It’s countdown time. We are all looking forward to weeks of rest, fun and family time. It’s great to have a big chunk of time to regroup and catch up on whatever. Many of us are very fortunate to have family, holiday traditions and personal goals to attain, but remember not everyone will have such an enjoyable break. The reality is that some students are in domestic violence situations, many people get depressed this time of year, others are so financially strapped that there won’t be a fancy holiday meal. I’m sure there are even a few students who wish there wasn’t a break at all so that they could avoid the alone time altogether. Not to mention those who are worried that they might not be able to continue after the break because of their school bill being unpaid.
For those of us that are not in these situations, let’s take a personal challenge, myself included, to find a fellow student with these types of issues and do something for them. Go even further, and do something for someone who is racially, ethnically or otherwise very different from you. Whether it’s a listening ear, inviting them over for coffee or dinner, or putting some money toward their school bill (even $5), let them know you care. You wouldn’t believe the effect this could have on our campuses.
Downtown campus students share their thoughts on the question, “What are your plans for winter break?

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“I’m doing some cooking and baking. I’m preparing myself for classes when the semester starts. I’ll be doing a lot of labs, so I’m preparing myself for that so I’ll be ahead.” - Richard Newsom- Culinary Arts program