Thanksgiving Q&A

Lila Sepici, Staff Writer

Teachers Mr. James Garcia (English Department), Mrs. Tiffany Jo (Social Sciences Department), and Mrs. Valerie Thompson (Science Department) answered some questions about their Thanksgiving traditions and favorites.

 

Q: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Mr. Garcia: To be honest I kind of just like pumpkin pie, I’m not about the actual meal.

Mrs. Jo: I love all the sides more than the turkey. I especially love mashed potatoes and candied yams.

Ms. Thompson: TURKEY!!!

 

Q: What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving?

Mr. Garcia: I like the zero expectation of doing anything constructive.

Mrs. Jo: Being able to have all my family come over to my house and enjoy a meal together.

Ms. Thompson: Eating and spending time with family!

 

Q: What did you do for Thanksgiving when we were in quarantine last year?

Mr. Garcia: Oh, man, I think we might have gone outside. Actually, that whole period of my life is blocked out, so I think we were just out with my parents somewhere.

Mrs. Jo: I spent it with my husband and two kids and we still made all our traditional sides but only had a small turkey.

Ms. Thompson: Wearing yoga pants and eating too much food? No wait, that’s what I did all last year.

 

Q: Is there a tradition that you and your family have that is different from most people? If not, what is your go-to for every year?

Mr. Garcia: Not so much, I’d say it’s pretty similar to everyone else’s.

Mrs. Jo: We all go around the table and say what we are thankful for. My brother and his kids always come stay at my house for a few days, and the little kids all just have a big sleepover each time. We also usually go to Disneyland with the whole family.

Ms. Thompson: Our neighborhood has a turkey trot on the morning of Thanksgiving. All the little kids come out and run around the cul-de-sac. Parents drink coffee and chat while kids burn off all the energy.

 

Q: As a kid what did you think of Thanksgiving? How were your childhood Thanksgivings?

Mr. Garcia: I liked the kids table. I liked the idea that we could just have a lot of cousins and just eat and do whatever we want.

Mrs. Jo: I always loved celebrating this holiday at my grandma’s house. She made the best food and always made it such a wonderful holiday.

Ms. Thompson: I thought it was forced family time! Sometimes, they were tense–differences in politics and religion don’t often bring out the best in people. So, I think the goal is to focus conversations on what family members have in common.

 

Q: How do you feel about pumpkin spice?

Mr. Garcia: It’s a little overexposed but I’m there for it.

Mrs. Jo: Love it!

Ms. Thompson: I’ve never had a pumpkin spice drink, but I love pumpkin bread. I make pumpkin bars on Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie!