Jamyson Tritch & Drew Willner
Anniversary Date: October 10, 2008; Together 3 years & 3 months

The Voice: How did you two meet?
JT: We actually met at the [Pres] freshman mixer in 2008 and then he friended me on Facebook. I had trouble with math during my freshman year and I knew he was smart. So I messaged him on Facebook, asking if he could tutor me and promised to save him a dance at the Bellarmine mixer.

The Voice: How did he ask you to be his girlfriend?
JT: At the next Bellarmine mixer, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said, “No,” because I didn’t really know him that well. Then he texted me a week later and asked me if I wanted to go see a movie. I said, “Yes,” and had such a good time. We kept on talking and he took me to a football game, which was on October 10, and he made me chili. We say that’s the date when we got together because he never really asked me again, since he was probably nervous and didn’t want me to say no again.

The Voice: Describe your first date.
JT: We went to the movies. After that, I remember sitting on a bench with him, waiting for my parents to come pick me up. I held hands with him and I wrote in my diary that night that he was the best hand holder I’ve ever held hands with.

The Voice: What do you like most about your relationship?
JT: It’s really nice because I’ve been able to see him grow as a person. We’ve really become good friends. He gives me a sense of security.

The Voice: When you two have disagreements on something, how do you guys try to solve the problem?
JT: We just talk. It’s really important that you actually say what you feel, instead of making up. In a long-term relationship, if you don’t talk about how you feel about something, it’ll just bottle up inside of you and that’s never really healthy. When you talk about it, you can work out that problem and not really have it be an issue anymore.

The Voice: What’s your typical date like?
JT: We just go to each other’s houses and hang out. But when we do actually go out, we like to have dinner and see a movie.

The Voice: How do you guys find time to hang out with one anotherwith your busy schedules?
JT: Drew and I find the time to hang out because we are a priority to one another. When someone is really important to you, you find the time to make it work. We try to hang out every Friday night. This planning sets up our dates in advance so that we both know that we are committed to hanging out. Also, when our schedules get really hectic we take the few moments we do have for each other. We do things together that you could do alone when we get really busy. For example, sometimes we study together or have dinner together.

The Voice: Who do you usually go to for advice about your relationship?
JT: I go to Drew. I know, it sounds counter-intuitive. However, when I have a problem in my relationship, I have learned that it is better to just talk to the person I have the problem with. By opening up, Drew and I can work out our own problems.

The Voice: What advice would you give other couples about dating?
JT: Be yourself! If the person youwant to date doesn’t like you for who you are/who you want to become, then it probably isn’t the person you want to be dating. If you paint a picture for your partner of who you are, they will expect you to be that person, which will only cause problems later down the line.
Also, don’t be superficial. There is a lot more to a person then their “hot bod” or “cute face.” Although being physically attracted to that person is important, don’t let it be the biggest part of choosing a boyfriend because a relationship should be about who they are and not what they look like.

The Voice: How do you see your relationship in the future?
JT: Unfortunately, I am not completely sure what the future holds for Drew and me. We are both off to college in the fall and we both do not want a long distance relationship. All we know for sure is that no matter what we will always be friends.

The Voice: Are you two doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?
JT: He said that he’s getting me a present and he’s really excited about it. But I didn’t know we were giving each other gifts this year, so I have to work that out.

Lilly Murphy & Cooper Leaone
Anniversary date: June 18, 2009; Together 2 years & 7 months

The Voice: Where and how did you two meet?
LM: Cooper joined my school in fifth grade. I knew his name, but he was really shy. Then he became best friends with one of my best guy friends, so I was able to get to know Cooper more. We eventually became best friends and had crushes on each other.

The Voice: Describe your first date.
LM: The first one-on-one date we had was probably when we watched Ice Age: The Meltdown. We had Pizza My Heart after that. He was very easy to talk to, since we were already best friends.

The Voice: What was your best date?
LM: So on our first year [of dating], we went to Petroglyph. He made me a steamboat with my name, S.S. Lilly, and I made him a purple dragon or dinosaur. Then we went out to dinner and walked around downtown Willow Glen. It was really fun and simple.

