VOLUME 104
ISSUE 09
The Student Movement

Pulse

Holiday Recap

Christmas and New Year’s break were not like what they have been the past few decades, or perhaps, maybe even a century. The third wave of Coronavirus hit the nation and has increased the COVID-19 cases at a rate faster than ever before. Traditions that lasted for many years, such as Christmas parades and the Time Square Ball Drop were canceled. Many chose to minimize or cancel their annual family gathering. From almost the beginning to the end of last year, things were definitely not what it was imagined it to be, and it was quite a disappointing and frustrating time. Despite what happened, however, many tried to find a way to cope with the stress and find the good from the bad times. To see how Andrews students have spent their holidays, we asked three students to share their experience and their thoughts for the new year.

Gloria Oh 02.03.2021

Happy New year! How is your second semester going so far?

Enlai Wang (sophomore, biology): “My second semester is going well, it’s pretty chill and not hard yet.”

Ashlee Rose Wilson (sophomore, religion and French): “Happy New Year! I'm not floundering and it's much warmer over here (Bermuda)!”

Michael Cuke (senior, religion): “My second semester is not going good so far. I think I am having a really bad case of 'Senioritis' and there's a lot of uncertainty regarding what I will do after graduation and just other personal things that I am dealing with. However, I am optimistic that as the semester progresses and by the time I graduate, I will experience a lot of growth and look at this year as a testimony and be grateful for my time here, good or bad, finals or holidays, cafe or Gazebo, God would have worked it all together for good in shaping me to be a better person.”

What was your Christmas break like? What did you do during the month-long vacation?

Cuke: “My Christmas break was both exhausting and relaxing. I worked full time for the first half of the break so that was exhausting, especially coming right out of finals week. But, after returning home I relaxed and enjoyed spending time and celebrating Christmas with my family in New York and Maryland. I spent the break mostly at home with family.”

Wang: “My break was spent going to different friends’ houses because I couldn’t go back to my home country.”

Wilson: “My Christmas break was very busy. I worked for most of the break to save up for Christmas presents. Christmas day I had brunch with my family, went to the beach in the cold, and ended the day with a long walk with my brother and our dog. It was lovely. New Years, I celebrated my dad's birthday and then went swimming as is our crazy tradition.”

How was last year’s Christmas break different from the way you spent or felt compared to the previous years?

Wang: “It was honestly the same because I don’t go home very often.”

Cuke: “Well, firstly it was long. I never thought I'd say this, but it was too long. I love my family, but eventually, I missed being at school which to me is like my second home. Also, I was unable to travel this year like in the past because of COVID precautions. However, this past break was different in a positive way because I practiced some healthy habits daily like working out, reading, praying, and journaling, instead of just binging Netflix and sleeping the whole time like I'm used to doing during breaks.”

Wilson: “This break was definitely more cautious than the other ones. Last year was much more relaxed and intentionally focused on my family. Since I have been home all this time, this break did not feel as special, if you get what I mean. However, I was able to buy Christmas gifts with my own money, so that was awesome!”

Was there anything you appreciated about 2020?

Cuke: “Yes. I have experienced the most growth I ever have in my life during this past year. It was also the hardest year of my life, like I'm sure it was for many people, but the hardships I faced helped me to grow as a person, and I can honestly say that despite the tragic year of 2020, God still worked all things for good in my life and I am grateful that God helps me grow by any means.”

Wilson: “I really appreciated the time I was able to spend home and with my family. This was the first time I have spent an entire year at home in 6 years! Right after we were sent home it was my nephew's birthday. We had breakfast and opened presents. It was my first birthday with him since he was two. I was really grateful for that! Being home was fantastic! I forgot how much I missed the atmosphere and the warmth. Seeing so many trees and flowers has really boosted my mood!”

Wang: “2020 was a good time to study because there was nothing else to do.”

What are you looking forward to in 2021?

Cuke: “I am looking forward to graduating most of all. I also just want to grow personally. I don't want to have to undergo another year like 2020 again to grow. So now I am looking forward to investing in myself and the people I love and most of all in my relationship with God so that instead of waiting to try to heal in the midst of tragedy, I can be prepared to face it beforehand and will not be broken when I experience unfortunate circumstances.”

Wilson: “I'm looking forward to being able to travel stress-free again. Also, giving hugs to ALL of my friends! Love you guys!”

Wang: “I look forward to going home.”
 

The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Table of Contents