Last Friday in room 215, the smell of freshly made Thanksgiving food and Hispanic pastries blended unexpectedly well throughout the room. Students in the art classrooms came together to host an Art Class Friendsgiving Celebration. This brought together students, creativity, and plenty of laughter. Each student was assigned to bring a special dish from a country chosen by their table. The festivities began shortly after the final bell, and the students transformed their usual workspace into a big, colorful buffet. Fall decorations were lined up on the lined tables, and a big black seasonal tree was centered in the room. On the eating tables, the students were invited to write something positive for the next classrooms to see.
Among the many participants, senior Esteban Patiño García stood out. The classroom consisted of thirty-five students, and he made sure that every single student was able to get two of his tasty tacos dorados, also known as “golden tacos.” They are rolled tortillas, filled with ingredients like meat, cheese, or potatoes, and then fried to a crisp.
“I wanted to bring something that represented my family. My mom helped me bake them in the morning, so the whole kitchen smelled amazing,” Patiño García said.
For Esteban, the celebration was more than a seasonal gathering.
“Friendsgiving was a really good way to show the variety of foods that different countries had. I really liked the tamales that Lesly brought. Tenían el sabor de un sazón mexicano,” Patiño García said.
It wasn’t just the food that made the day special. Each student was given a small “passport,” a small flip paper where students could name their favorite dish and name what country it was from. On the “passport,” you could also fill in what countries you “visited,” for each of the foods you tried. There were many countries present, so it made it difficult to choose what they liked best.
As music played in the background, students chatted, played cards, and occasionally paused to answer conversation-starter questions that the teacher was giving out. Patiño García found himself drifting between groups, offering help with serving the food onto their plates one moment and laughing over spilled horchata the next.
Esteban’s tacos dorados brought many surprised faces. Other students even got up to get seconds. When Patiño García was asked why he brought so many, he simply smiled.
“Since there were thirty-five students, I counted that each person would get two and then have leftovers for those who wanted more,” Patiño García said.
As the celebration wound down and students gathered their belongings, they had the opportunity to leave leftovers for the next rounds of classes, but Patiño García wanted to share his tasty food with his teachers and friends.
“I want to take this to room 205 and let them get some if they want to try it. I think they will like it,” Patino Garcia said.
This year’s Friendsgiving went very smoothly. Students walked out of the classroom with their stomachs full, and they made happy memories with one another.
