Thanksgiving Traditions

With Thanksgiving break coming up and everyone planning to go home to see their families, a couple of our staff thought it would be fun to share some of our Thanksgiving favorites and how we usually celebrate.

Morgan Jacobus: My family’s tradition is a little outside the norm, but it suits our family perfectly. We don’t usually gather in a large setting with other family members, usually it is just the three of us: myself and my parents. However, we embrace our tight-knit unit in which we just like to lounge and spend time together. So, our tradition the past few years has been to get a smoked turkey breast from Honey Baked Ham (after all, there is no need to cook a whole turkey for three people), then make our sides in the morning, set up the goods on our kitchen island, and graze all day rather than sit down for a formal meal. Our staples include green beans made with bacon and almonds, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing (box is our favorite, try not to judge), and my personal not-guilty pleasure is canned cranberry sauce. Some may cringe at some of the store-bought inclusions, but it suits our tastes, and it leaves time for us to just spend the day together. 

Maeve Hushman:  My childhood is peppered with memories of large family thanksgivings spent at my Great-Aunt Roby’s farm house. Their house in  a less urbanized part of San Diego county was always greatly anticipated. My aunt’s house had huge trees, animals, and lots of backyard space for a little girl to ruin her nice white tights and pretty winter dress. It also had a counter top full of excellent food. After my Grammy passed away, this tradition of driving out to my aunt’s for a large Thanksgiving stopped. Instead, we had to redefine our traditions. Now, Thanksgiving is celebrated in just my nuclear family unit: my parents, my little brother, and me. On that Thanksgiving table there are always some must-haves: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry-orange sauce (my great aunt’s recipe), stuffing, green beans, apple pie and most importantly, rolls. My little brother is 17 but still remains a picky eater. He eats nothing but turkey and rolls with butter on Thanksgiving, so having a basket of warm dinner rolls is essential.  My Thanksgiving essentials are mashed potatoes with gravy and the cranberry-orange sauce. However, I love to bake pies and for the past few years I have been the designated pie baker for my family. It is my favorite dish to prepare, even if the mashed potatoes are my favorite to eat. 

On behalf of The Highlander, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Tolerance for Lactose Intolerance

By: Sandra Vo, Staff Writer

It’s a running joke that for people with lactose intolerance, dairy is their forbidden fruit—one with consequences they are not afraid of. People with lactose intolerance theoretically should have restrictions on how much dairy they are consuming in their diet, although given the widespread usage of dairy within our everyday foods, those restrictions vary greatly from person to person.

For those who don’t limit their dairy intake, it boils down to a very simple choice: does the pain from lactose intolerance triumph over the desire for dairy? And for these people, it definitely does not. One anonymous person explains that, “I just consume as much dairy as I want because it tastes good. Literally have no self control, no regard for my body.” Another anonymous person says that, “In the end, I don’t care if dairy is in my food because my food/recipe choices would drastically go down.” 

The line between dairy consumption and no dairy consumption is no longer as black and white as it used to be. Dairy alternatives have been making a greater appearance in recent years, in the form of oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, almond milk, and many more. So what’s stopping lactose intolerant people from picking this safer, less physically-damaging option? 

One reason is that recipes made with these alternatives run the risk of simply not tasting the same. Differences in flavor become more obvious in recipes where the milk is not cooked down or used in a baked good, such as ice cream or macaroni and cheese. 

Another reason is that alternatives to milk tend to be more expensive as well. Many cafes will charge more for the replacement of milk for a milk alternative in drinks, and at grocery markets, plant-based milk can go up to double the price of regular milk. And for some lactose-intolerant people, the higher price simply isn’t worth it. 

Coupled with its prominence in so many foods, milk is an extremely difficult thing to avoid. Some people find it easier to accept their painful fate rather than go hungry entirely. Then again, some other people don’t necessarily take these reasons into account when they decide to consume dairy despite their lactose tolerance. Their reasoning? “I ain’t no b*tch.” To them, their pride simply won’t allow them to be restricted by their lactose intolerance. 

And it’s the accumulation of all these reasons that have resulted in lactose intolerant people developing a tolerance for their lactose intolerance.