The Voice: What’s your typical date like?
LM: He lives five minutes from Pres, so I’ll usually go to his house. We love playing the Wii, since I’m really competitive. But we also went to a cooking camp over the summer, so we got all these recipes and now we cook all the time.

The Voice: What do you like most about your relationship?
LM: We get along so well and really like to hang out in a chill environment. I think we’re also really honest and funny, so it’s great to be around each other.

The Voice: How do you guys find time to hang out with one another since you have busy schedules?

LM: Usually see each other every Friday or during B Days. But I live in Morgan Hill, so sometimes it’s really hard to see each other more than once a week. We try and make it work out.

The Voice: When you two have arguments about something, how do you try and solve the problem?
LM: Well he’s really stubborn and quiet, while I’m the type of person to talk it out and share my feelings. But we don’t fight a lot. There’s probably just one big fight every six months, but it’s never gotten to the point where we’ve broken up or needed space. At the end of the day, we’re still best friends.

The Voice: What advice would you give other couples about dating?
LM: The advice I would give is to keep to the simplest of things, like enjoying each other’s company and being honest with yourself and everyone else. I like celebrating every one month anniversary because you’re only in high school once, so enjoy every second of it.

The Voice: How do you see your relationship in the future?
LM: We’ve talked about it with each other, but I don’t think we’re going to break up any time before senior year. But when people go to college, it’s an important time to find yourself and not to be tied down. You don’t need to make your decisions in real life based on someone else. If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be.

The Voice: Are you two planning on doing something special for Valentine’s Day?
LM: Well, I already asked him to be my Valentine. We don’t have anything planned, but we’ll probably go to a nice dinner or do something fancy.

Camille Borja & Marquis Onorato
Anniversary Date: August 21, 2010; Together 1 year & 5 months

The Voice: Where and how did you two meet?
CB: We met at Bellarmine summer school and our two close friends introduced us.

The Voice: Describe your first date.
CB: We went to the movies and watched Salt. It was a little awkward at first and he forgot to pay but by the third date, we were able to connect really well.

The Voice: What was your best date?
CB: It was when we went to Golfland because he asked me to be his girlfriend that day. That’s when he became my first boyfriend.

The Voice: What’s your typical date like?
CB: We’re usually at my house with my mom hanging out. We don’t go out that much unless we feel like it, because we run out of places to go.

The Voice: What do you like most about your relationship?
CB: I like that we’ve become best friends through being in a relationship. We can tell each other anything.

The Voice: How do you guys find time to hang out with one another with your busy schedules?
CB: Whenever we have free time, we always try and hang out. We sometimes see each other on B Days, but it just depends on whether or not we have a lot of homework.

The Voice: What advice would you give other couples about dating?
CB: You really need to have good communication, patience and trust to have a successful relationship.

The Voice: How do you see your relationship in the future?
CB: I think we’re going to all of high school, but college will be the deciding factor on whether we want to keep dating or not.

The Voice: Are you two planning on doing something special for Valentine’s Day?
CB: I think he’s planning on taking me to dinner and to see the movie, The Vow.

Step 1: Prepare yourself for the worst.

Your friends might have boyfriends and tell you about their elaborate plans they have for the special day. But don’t let this faze you, you strong, single and independent woman. Love will come someday and you can look back and laugh on this lonely day.

Step 2: Get comfort fillers.

So what you don’t have someone to cuddle with?! You have chocolate, sappy movies and stuffed animals. Chocolate has never let a girl down. Buy a large box of Sees or Godiva chocolate truffles with no guilt because you deserve it. Movies are a great way to pass the time and can be a comfort in relating to what you are going through! Good movies are the chick flicks such as Clueless and 500 Days of Summer or funny ones to put your mind off being lonely such as Napoleon Dynamite and Zoolander. Lastly, stuffed animals are perfect because they can replace men and are better at cuddling, being fuzzy and don’t do stupid things like burp in your face.

