Letters to Santa

by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2018

Christmas

Santa riding on his sleigh being pulled by reindeer at night — Photo courtesy of visualcocaine.org

Dear Santa,

I already talked to one of your helpers (I’m old enough to know he’s not the real deal) but I thought I’d write you a note just in case he forgets to tell you. This Christmas, surprisingly, I don’t want any presents. I don’t want action figures, movies, comic books, or gadgets. Nothing. All I really want is my family to come back. When I first woke up and saw they were gone, I was super happy. I could finally have some peace and quiet. I was the man of the house; I went grocery shopping, put on after shave, and did some, uhm, “redecorating.” But after a little bit of freedom, I started having a change of heart. I miss my parents. I miss Megan, Linnie, Jeff, and even Buzz. I want to see my cousins, my aunt…and Uncle Frank if you get around to it. I really don’t want to be home alone anymore. Especially on Christmas; no one should be alone on Christmas. I know you are very busy this time of year, but I’d be so thankful if you could help bring my family back. I promise I’ve been good!

Thanks Santa,
Kevin McCallister

Dear Santa,

I have a bit of an unconventional Christmas request this year.

I just took my last exam of the semester and I’m pretty sure I failed. So, I’ve decided to drop out of college and become an elf. I know what you’re thinking—that I should stay in school, that I couldn’t have possibly failed that badly, that there are so many other possible jobs I could go for even if I were to drop out of school. Well, I’ve already made my decision. And I’m assuming my parents aren’t gonna be that happy about it, so I figured the safest place for me to be once I break the news to them is as far away from them as possible (i.e., the North Pole).

But listen, Santa, I’m not just trying to take advantage of you here. I really do think I’m qualified for this job. For one, I’m pretty short, so that automatically puts me far above a lot of the other candidates. I also have tons of experience eating large quantities of sugar in a single sitting, which I’m sure should count for something. Finally, I have a talent for procrastination, so you could hand me any job and I’ll be able to keep myself busy for the whole year (because, really, what else do you do all year when it’s not Christmas?).

In conclusion, I would make a fantastic elf.

Sincerely,
Your Future Favorite Elf
P.S. – I’ll be waiting with my bags packed on Christmas Eve. See you then!

Dear Santa,

There are a few things I want for Christmas this year, but I’ll warn you, they are more abstract than tangible. But you’re magical so I know you’ll be able to pull it off. First off, and this one’s pretty tough; I’m going abroad this next semester and I’m worried. I’m worried my dog won’t remember me. So what I would like you to do is make her able to teleport. So whenever I need one of her snuggles, I can just teleport her to Paris. This way, my mom won’t get too mad and I’ll make sure she can never forget me. Plus, I’ll take her on walks around the Eiffel Tower and she’ll be immersed in the Parisian lifestyle. Secondly, I would like it if you could make my stomach full after one meal so I can control my unhealthy overeating habits. It gets really embarrassing when my stomach is growling in the middle of an exam. I can’t keep coughing to cover it up anymore. I also would like if you made my skin tan all year long because everyone knows you’re happier when you’re tan. Lastly, and this one is important: I want you to make sure no one is alone on Christmas day. This one is big because no one deserves to be alone, especially on the most magical day of the year. Christmas is about giving and not so much what you receive. I think the presence of the ones who love us is more than enough to make this magical day even more magical. I know these are tricky tasks, but I know you are equipped to make them come true. Make me proud Santa.

Your favorite,
Sam

Dear Santa,

I am writing to inform you that, per our agreement, you are to deliver an Xbox One as well as three trending games to my home on the 24th of December, or Christmas Eve. The cookies and milk will be placed on the kitchen table, the presents should be placed underneath my family’s Christmas tree.

***PLEASE ENSURE TO MARK THEM WITH MY NAME!! Otherwise my dumb younger brother will surely claim them as his own, and he can’t even get to the top 10 in Fortnite.

If you recall last year’s events, I asked for a Nintendo Switch and you did not deliver as promised. My parents regretfully informed me that it was due to my unsatisfactory grades in math. Luckily, they covered for you by giving me a Switch and the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game for my birthday. I assure you that my grades this year are adequate for something as simple as an Xbox One, and if you fail again I will not be as lenient as I was last year.

