Have a great Thanksgiving break! Here’s some things to fill your week with, or something to get away from your family with.

Jason Verdin – Actually take a break during Thanksgiving break

Unplug. Don’t worry about school. Connect with friends and family. Play some board games. Veg out on a new show. Read a book for fun. Watch a new movie. Breaks are needed. It has felt like a sprint since August, and now this break kicks off the holiday season. Hopefully your teachers didn’t assign any work. I know I won’t. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. 

Aarti Gupta – “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood

“The Love Hypothesis” is arguably one of my favorite reads of the year; there’s so many nerdy references and just an impeccable energy combined with a sophisticated writing style that make the book so good. I am currently living in pure regret for not pursuing the Woman in STEM life simply because I could have been an absolute girlboss like Olive Smith and found my own Dr. Adam Carlsen. Seriously though, why was this book so cute? Why does Carlsen hate everybody but HER? Why is Olive such a queen, and how is she so cool? I’m insanely upset because she should be me, or we should be best friends. I want her life. You will too when you read it, so please read it. Be miserable with me.

Sachin Fong – Adidas shoes

I have worn my Adidas Superstar shoes for a while now, and I must say they have never done me wrong. They were $42.97 at Nordstrom Rack, and they are white with blue and brown accents. They function very well, and have very comfortable soles. I would definitely recommend purchasing a pair.

Ben LeGrand – Watch or go to a Bulls game

The Bulls have started off 10-4 and look to be as good of a Bulls team as we’ve seen in recent seasons. Featuring new editions Demar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and returning all star Zach Lavine, The Bulls are back. It’s playoffs or bust for this Bulls team, and going to a game let’s you experience one of the best teams in the East. The United Center is one of the biggest arenas in the NBA and experiencing the roar of 20,000 people as Lavine throws down a 360 is exhilarating. I recommend finding a weekday where you have enough free time to catch a game because tickets are much cheaper. 

Peter Wujek – The Third Amendment of the Constitution of the United States

I think it’s really cool to not house soldiers if you don’t want to. It’s such a funny amendment, too. It basically just exists because the colonial Americans were mad that the British stayed in their house. On that note, I hate the British. If I were a colonial American, I would have made the same amendment. Good job, folks. 

Abby Apeland – Have Sachin Fong take your photos

Fong is a talented photographer who will dedicate all his free time to editing the photos he took for you at one of the many pretty locations Naperville has to offer. He will make sure you get the best experience during the photoshoot with his charismatic personality to guarantee high quality and memorable photos. He can also photoshop! DM himfor pictures @sachinfong on Instagram. 

Jason Appel – Don’t procrastinate the little things

Do something today to better yourself for tomorrow; do one thing today that might seem small and not important. Don’t put off that math homework that is due onWednesday and get it done on Monday so you can spend more time on something else tomorrow. It’s a good way to reduce stress and anxiety. 

Jaclyn Bobbe – Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving Break is coming up, and you know what that means—turkey! If you go to your local grocery store, you can find a big selection of turkeys which come in many different shapes and sizes (the bigger ones are the best). There are many different ways of preparing a turkey: you can roast, deep fry, smoke, grill and brine it. It tastes good no matter what you decide to do with it (as long as you don’t burn it). 

Logan Brown – Going to sleep an hour early

If you’re waking up and feeling tired for the first few periods of your school day, or having trouble rolling out of bed in the morning, I definitely recommend you try going to bed an hour earlier than you normally would. I’ve tried doing this once or twice a week, and I wake up with the strength to throw my blankets aside and greet the day. 

Noah Burrell – Pokémon 

Pokémon. Simply just Pokémon. Go play a Pokémon game, pick up your old DS, load up your favorite Pokemon game and take a trip down memory lane. It’s a great time having those nice memories flood back of you trying to catch that pikachu or solve that annoying gym puzzle. If it’s a new game or old, go have some fun trying to “catch ‘em all.”

Viraj Desai – Samuel Kemp 

Samuel Kemp is a hilarious YouTuber whose best videos are edited Peppa Pig episodes. In these videos, he pokes fun at certain episodes of the show, and it is super fun to watch. I always watch these videos whenever I want a laugh and it really lifts my mood. Lily and I always watch these videos together, and it always makes us laugh. We also watch Barbie: Life in a Dreamhouse edits, which she has recommended, so go check out her recommendation as well!

Olivia Durcan – Not stopping in the halls  

Y’all. I cannot believe it has gotten to this point. The amount of times I was making my way to class and the person in front of me either stopped and turned around is astronomical. It’s like everyone and their mom just forgot walking etiquette due to quarantine and being at home for so long. Yes, I may be a fast walker, but there’s no reason to stop in the middle of the hallway and potentially crash into the person that’s behind you. 

Mahika Gupta – A breath of fresh air

Here’s a fun idea for a break—whether it’s from studying, sleeping, or whatever else you might be doing—one that requires much less effort than anything you might have to do in order to regain your peace of mind: visit your front porch. Maybe your driveway, if you’re feeling adventurous. And maybe, dare I say, your sidewalk. To anybody who loves winter just like me, the air outside when you need a break is worthy of taking a break for at least ten minutes, just to take it all in, and it’s even better when it snows. Go outside!