Step 3: Don’t Go Out

Do not go out with your friends; you will only be reminded when you see other couples that you do not have somebody. The best is to stay inside, preferably in sweats or pajamas for optimum comfort. Living room couches are probably the best location for your evening so that you can be as relaxed as possible. Also, do not strain yourself. Bring all your desired comforts to one location, within arm’s reach, and stay there for the rest of the night. These items should include cookies, warm drinks such as hot chocolate, extra pillows, a favorite bag of chips, your chocolate box, several movies and candy to nibble on.

Step 4: Spend it with Family and Friends

Family is always going to support you whatever your relationship status is, so invite them over. Your cousins, mom, dad and siblings can be people to divert your attention from not having someone to love on Valentine’s Day to making you feel loved on Valentine’s Day. Your single friends are always someone to talk with and take comfort in because they can distract you from the truth of what is happening on this day and will always be there for you. Your family/friends and you can all watch a movie, play a board game or bake an “I hate Valentine’s Day” cake all together to make the night fun!

Single issue voters are very common and usually base the winner of their votes on the candidate’s take about a controversial subject. A heavily debated topic such as abortion, the right to gay marriage or amnesty for illegal immigrants is often what is at the forefront of a single issue voter’s mind.

In Single-Issue Politics, author and voting trends expert Robert Spaeth reports his studies of single issue voting, particularly in the age group of 18 to 22. From his results, he notices that, “Many people believe that when an issue is a moral issue, it overrides all political concerns” and many of these people tend to become so focused on that single issue, that they ignore all others. He further explains that in a sense, this narrow focus makes it so that voters are vulnerable because they blindly vote for politicians based only on this issue and thus are impacted by other beliefs of the politician that they may have disagreed with.

Clearly, though it is important to consider what political standpoint on a particular matter is most important to you when voting, it is also important to consider that there are a wide range of issues which make up a candidate, so in the end, voting for a politician based on just one of aspect or ideal may mean unknowingly compromising on other topics that may be just as important.

Dr. Duwel, who teaches both Civics and AP Government at Pres, also mentions that compromise is a disadvantage when it comes to single-issue voting, though in a different sense. She states, “Single issue voters are usually very passionate and intense when it comes to the issue that they care about. This intensity can lead them to demand that the politicians who represent them refuse to make compromises during the policy making process. But in order for a democracy to function properly, citizens and their leaders must be willing to make compromises because not everyone can have exactly what they want all of the time.”

Dr. Duwel, however, admits that when she was a new voter, she would base her choice politician on a single issue. Now, she tries to look at the bigger picture and choose someone who is intellectually capable, has integrity, is open-minded, and is able to make good decisions on important topics, even if those decisions would be contrary to her own.

Many of you readers, if enrolled in either the Civics or AP Government course with Dr. Duwel, took a survey in your class. The results are acting as a sample to represent how Pres girls feel about single issue voting. In total, 93 students participated in the survey.

When students were asked if they would vote for a politician solely because they had the same views on a given topic, 72 percent of students said that they would not, while 28 percent of students said that they would. Then, when asked if it was a deal breaker if there was a politician they really supported and agreed with, but the candidate’s standpoint on a given issue was contrary from their own, 46 percent of students said it would definitely be, while 54 percent of students said that they would still consider the candidate. Many students who said that they would vote for a politician on a lone issue, though, did say that a candidate with an opposing standpoint would not necessarily lose their vote. And others who responded that they would not vote based on a single issue said that an opposing standpoint would cause a politician to lose their vote. (The poll also conveyed the moral issues that are at the forefront of Pres girls’ concerns – displayed on graph).

In general, though, the results say that Pres girls are open minded and willing to compromise on issues, which is an advantage when voting because being open to other beliefs broadens the range of candidates that you would be willing to vote for, and more choices is certainly always to your benefit.

When you vote later this year or in future elections, keep in mind all of the issues at hand. You may find that you will need to compromise on certain issues in order to get what you want for others, but at least you will be fully informed and able to pick the best candidate for the job, which is, of course, what democracy is all about.

Mr. Wang: “One I remember right off the bat was a Star Wars speeder bike action figure play set from Return of the Jedi.”

Mrs. O’Byrne: “I got a pogo stick—that was awesome!”

Ms. Lagana: “My snow skis because I loved skiing and I wanted my own…and it was a big surprise.”