You may see me when I’m sleeping, but I know where you live.

Sincerely,
Lucas

The Family Tree

by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2018

Christmas

by Connor Zimmerman ’20

Each needle properly in place. All the lights strung and shining. Tinsel showing the reflection of the people standing around the tree. They look at it one last time before they decorate it, bare but beautiful.

Amanda goes to grab her guitar ornament, the acoustic with a guitar wire as its string. She walks around the tree, looking for the perfect spot, as the ornament dangles between her fingers. As she looks, the memories flood her mind. Belting out the chorus to Brown Eyed Girl with her father in the car, her dad showing her how to string her guitar for the first time, her family at her first open mic event at the coffee shop 10 miles down the road. She finds a spot on the right side of the tree, and hangs the ornament from two branches (just for safety).

Dan is digging through the boxes until he can find his favorite ornament. He finally finds the ornament of a cast that was at the bottom of the box. Whenever he sees it, he laughs. He was hospitalized last Christmas with a broken leg, and his family stayed all of Christmas Eve with him. When he woke up there was a present on the table near him. It was the ornament of a cast with a note that said, “We will always be here for you, even when you’re broken.” He hangs it proudly on the front of the tree right in the center.

One by one the memories decorate the tree. Instead of the ornaments weighing the branches down, the connections and bonds that they represent make it look stronger to them. Finally, Mom and Dad grab the angel in the last box. Dad climbs the ladder, as Mom hands the angel to him. As he puts it on top of the tree, a tear falls down his eye. To explain to his kids why their grandfather had passed away a couple of Christmases ago, he told them that he was an angel that would always watch over them. He said that even though he couldn’t be at Christmas anymore, he was there in spirit and that this angel was the way that he could be there with them during Christmas.

When they look at the tree, they don’t see the decorations. They see their hopes and their struggles. They see the connections they have with one another. The tree may change every year, but the memories do not. They look at the tree one last time before they go to bed, full of life and love. This is their family tree.

A Very Merry Chuckleheadz Christmas

by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2018

Christmas

by Mark Fairchild ’20

Believe in Santa

by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2018

Christmas

Santa hat — Photo courtesy of openclipart.org

by Sarah Kirchner ’21

“Do you believe in Santa, Alexa?” I asked my sister under the sheets of our couch fort. We laid on the cushions eating Santa’s cookies and drinking his milk. Mom and Dad were up in bed already, and I convinced Alexa to stay with me until we saw Santa.

“Harry, that’s a ridiculous question.” My sister laughed and squeezed my hand.

“Why?” Sometimes, I didn’t understand Alexa. Teenagers were always weird. Alexa said so. She said all the guys were smelly and filled with hormones, except her boyfriend. I didn’t know what hormones were, but my parents talked about them a lot too. They said Alexa’s were crazy right now. I thought my sister was the exception, though. She seemed normal to me. Whenever I came home from school, she would play cards with me. She taught me all sorts of cool games, like Gin and Spit. They were more sophisticated than Go Fish and War. Alexa treated me like I was her age, not a little kid like my parents thought.

“Well, Harry, it’s a complicated answer.” She turned her head to look at me. “Do you believe in Santa?”

“Of course! I don’t see how else we’d get all those presents every Christmas. Mom and Dad aren’t that creative to find us gifts like Santa gets us.”

Alexa laughed, “That’s very true.”

“So, do you?” I pressed on. Alexa didn’t seem as into the magic of Christmas this year. When we were decorating the tree, she looked happy, but she kept looking at her phone. She was always calling or texting someone. My parents said it was because she was a teenager and sometimes they forget about having fun, but Alexa loved having fun. She picked out the Christmas tree with us when we had the first snowfall. She and I ran through the rows of trees playing hide and seek. I thought that was fun, but as soon as we got into the car she would pull out her phone.

“Of course, Harry,” Alexa sighed. Her phone buzzed next to her and she quickly sat up to read the text. Immediately, her smile turned around.

I sat up with her and touched her arm, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Jake.” Her voice cracked, and I squeezed her arm harder. Jake was her boyfriend. She always talked about him and was texting him. I met him a few times. He seemed cool; he just didn’t like playing with me like Alexa did. He lived next door, so they were always spending time together.

“What about him?”