Lily Ha –  Watch strwbryinhell’s Barbie Edits

Want a YouTube channel to brighten your day? Check out strwbryinhell, a YouTuber specializing in editing Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse, among others. With hilarious commentaries and sound effects, this underrated channel will soon become an addiction. If interested in Peppa Pig edits, check out Viraj’s recommendation, Samuel Kemp.

Adam Hristov – Going on a drive

I would recommend going on a drive because it is the best way to clear your mind and have a chance to take a break from your crowded life. What I like doing the most is going on drives when it is dusk outside or it is about to get dark; it just feels a lot better and more refreshing. It is a good time to catch up on a podcast, listen to music or just drive in your car in silence with only your thoughts.

Lucas Lombana Arias – Not listening to Udhay’s opinion

It’s always wrong. I can speak from experience. 

Udhay Nallapati – Not listening to Lucas’s opinion

It’s always wrong. I can speak from experience. 

Sanchali Pandey – “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini 

People often read books to make them happy, but this book that will make you cry mounds of tears trumps all of the others! It tells the story of Amir, a Sunni Muslim, who struggles to find a place for himself in the world due to the effects of a series of traumatic childhood experiences. I read this book 2 years ago and just reread it, and it literally never fails to keep me thinking about it for a long time after I put it down. 10/10 recommendation.

Jake Panek – Ordinary Sausage

There’s an art to making a sausage, and Ordinary Sausage certainly has a knack for it. The one quirk about his channel, however, is that nearly every single video on his channel follows his quest to make into a sausage what hasn’t—and in many cases, probably shouldn’t—ever been in sausage form. Many of his concoctions have potential—lobster sausage, a whole KFC big box sausage and chicken tikka masala sausage were all awarded a 5/5 from Mr. Sausage—but the videos that have drawn the most views are outlandish beyond belief—egg sausage, pickle sausage and (his most viewed video at 4.4 million views) water sausage. While his audience of 645k subscribers are most definitely there for the comedic value of watching a man turn an entire fish into a sausage, his videos do showcase how tedious the process of sausage making can be, which makes the periodic bursts in the sausage casing when it’s frying that much more unfortunate (yet also hilarious). Throw in “Will It Blow?,” a recurring segment where he tests if the ground-up ingredients for his sausage will blow out of the tube that feeds them into the sausage casing that he inexplicably uses Mark Ruffalo as a rating system for, and Ordinary Sausage is one of my favorite YouTube channels by a long shot.

Ingrid Reginato – Go looking for little libraries

If you have no plans but are in the mood for something fun, go to https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/ and find your area. Then, pack up a few books and drive around with a friend looking for little libraries. Take a picture in front of each library you visit, leave a book and take a book!

Sabrina Sabatin – Listen to Current Joys

I often find myself listening to certain music artists depending on the month, and one that I always come back to during the fall season between October and December is Current Joys. This musician considers his genre of art to be Alternative/Indie Rock, so for all of you emo and indie fans out there who haven’t yet heard the work of Current Joys, I definitely recommend that you do in the near future. What I like most about his music is that he doesn’t focus too highly on the lyrics and allows listeners to get lost in the repeating instrumentals. Current Joys doesn’t write only about love, drugs or money unlike other artists, but he touches on concepts of self-importance, sexuality and even childhood or the lack thereof when one reaches adulthood. One of my favorite lyrics he has written is “you can’t love no one until you love yourself,” featured in the song “Ghosts.” Although this may be a corny and commonly spoken phrase, I never acknowledged the importance of it until it was sung by someone I idolized. Something about his music puts me into an enjoyable trance and the song that elicits this sensation best is “Symphonia IX.” I hope you will take a listen or you are totally missing out. 

Mahima Shankar – The Taylor Latte 

During the Thanksgiving season, every year, Starbucks usually offers many seasonal drinks such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. But this year, in honor of Taylor Swift’s rerecording of her “Red” album, Starbucks has created the “Taylor Latte.” Swift’s Starbucks order is a grande caramel nonfat latte, and this can come either as an iced or a warm beverage. Personally, I recommend the iced version of the Taylor Latte to bring home and drink alongside homework. This drink can be ordered by simply saying the words “Taylor’s Version” at your local Starbucks. Also, if you decide to order this beverage, feel free to roam inside of the local Starbucks, because they are streaming Swift’s “Red” (Taylor’s Version) album.

Ryder Stejskal – Find some cool rocks

Next time you venture outside of the local area, where rocks are bleak and imported in bulk to fill space, find some cool rocks. The thing about naturally occurring cool rocks is that they are storytellers of the area. Either those rocks are from that area, or were transported vast distances to get there. Some rocks have crystals inside, rare minerals or other cool inventions of the Earth. So next time you find yourself in a vast deposit of rocks, wherever that may be, find some cool rocks.

Amerie Zaininger – Snacks 

Snacks are just good and you can try to discover a new one, or you can rediscover old favorites. Just treat yourself to some snacks; some of my recommendations are popcorn, fruits, BBQ chips, or crackers. If you’re hungry, eat. This may also just be reminder to eat in general for those that need it.