Kaylee Noll
In Upstate New York snow begins to
fall as early as Thanksgiving and some years it has fallen as early as
Halloween. Once the first snow fall many people believe that’s when the
holidays truly begin. For students at CCHS many believe that the holidays can be
a mixture of stress as well as excitement.
In
New York students can begin working at the age of 15 with working papers. Many
students work in retail, restaurants or some even work in retirement homes.
Many popular jobs for high school students to have is working in retail.
Between stores like Abercombie and Fitch, American Eagle to even Aeropostale
there are tons of stores where students from CCHS work at. Students like Maria
Sosiak have interest in a different work place. Sosiak works at Avila's
Retirement Home and serves food to the elderly that live there. Sosiak works
around 16 hours a week at Avila's although it changes around the holidays.
Maria did explain how she is excited to be working on Christmas and be with
people who are just like family to her.
Although
Maria is working on Christmas many other students from CCHS will not be working
on Christmas although for students working in the mall there is a possibility
they may be working until 6pm. Many students during the holidays work anywhere
between 12-26 hours a week and that is not including homework and school.
After
working all of their hours at their jobs, people must wonder what kids do with
the money they receive. Well during the holidays high school students do a lot
of shopping. Between getting gifts for boyfriends/girlfriends, family and
friends a lot of money is spent during the holidays. On average a student buys
between five to eight people gifts for the holidays. Many students are spending
anywhere between two hundred to six hundred dollars for the people in their
lives. After asking why they give so much, many reply with "Its the
holiday season that puts you in the spirit to give to others." The holiday
season is a very powerful time that makes people more giving and more cheerful.
Many favorite holiday movies are Home alone, This Christmas along with all time
favorites like Elf . The holiday season is so powerful that is comes with
traditions… many students go to their families house for christmas eve for a
big dinner, watch christmas movies while baking cookies with their family and
even getting the whole family into the car to go and get the tree. "My
family on Christmas hides a pickle in the tree and whoever finds it typically
gets the most gifts or money. We don't use a real pickle, its a ornament!"
exclaimed Melina Kaltak. The holidays may be very over whelming for students
due to the amount of school work and job obligations but family tradition and
the over whelming amount of cheerfulness triumphs the stress involved.