Ms. Rosenthal: “I remember being super super excited to get my ten speed bike when I was about 10 or 11. I remember I actually snuck out with my sister and brother to see if it was there because I had asked for it for two years and I finally got it. I had to hold back the ahhhh.”

Ms. Ford: “In 1976 I got a red, white and blue bicentennial with a banana seat. I had a broken arm and couldn’t ride it so my dad had to push me around the house.”

Ms. Perryman: “One year I got this awesome dollhouse. It was kind of full of trouble because you had to put all the stickers into all the rooms but I had so much fun putting all the stickers and furniture in…but then it kind of became an obsession because I constantly had to replace all the furniture into the rooms.

Mr. Buell: “The Nintendo Entertainment System, the NES, the original Nintendo was the greatest and still is the greatest gift ever given—that and Jesus.”

Ms. Newton: “My favorite Christmas gift that I remember as a youngster—this is weird—he was a reindeer made out of light blue and white leather. The reason I loved it was because it felt so good when I touched the leather. I remember it well.”

Ms. Rahmig: “I love stuffed animals so any stuffed animal I was overjoyed with.”

Ms. Dang: “A dress because I always liked to dress up.”

Mr. Blightman: “I was five years old and I got the original Nintendo—1986 remember it.”

Ms. Healy: “A pair of roller skates. Every year, I wanted a new pair because I would wear them out. I would play outside with all the neighborhood kids around the block and have kind of a roller derby.”

Ms. Schrader: “My favorite present was a bike back in the day where we didn’t have to wear helmets. It was a symbol of my independence and I loved it.”

Ms. Gutto: “My skip-it because everyone had one and it had a cool song. I don’t even know why it was fun to play with. If you could do it for a really long time you were really cool.”

Once you arrive, there’s a crowd of men, women and children surrounding thirty girls wearing vibrant red Santa hats and familiar blue plaid skirts. These Presentation students and teachers are all smiling, laughing and singing in unison to “Feliz Navidad” while the crowd sings along and claps to the beat.

This year, Presentation’s Community Involvement Club hosted their second-annual Christmas Caroling event at Sacred Heart. Their mission was to kick off the holiday season by singing Christmas songs to the clients of Sacred Heart and making festive crafts with the children in the Homework Club.

“Whenever we go to Sacred Heart we always try to underscore their three main values: dignity, compassion and respect,” says one of C.I.’s club moderators, Mrs. Foley. “This event is a little more fun because it’s going to be working with kids. We try to encourage the students who are participating to pay attention, listen, get to know the kids and to see what interesting conversations can come out of that.”

On the way to the event, many of the C.I. participants were anxious and excited to sing their hearts out to the clients being served. They couldn’t wait as they quickly put on their Santa hats, reindeer antlers and elf hats.
“I’m really excited to sing and spread joy and Christmas cheer for all to hear,” said freshman Nicole Freitas, who was one of many first-time participants in this event. There were also new faces at Sacred Heart, such as junior Katy Chiswell, who said, “This is my first time here and I don’t know what to really expect. But I’m really looking forward to it.”

As the students arrived, they lined up side-by-side and started caroling to “Jingle Bells”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the “Twelve Days of Christmas” outside of the main lobby. At the same time, some of the students handed out baked goods to the crowd. Everyone in the audience was smiling, singing and seemed to enjoy the musical entertainment while waiting in line.

Soon after, the Pres students collaborated with the kids in the Homework Club and helped make fun activities with them. Some of the crafts included making a reindeer using an outline of one’s foot and hands, a holiday wreath, a star and a personal Christmas card. The students were able to bond with the children by motivating them to be creative, talk with them on a one-to-one level and build new friendships.

“You just learn how to communicate with kids well and get to know them, because it’s a different experience from just helping people without knowing who they are,” said senior Natalie Royle. “But when you’re here at Sacred Heart, you really get to know the kids’ personalities and it’s a great experience.”

