With the promise of turkey, mashed potatoes, and pie, it is easy to forget what the spirit of Thanksgiving truly represents: gratitude and appreciation.
However, the Carlmont campus has made full use of the appreciative spirit with the new Thanksgiving Tree; on Nov. 20, rows upon rows of paper leaves adorned railings in the Carlmont C-hall, A-hall, and Quad.
Each leaf held a suggestion on how to be grateful and helpful going into the holiday season. Messages included: “thank your favorite teacher,” “compliment someone’s outfit,” and “pick up a piece of trash.”
“I think the leaves look really cool and remind us of what we need to be thankful for,” said freshman Megan Bhatt. “I’m thankful for food, family, and friends at school.”
The curtain of leaves is a new addition to the school’s typical Thanksgiving festivities. In past years, a simple banner was posted in the Quad for students to post objects, people, or privileges that they were thankful for. The banner is still present this year but now, in accordance with the theme, makes use of leaf-shaped Post-it notes for students to write on and attach to the wall.
Madeleine Standlee, a junior and head of the Human Relations commission in ASB, led the event, intending to promote a feeling of unity among Carlmont students.
“I really hope students take away a sense of community and support at school as well as the importance of giving back and being thankful for what we have,” said Standlee.
The preparation for the Thanksgiving Tree was time-consuming, but the result was a fully decorated campus for students to enjoy.
“It took about 15 people almost six hours of set up on Sunday [Nov. 19], and we’ve been cutting leaves and making decorations for about two months now,” said Standlee.
In the end, perhaps most importantly, the Thanksgiving Tree gave Carlmont a relaxing and joyful atmosphere going into the Thanksgiving break. The overall warm tones, signifying autumn, reminded many students that a period of relaxation was in their future.
William Yonts, a junior, said, “I really like autumn; it’s a nice sort of atmosphere. Also, the little messages on the leaves are nice because they don’t force themselves on anybody. They’re just there as a suggestion.”
That counts as a win, according to Standlee, who stated that the Thanksgiving Tree is all about positively affecting students’ lives on campus.
“It’s successful if it made even one person’s day better,” said Standlee. “I absolutely hope people get inspired to give back from the leaves.”
