Around the table, families gather. In the kitchen, a turkey without feathers. On the TV, sports are showing. On the couch, stories are flowing. And no matter the weather, it will be Thanksgiving as long as we’re together. As the holiday approaches, Steele students and staff prepare for a time of celebration.

“We all live pretty close, but my mom lives right in Cibolo,”  chemistry teacher and softball coach, Coach Walkden said.  “So we all just meet up at her house, and we all cook together. Different people bring sides, and then I’m in charge of the turkey.”

People may choose different locations to spend the day, but a common thread for the holiday is its food.

“I would say that my favorite dish probably has to be the rolls. Because I am obsessed with the rolls my family gets,” sophomore Hailey Dickerson said. 

Obsession seems to be a theme when it comes to thinking about the dishes that get made.

My favorite dish is “really good mac and cheese because cheese is the way to my heart,” Walkden said. “It’s the best side. Turkey is alright but, mac and cheese. Oh no, it’s mashed potatoes. Because potatoes are the way to my heart.”

Food isn’t the only thing warming hearts. Many have the opportunity to see family that they don’t normally see.

“My whole family comes over, and we hang out, and eat some good food,” sophomore Zariah Goodloe said. “I get to see all my family that I don’t usually get to see, and I miss them.”

Traditions play a role during Thanksgiving, and as the name implies, it can be a time to reflect on the things that make a person grateful.

“I think my favorite memory is when we go around the table, and each person has to say something that they are thankful for,” Coach Walkden said. “So when you have everyone come, you have over 20 people and they’re going around, it’s really cool to hear, you know, a positive thing that’s happening.”