Participation in this event was much higher for this second year. “The turn-out was really great and a lot more people attended than last year,” said junior Ariana Cvitanic, a CI officer who helped organize the event. “During the activities, the girls seemed to enjoy themselves more than the little kids. It was also a great time singing because the more people we had, the louder we were and it seemed to make a big difference in lighting up the mood in the room. It was really cool seeing the people in line clapping and cheering with us.”

At the end of the event, C.I. was able to donate their time, effort and vocal chords to the community and truly give back during this season of giving.

A Hawaiian-themed burger joint, Mojo Burger is like a mash-up of Carl’s Jr. and Bento Box. The single television plays old kung-fu movies, and friendly staff members wearing Hawaiian shirts take your order. The staff members are polite and helpful, and generally seem to enjoy their jobs. An ample amount of tables and chairs also gives customers the choice between eating indoors or outdoors.

Don’t come here if you’re in a rush—they grill their burgers to order. Prices are reasonable, with a cheeseburger costing $4.99. Bonus point: because food is made to order, you can ask to have your food without all the extra condiments and toppings most fast food restaurants automatically stick into their burgers and sandwiches.

The burgers are juicy, medium-cooked, and flavorful. Teriyaki chicken sandwiches feature a nicely grilled, moist chicken breast topped with tangy teriyaki sauce. The French fries are crispy, golden, and liberally salted. Milkshakes, which come in flavors from chocolate to vanilla to Oreo and cost $2.49 for a regular size, are so thick and creamy that you might want to take the lid off your cup and use the straw as a spoon.

If these options are not appealing to you, there are also chicken wraps, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, chili, and grilled cheese sandwiches. There are also two different salads and three burger options for vegetarians.

You should definitely take the time to stop by Mojo Burger. Your Subway-saturated taste buds will thank you.

1401 Foxworthy Ave.

San Jose, CA 95125

Monday-Wednesday: 11-8

Thursday-Sunday: 11-8:30

Patxi’s atmosphere is urban with its brick walls and contemporary fixtures. Within the sleek restaurant there are 16 bar seats and 33 tables. The restaurant has two televisions at the bar and one in the back room, making it a perfect spot to watch a Shark’s game.

Patxi’s menu consists of traditional Italian appetizers, salads and most importantly, pizza. There are four different types of pizza available: Chicago “stuffed,” Patxi’s pan pizza, thin crust and extra-thin crust.

During my visit at Patxi’s I started with the bruschetta ($4.95), which contained five grilled pieces of bread and roasted cherry tomatoes with basil and olive oil. I also tried the popular antipasto plate ($9.95) which contained prosciutto, artisan cheeses, olives and toasts. They were both delicious and I would definitely recommend trying them while waiting for your pizza.

Other appetizer options include artichoke dip ($7.95) and polpetti ($8.50) which are homemade meatballs in a slightly spicy sauce. Five crisp salads including spinach, Caesar, and a butter lettuce salad with bacon, blue cheese, tomato and creamy ranch dressing. Salads range in price from $6.95 to $7.95.

Patxi’s offers 12 specialty pizzas as well as a build your own pizza option. Pizzas range in price from $10 to $30 depending on the crust and number of toppings. Slices of pizza are available until 4:00 p.m. ranging in price from $3.25 to $4.75. A lunch special including a salad, slice of pizza and soda is offered for $10.

Some of the most popular specialty pizzas include the Favorite with pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives. A Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger pizza includes ground beef, bacon, and jalapeños. Vegetarians will enjoy the Veggie pizza with mushrooms, onions, green peppers and black olives.

For the build your own pizza option, there are fourteen meat toppings, 18 veggie toppings and four cheese choices including a soy cheese and vegan cheese.

The first pizza that I tasted was Patxi’s pan pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage and mushrooms. This deep dish pizza has a cornmeal crust, lots of cheese and is topped with marinara. This pizza is similar to the Chicago “stuffed” pizza, which I tried with the same toppings as the pan pizza. The difference between the Chicago “stuffed” pizza and Patxi’s pan pizza, is the extra layer of crust that the Chicago “stuffed” pizza contains. These pizzas are both very delicious and melt in your mouth.

The last pizza that I tried was an extra-thin crust pizza with half prosciutto and half pesto with chicken. The prosciutto was perfectly salty and the pesto had the perfect combination of basil and garlic.