Notable Opinions the Editor Shares: Paper Stationery Favorites

By: Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

In my last article, I discussed my favorite writing utensils. As promised, I am continuing my editor series with my paper-based stationery favorites, so you have something to write on with my established favorite utensils. Among my favorites are my top notebooks, as well as sticky notes and notepads. After all, where would an editor be without a plethora of sticky notes and notebooks? 

Top Notebook Recommendations: 

Bullet journal: Archer and Olive A5 Dot Notebook

photo by// Morgan Jacobus

I cannot rave about this journal enough. It is such high quality, and so elegantly crafted. Some of my personal highlights include the ultra-thick pages (so there is no ghosting or bleeding from pens/ markers), lays flat when opened (ideal for any form of journaling), and features a pen loop! From an aesthetic perspective, its hardback cover is lovely (not to mention the countless other design options to choose from, including faux leather), it comes with an ampersand charm page marker. Furthermore, the box it comes in is wonderful, so it is like opening a present for yourself. I truly admire this company, so if you are looking to treat yourself to an exquisite notebook, look no further. 

Multi-section notebook: Opalhouse 3 Section Notebook

This is my official editor notebook that I use for anything related to the Highlander, since I have a lot to keep track of. It combines different types of notebooks into one, which is handy. For instance, it has three tabs that separate the sections (WITH divider pockets might I add) that make it easy to separate different types of notes. Not only that, but it also features different kinds of notebook paper, like to do paper (so you can create lists and check off tasks as you complete them), regular lined paper, and dotted paper. It unfortunately isn’t currently on the Target website, but you can find it in the notebook section. 

Personal journal: Leatherette Storage Journal

I like this notebook for journaling since it has a dating system on the top for journal entries, featuring the months of the year and numbers you can circle to indicate which day you are writing. It also has cute pockets on the front for pens and can even fit a phone, making it possible for everything you need to journal contained in this cute notebook that you can throw in a bag or purse. 

Small monthly notebooks: Composition Notebook Set Unruled Affirmation

I think this notebook set can be a cute gift for someone, or even yourself. There are twelve notebooks for each month of the year, each including a positive affirmation on the front. They are each small and handy to carry with you anywhere you go. The possibilities are endless: you can carry one with you for random thoughts, to have some paper handy, or you can use it for daily journals according to the monthly theme. Sometimes it is nice to just have a notebook you can keep with you in your pocket! 

photo by// Morgan Jacobus

Noted: Sticky Notes and Notepads

I am a sucker for packaging, like in the case of Noted, a series by post-It. They are beyond normal blank sticky notes, featuring different shapes and designs including circles, notes with tabs, lined notes with check boxes, and more. There are weekly notes, to do list notes, and even a self-care notepad for habit tracking. Plus, how cute are they? They come in an array of aesthetic colors in notes, pens, and pads, and even stickers to choose from. If you are looking to upgrade your sticky note game, check out Noted.

When is the most wonderful time of the year?

By: Alaina Valdespino, Staff Writer/Photographer

With the leaves crunching on the ground and the first snow upon us, one can’t help but to feel the changing of the seasons. The crisp in the air, the frost on the grass; it's that time of the year. And now that the first of November has come and gone, the yearly Christmas debate is among us. 

Considering I saw my first Christmas commercial before Halloween, it is clear that some individuals aren’t exactly easing into the holiday. For some, the tree is up, and Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas” is in the queue. While I may not agree with beginning the festivities this soon, I do however find it fascinating to see how people's emotions are really driven by this debate, and in learning about people’s opinions, I’ve formed one of my own.

As Regis announces its date for the annual Christmas tree lighting and the festivities to accompany it, students are conflicted. Is November 15th too soon to be celebrating Christmas? 

Well, considering the disaster that was last year and the fact that we didn’t even have a Christmas tree lighting, the opinions are mixed to say the least. One sophomore (who wished to stay anonymous) stated that she was, “thrilled to finally have the chance to experience the feelings of Christmas on a college campus.” She continued to say, “With the anxieties of finals approaching; it will be refreshing to take a few steps back, listen to some fun Christmas music, and to experience the holiday season with friends.” 

