Kearsten Ball

Writer

Bringing family traditions to the seniors of MHS, a Thanksgiving lunch was served to the class of 2020 on Wednesday, Nov. 20 by members of the administration and cafeteria staff members..

MHS offers an open-campus lunch, in which most students take part in; however, this benefit also leads to the students never taking the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a meal together.

The senior class had yet to gather for lunch throughout their high school career, but that soon changed with their Thanksgiving meal.

Encouraging all 90 seniors to attend, the cafeteria offered a feast to the students: turkey, stuffing, green beans, rolls, mashed potatoes and dessert – all the Thanksgiving essentials.

Providing a welcoming environment to the students, superintendent George Coffman made sure that no student had to miss out on the gathering by paying for each student’s meal.

As the students waited in line for their Thanksgiving meal, administration at MHS followed a tradition of standing behind the counters and fixing the seniors’ plates.

Brian Brantley, principal of MHS, described what the purpose of this event is.

“There are many events held in senior year to bring everyone together,” Brantley said. “Senior lunch is one of the first things to take place, and we always try to make it a special moment.”

Attending the event, senior Billie Harrison expressed how the senior lunch had an impact on her.

“Sitting at a table with my closest friends made me realize that we don’t have much time left together,” said Harrison. “It made me cherish my friendships even more.”

With friendships being appreciated, others felt as if there was an underlying meaning to Marlow’s tradition.

Moving from Texas to Oklahoma for her senior year, Aubrey Hewitt explained how Marlow’s traditions differ from her last school.

“I haven’t seen all of the people in my class, so I got to see them at the lunch,” said Hewitt. “I loved hanging out with everyone. My last school didn’t offer a Thanksgiving meal, so Marlow’s felt important.”

While seniors partook in a Marlow High School Thanksgiving tradition, it sparked enthusiasm for the student’s family holiday traditions that were quickly approaching.

Using Thanksgiving as a way to connect with family, senior Sydney Blundell described her annual holiday activity.

“My family normally has a huge football game where we can all play together and have fun,” said Blundell. “It’s something we do every year, and I always look forward to it.”

While some may play fun activities together, others participate in hunting activities, one being senior Luke Davis.

“Me and some other family members go hunting every year on Thanksgiving morning,” said Davis. “We always try to put something we got onto the table.”

Celebrating her friendships, senior Alyssa Courtight discussed how she will be celebrating this holiday not only with family but also with friends.

“We are going to do a friendsgiving at my house this year,” said Courtright. “It’s going to be like every other Thanksgiving, except with more people that I love.”

As students hope to carry on their annual traditions, MHS will continue their tradition amongst the senior class to keep everyone in the holiday spirit.