Of the three pizzas my favorite was Patxi’s pan pizza, due to the fact that the toppings were well highlighted, yet the crisp cornmeal crust was still present.

All of Patxi’s crusts are vegan. Additionally, they offer gluten free pizza, making it a great place for everyone. In the morning pastry items and Blue Bottle Coffee are available to go.

The only down side to Patxi’s Chicago Pizza is the wait that it takes for one’s food to arrive. The Chicago “stuffed” pizza can take up to 40 minutes to cook, so I recommend calling in your order before you arrive to reduce wait time.

Patxi’s is open Sunday through Monday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Patxi’s Chicago Pizza is located in The Pruneyard Shopping Center in Campbell, in addition to its six other locations throughout Northern California.

Patxi’s Chicago Style pizza is positively amazing and you will certainly leave with a full stomach.

The Voice: What was your graduating class from Presentation?

McKay: I graduated in 2007! We had 007 shirts as part of my graduation that I still wear sometimes that were really cool.

The Voice: What was your favorite part of Feast as a student at Presentation?

McKay: I loved the Men of Pres segments the most, and so did most of the school, I think. When the guys came out and refused to do a dance and the student body started screaming “Men of Pres!”, I had a few flashbacks to my time as a student.

The Voice: Can you recall any teachers who participated in this year’s Feast that participated in Feast while you were a student at Presentation?

McKay: There are quite a few teachers who were in the Feast then and now and who have only gotten better as time goes by! I’d argue that Mr. Schmuck in particular has continued to amaze me with how theatrical he can be. I also enjoyed how Mr. Wang had fun with performing, and seeing Mr. Pistacchi back in the bunny suit was great.

The Voice: What was it like to be the performer instead of the spectator?

McKay: It was so weird! I kept thinking that I needed to be in the audience instead since that was my “default setting” for four years. But it was fun to be up on stage and seeing the girls laugh.

The Voice: What most excited you about performing and why?

McKay: I remember Feast actually being my favorite day when I was a student here. I got to have a reflective morning, great donuts, and then see my teachers do silly things–all before noon! So I was looking forward to making that same magic happen for everyone else.

The Voice: Were you nervous before your performance?

McKay: I was a little nervous. I haven’t done something remotely theatrical since Auntie Mame, which Mr. Houle staged here in spring of 2007!

The Voice: What were some of your thoughts and feelings while you were performing?

McKay: I actually wrote the Game of Pres skit, and it actually fell apart about three times because of technical/timing issues, but I was still thinking that being in Feast had never been so cool. It’s even more fun when you get to put on the show.

The Voice: Did you feel any kind of pressure to create the “perfect” show?  Where did this come from?

McKay: I did at first! I wanted Game of Pres to be this huge recreation of the Game of Thrones show, and I spent time at home aligning departments with the family names in the show, and giving them mottos and figuring out who would play who. Scaling it down due to time actually helped me in the long run, since an informal commercial was much less intimidating. Maybe someday I’ll do something big, but I’m glad now that it wasn’t during my first Feast as a faculty member.

The Voice: Are you eager to participate in Feast again next year and why?

McKay: I am! I had a blast! I loved dancing and acting like a baby and being ridiculous–all of which are secret talents of mine–so I’m definitely looking forward to the opportunity next year.

You may imagine your turkey coming from a nice farm where it wandered free and happily until November. Or, you may know that your turkey probably came from a factory farm where it was overfed, abused and traumatized before it made it onto your table. 45 million turkeys are treated this way every year for Thanksgiving alone, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). So if you knew about this, why haven’t you done anything?

Maybe you have just ignored this sad truth because you simply can’t live without your Thanksgiving turkey. Well, here are the cold hard facts about the treatment of the turkeys that end up on your table.

The vast majority of turkeys are raised on factory farms. There, they are genetically engineered to grow as quickly and as big as possible. According to PETA, in 1970 the average turkey weighed 17 pounds, but today the average turkey weighs 28 pounds. They are so overweight that they can no longer reproduce naturally, so they are created through artificial insemination.