On the contrary, junior Sammy Vrkljan stated, “I don’t like it because it’s pre-Thanksgiving, but it is pretty to see.” These conflicting opinions display how this debate gives rise to some serious emotion here on the Regis campus, so I took this topic to social media and the results were astonishing. 

For reasons unknown, this conflict of celebration, the to-or-not-to dive into Christmas before Thanksgiving, has many individuals frustrated. In fact, this debate made it into the walls of my own, undecorated apartment and my roommate, Sammy Vrkljan, put it simply: “It’s not time yet, what about Thanksgiving?” 

While I can agree that Thanksgiving deserves more recognition than it gets, I can’t help but wonder what the real issue is here. Apparently that opinion alone puts me in the minority of what most Regis students believe.

I’d like to say that my more opposite and more lenient opinion is in the majority, but it most definitely is not. My support of people’s pre-Thanksgiving Christmas enthusiasm is in the extreme minority, as I came to find out in my quest for answers. I took this debate to my Instagram story, to get a sense of what the people around me (besides my roommates) were thinking, the results were surprising to say the least. 

While some people simply voted in favor or not of Christmas festivities pre-Thanksgiving; I had a lot of people DM me with an intensity that surprised me very much. One Regis student put it like this, “celebrating Christmas pre-Thanksgiving should be a crime, it’s insensitive.” 

All in all, I’ve come to find out that I have a more liberal opinion on the subject and that this opinion is in the minority of how Regis students feel about Christmas before Thanksgiving. Maybe it's because my views stem from my thinking that Thanksgiving dinner can be well accompanied with Christmas music, or because I gravitate to the feelings of family and friendship that Christmas evokes, and I listen to the music to remind me of how close that experience is. Either way, I don’t see the harm in people getting overly enthusiastic and bumping up the season a few weeks. So, if you want to rock a cozy Christmas sweater or jam out to a Christmas bop at the next open mic night, know that I’m no Grinch and I’m in full support of it.

Notable Opinions the Editor Shares (N.O.T.E.S): Favorite Writing Utensils

By: Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

photo by// Morgan Jacobus

Happy November everyone! As part of my personal celebration of my birthday month, I am starting a series of articles called Notable Opinions the Editor Shares: aka N.O.T.E.S. This series will feature favorite product reviews (especially stationery), nerdy editor opinions like fonts, and advice on things like common grammar mistakes and planner organization. Without further ado, I present the first installment: my favorite writing utensils. 

As a writer, it should be expected that I would have favorite writing utensils. Ever since I can remember, one of my favorite times of year has been school supply shopping because I love school/ office supplies. Always have, always will. I don’t know how to explain it, but there is something about having an arsenal of pens, markers, highlighters, notebooks, and everything in between. My collection has been steadily growing for a while, to the point that I feel confident that I can recommend the best of the best for various stationery categories. The places you will see linked to the different products I mention are usually Target and JetPens.com (which if you aren’t familiar with, you should check out immediately): my top two stationery stores. 

Pens and Pencils: EDC (Everyday Carry) Essentials 

Mechanical Pencil: Kokuyo FitCurve Mechanical Pencil .5 mm 

This pencil has been with me going on four years, and it is still going strong. Back in middle school and early high school I used the PaperMate ClearPoint mechanical pencil, but let me tell you, this pencil is more comfortable, more stylish, and longer lasting than those pencils that would often crack. Not to mention, it isn’t even an expensive pencil, on JetPens it is just $5. 

Multi-Pen: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 4 Color Multi Pen

I keep this pen in my backpack at all times, because it is easy to grab or bring with me without having to bring my whole pencil pouch. This pen body can hold four separate writing instruments within it, and you have a wealth of options available to choose from. Mine features three colors of 0.5 mm gel pen (blue, black, and purple), and a mechanical pencil. You can pick from 15 gel colors in 3 sizes, as well as a mechanical pencil component, and an eraser component. This pen offers the ultimate variety and choice within one pen body, and it comes in different sizes (3, 4, and 5 option varieties) as well as 6 different colors. 

Gel Pens: Pilot G2 Gel Pens

This is my pen essential for my planner. These pens come in so many different colors (and yes, I have them all) which is what makes them amazing for planning and color coding. I do not believe that there are smear-free gel pens out there, or if there are I have not yet encountered them. The way that I write usually includes pressing/ dragging my hand across the page, even though I am right-handed. However, these gel pens have minimal smear. I appreciate the retractable tip, as well as clip, and they have lasted me a long time. 

