so stressed, it can be hard to see what a wonder Burroughs really is, but looking from the outside in, it’s much easier. So hearing from them, with their distinct perspectives, is always good.” Along with alumni speakers, service in our community could also help us give back to our community and feel more blessed for the opportunities we have.

At Burroughs, we are lucky to have an extremely diverse student body. If we examine each individual person, we will see that all of us are thankful for different things, and we perceive Thanksgiving in different ways. Someone could be thankful for marble cake bars at lunch or an unexpected free period. I know I am thankful for hearty puns. But at Burroughs, there is one thing at Thanksgiving that brings us together. Even if we do not outwardly show it, in the back of our minds, amidst the term papers and tests and sports, we know that we are lucky to be a part of this loving community we call home.