It is completely understandable to feel frustrated in the wake of Taft Week controversies. Main building and its hallways seem less decorated with blue, white, and witty jokes compared to last year, an approved Taft day shirt was rejected at the last minute, and administrators seem unresponsive to student concerns. Rather than talking about the upcoming Saturday games at Taft, the student community spent the week objecting to changes made to Taft Week and its various traditions, and the Administration’s lack of communication with the student body.

And yet, we have so much to be thankful for. It is impossible to list all of the gifts that Hotchkiss provides us in a short editorial. Even in the midst of last week’s controversies, the student body must remember one thing – we’re all Bearcats. 

Who will be there to huddle and sing “Tiki Tiki Ya Ya?” Who will take the dance to the TLR when everyone is kicked out of the chapel and do a lovely rendition of “Sweet Caroline?” Who will be there to cheer your team on in the cold, wind, and even hail pouring from above? Your fellow Bearcats, of course.

While Hotchkiss can be a turbulent place, as we have seen since the beginning of the year, we can still take comfort in knowing that we are accompanied on our journey by a pack of Bearcats. Preps, embrace the feeling that comes in the middle of break, when you realize how much you miss your second family after spending so much time with them this fall. All of us, in fact, can use Thanksgiving vacation to realize how lucky we are to belong to such an amazing community. Talking to any alum on Taft Day is enough of a reminder that, no matter how amazing your future college will be, there are special parts of Hotchkiss that will never be replicated. While we often perceive our rural location and small size as negatives, they actively facilitate the tight bonds formed here at Hotchkiss. To quote a window decorated with paint in main last week, “It’s a good day to be a Bearcat.” Not because of our Administration, or the school rules, but because of each other.