Fancy Pen: Pentel EnerGel Alloy RT Retractable Liquid Gel Pen 

I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this pen. It has such a sleek body, and it is very durable, not to mention the ink is smooth as butter. Personally, I think everyone should have different types of pens for different purposes. For instance, you ought to have disposable pens for convenience, colored pens for fun/ color coding, and one nice pen that is more professional and you will really enjoy using. This pen was a “treat yourself” moment for me. I love this pen so much I have bought refills for it so I can keep using it (which you can get at Office Depot/ Office Max by the way). 

Highlighter Recommendations: One simply cannot have too many highlighters, especially as a college student. 

Crayola Super Tips: If you can’t already tell, I like variety, and I especially like to have a variety of colors at my disposal, which brings me to this recommendation. I use these as highlighters as well as markers. They are cheap and cheerful, with different packs from 20 count up to 100, whatever best suits your needs. I personally chose the 50 pack for its wide array of colors, and it was only $7. Don’t let them fool you, these are quality markers, especially since their tip design allows use for both thin and thick lines, offering further versatility. 

Zebra Mildliner Double-Sided Highlighter: I love these highlighters because they have different types of colors (my favorite being their pastels), and they feature a chisel tip on one side for normal highlighting, and a fine tip on the other end. One of my favorites is the gray highlighter. Yes, you heard that right, and it is my mom’s favorite as well. They have different colors, plus you get two things in one. I would caution you, since depending on the page thickness it may bleed through, but the beautiful colors are worth it. 

Epoch Kobaru Sweet Tapir Scented Highlighter: The inner child in me couldn’t resist buying scented highlighters. However, these are definitely a grown-up upgrade from the Mr. Sketch scented markers of our past (I know you remember). The scents include melon soda, vanilla, peach, mint, sweet potato, and cookie in six lovely pastel shades. Another feature I love is the flat, rectangle shape that prevents them from rolling away on your desk. 

There you have it! My top writing utensil essentials and recommendations. Of course, I undoubtedly have more writing utensils in my larger collection, but these are the top of my list. Stay tuned for the second part of my series: paper-based stationery like notebooks and sticky notes.  

Chase Atlantic Concert Experience

By Madie Paskos, Staff Writer

Photo by Madie Paskos

The Chase Atlantic Concert that was on October 4th was phenomenal. It was a general admissions concert, so everyone was packed like sardines in a can, but it elevated the buzz in the music hall. Our opening act was Niko Rubio. She brought dramatics and powerful music to the stage. It was the perfect mix of hard-hitting lyrics and playful beats. Niko was the perfect choice for opening because she brought the exact music needed to prepare Chase Atlantic fans for the experience that was about to occur. Intermission was about a thirty-minute break, and you could feel the anticipation building in the air. Finally, the drummer of the band stepped on stage. 

My ear drums felt like they were bursting due to the overwhelming cheers that were surrounding me. As the rest of the band trickled out of the roar of the crowd grew louder and louder. The band didn’t wait for it to become silent, but instead they just started to play. Soon everyone in the music hall was jumping and screaming the lyrics. People were being tossed in the audience and stepped on, but I have never seen a group of individuals more exhilarated. As the songs bled into one another the feelings of freedom rose and more people lost themselves in the emotion of the music. Dancing, jumping, and all around letting loose was seen throughout the audience. I don’t think there was one person who was standing still. Progressing through the night the mood never dropped. As the show came to an end the crowd only got louder. Chanting “one more song” over and over again hoping for one last taste of the music. Luckily, the chants became loud enough to draw the band back out on stage. Two more songs were performed before the show really ended. Even though it was over, you could still feel the overwhelming emotion pouring out of the people leaving the venue. 

As I was leaving my ears were ringing and I felt like I was floating. The cool air kissed my skin as it swirled around the gathering of fans trying to get one last glimpse of the band. Getting back in the car and driving home the mood never broke. The anticipation of seeing Chase Atlantic finally spilled over and I was on cloud nine. It was a wonderful start to the week and extremely stress relieving.