On Friday, December 6th, the members of the West Wind gathered for a special holiday dinner at the Boundary House in Calabash.
The restaurant accommodated the class extremely well, lining up several tables for everyone to have a seat. Warm lights illuminated the interior and wreaths hung from the door frames outside. Staff members from all grades attended along with Journalism advisor Anna Barefoot Saunders and her two young children, Andrew and Lott. She also handed out party favors of chocolates and hot chocolate powder to everyone as they arrived.
“I sat next to Andrew the whole time,” said senior Hannah Underwood. “We played with his Play-Doh and his toys. It was pretty fun.”
Andrew and Hannah weren’t the only ones playing around. The atmosphere of the whole table was light and cheery, and giggles could be heard from every table. Holiday dinners are nothing new for this class, as Saunders has held one for each of her Journalism classes since 2017. These get-togethers are a great way to end the semester with a warm goodbye to the first semester. For several students, it’s their first time taking the class.
“I really enjoyed the dinner,” said sophomore Taylor Hughes. “It gave everyone a chance to dress up and say goodbye to the friends we made through the class and build our bonds.”
With the unique aspects and tasks of this class, it can be a little overwhelming at first. However, it’s extremely easy to build relationships with your peers as everyone is working together to get out the final product. The strangers in your class become the people you wave to in the hallway, the people you go to for advice, and the people you can go to for an interview. For others, this dinner was tradition.
“It was a much bigger group this year,” said Underwood. “Seeing the participation and being able to experience it with people that I love to hang out with simply because we all unite on the front of enjoying writing was just great.”
There wasn’t a single frown at the table as everyone sat comfortably and chatted. There also weren’t many phones, as Saunders also has a tradition of what students call the “Phone Tower.” Phones go in a stack in the middle to prevent that awkward antisocial dinner that happens when everyone is texting the whole time.
“It was nice talking to everyone outside of Journalism,” said senior Willow Peltier. “I think it would be great to do towards the middle or even the beginning of the semester for a bonding activity.”
By the time all words had been said, it was time for food to come out. You know the food is good when the table is nearly silent. Everyone chowed down, and leftovers were few and far between.
When it was eventually time for checks to come out, everyone was stuffed and ready to head home. Goodbyes were short and sweet, but the memories were ones to last.
“I’m so happy to celebrate my staff every year, but especially this year,” said Saunders. “Students have worked together, supported one another, and created strong publications. I’m so lucky to work with the West Wind.