In factory farms, turkeys are living in extremely crowded conditions. They are in sheds where each turkey only has three square feet of space, according to Vegan Peace. Imagine your room being only three square feet. How would you feel?

You would probably feel extremely agitated. To avoid the turkeys lashing out at each other in anger and frustration, they are debeaked and their toes are cut. No warning, no anesthetics. It’s just like if your doctor grabbed a knife and sliced off your toe, and you watched it happen.

Once the turkeys are 14-18 weeks old, they are transported from the factory farms to slaughter houses. You may think that nothing could be worse than being slaughtered, but the transportation to the slaughter house is horrifying.

The turkeys are grabbed by the legs and literally thrown into a truck, as if they are a piece of sports equipment. This causes broken bones and injuries that are obviously not tended to. The trucks, full of up to 2,000 turkeys, are transported through every harsh weather condition possible. Turkeys die from freezing or heat exhaustion every year. There is no food and no water for the turkeys, and their transportation period could be many days straight.

Once they arrive at the slaughter house, they are hung by their legs and dragged through a stunning tank. According to PETA, this immobilizes them but does not kill them. Many frightened turkeys are able to dodge the tank, which causes them to be completely conscious when their throats are slit.

This has its faults as well. Sometimes their throats do not get slit all the way. Dead or not, the turkeys are then emerged in a tank of boiling hot water for feather removal. Because of the faults in the steps before, many turkeys are scalded to death at this step.

Throughout this process, turkeys are treated as inanimate objects. Workers forget that not only can they feel every abusive action, but they have emotions and are terrified. In many cases, one of the steps is not executed correctly, causing the turkey to suffer in tremendous pain and be inexplicably scared.

Put yourself in the place of one of these turkeys. You never met your mother, and you have lived in crammed and unsanitary places your whole life. Because of your obesity you are experiencing other health problems. You are pushed and shoved and thrown as if you are a vegetable. You watch as your neighbor goes through the slaughter process, and you hopelessly wait in fear for your turn. You feel every part of your death, and the pain is excruciating. Then, you are dead.

If you absolutely can’t have Thanksgiving without your turkey, check out Localharvest.org for a complete list of organic turkey farms, where the turkeys live a full life and are prepared humanely.

Otherwise, consider making this Thanksgiving turkey free. It’s the first step to stopping this horrible treatment of turkeys and of all the other animals we consume.

Thanksgiving is a holiday about celebrating the abundant quantity of food, but in the recent years, statistics show that Americans have made every day Thanksgiving.

Recent studies confirm that every day the average American piles his or her plate with about twice as much food as he or she needs or will eat, which leads to food waste (as well as the prominence of obesity).

Annually, 40-50 percent of food produced goes uneaten, and Americans throw out 25 percent of the food that they bring into their homes. This all totals up to 29 million tons of food waste each year, causing the country to spend one billion dollars on food disposal alone.

Closer to home, these studies report that a single American family spends over 600 dollars a year on food that is not eaten.

We can attribute wasting food to widespread ignorance. It is common for food to be composted, and thus many people do not consider the impact of wasted food on the environment.

For instance, to grow plants, farmers must use harmful pesticides. These chemicals poison the earth and can prove harmful to unwanted pests as well as insects that are beneficial to the environment.

In addition, to process the food that was grown, money is spent on machinery that runs on fossil fuels. The transporting of the food to restaurants, stores and landfills then calls for the use of even more fuel. The combination of these two leads to an increased amount of carbon emissions in the air. Cutting out the third step, transportation of food scrap to landfills, is an essential lesson for all to learn.

Of course, this is easier said than done, but if we successfully reduce our food waste, we would actually have a reason to celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November every year, the day meant to celebrate an excess of food.

Still, we can also try to reduce the amount of waste on Thanksgiving Day. Some basic tips to follow are to plan the meal carefully in correspondence to the amount of people who are going to be eating, pack the leftovers for another meal some other day or simply realize that having seven different kinds of pie is unnecessary.

It is given that anything less than the Eiffel Tower of food is unacceptable on Thanksgiving Day, but we should be cautious that this practice does not become routine.