“He doesn’t understand Christmas like we do, buddy. I don’t think he believes in Santa.” She gave me a smile, trying to keep the mood light.

“Why not?”

“He thinks it’s all stupid.”

“I don’t think it’s stupid. I think we’re lucky someone always wants to bring us toys once a year,” Alexa laughed at that. “And we get to eat lots of good food,” that made her laugh even more. I smiled at her, happy to see her like that. She deserved someone who believed in all the magic like she did. I knew she believed in the magic. Jake was taking that from her this year, and that wasn’t fair to my sister. “He’s probably on the naughty list. You shouldn’t be with someone on the naughty list. He seems stupid.”

Alexa let out a long breath. “I think you’re right, Harry.” A tear fell from her eye, but I quickly brushed it away with one of our blankets and handed her another cookie. “Thanks, buddy.”

“I think we need more cookies for Santa.”

“Let’s get on that then. We’ll quickly make some right now, before Santa comes.” Alexa jumped up and hit her hand on the cushion. I laughed and crawled up with her, “I love you, Harry.” She pulled me in for a strong hug.

“I love you too! But we gotta get going on those cookies if we’re going to make sure Santa gets some! It’s almost midnight!” I shoved away from the hug. “He could be here any minute!” Alexa kept laughing at me. “I’ll go check the Santa tracker on the computer so we know how much time we have.” I started out of the fort, but Alexa caught my arm and pulled me back in for another hug.

“Merry Christmas, Harry.”

“Merry Christmas, Alexa,” I shook my head at my sister. Teenagers were so weird.

Believe in Santa

by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2018

Christmas

by Sarah Kirchner ’21

“Do you believe in Santa, Alexa?” I asked my sister under the sheets of our couch fort. We laid on the cushions eating Santa’s cookies and drinking his milk. Mom and Dad were up in bed already, and I convinced Alexa to stay with me until we saw Santa.

“Harry, that’s a ridiculous question.” My sister laughed and squeezed my hand.

“Why?” Sometimes, I didn’t understand Alexa. Teenagers were always weird. Alexa said so. She said all the guys were smelly and filled with hormones, except her boyfriend. I didn’t know what hormones were, but my parents talked about them a lot too. They said Alexa’s were crazy right now. I thought my sister was the exception, though. She seemed normal to me. Whenever I came home from school, she would play cards with me. She taught me all sorts of cool games, like Gin and Spit. They were more sophisticated than Go Fish and War. Alexa treated me like I was her age, not a little kid like my parents thought.

“Well, Harry, it’s a complicated answer.” She turned her head to look at me. “Do you believe in Santa?”

“Of course! I don’t see how else we’d get all those presents every Christmas. Mom and Dad aren’t that creative to find us gifts like Santa gets us.”

Alexa laughed, “That’s very true.”

“So, do you?” I pressed on. Alexa didn’t seem as into the magic of Christmas this year. When we were decorating the tree, she looked happy, but she kept looking at her phone. She was always calling or texting someone. My parents said it was because she was a teenager and sometimes they forget about having fun, but Alexa loved having fun. She picked out the Christmas tree with us when we had the first snowfall. She and I ran through the rows of trees playing hide and seek. I thought that was fun, but as soon as we got into the car she would pull out her phone.

“Of course, Harry,” Alexa sighed. Her phone buzzed next to her and she quickly sat up to read the text. Immediately, her smile turned around.

I sat up with her and touched her arm, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Jake.” Her voice cracked, and I squeezed her arm harder. Jake was her boyfriend. She always talked about him and was texting him. I met him a few times. He seemed cool; he just didn’t like playing with me like Alexa did. He lived next door, so they were always spending time together.

“What about him?”

“He doesn’t understand Christmas like we do, buddy. I don’t think he believes in Santa.” She gave me a smile, trying to keep the mood light.

“Why not?”

“He thinks it’s all stupid.”

“I don’t think it’s stupid. I think we’re lucky someone always wants to bring us toys once a year,” Alexa laughed at that. “And we get to eat lots of good food,” that made her laugh even more. I smiled at her, happy to see her like that. She deserved someone who believed in all the magic like she did. I knew she believed in the magic. Jake was taking that from her this year, and that wasn’t fair to my sister. “He’s probably on the naughty list. You shouldn’t be with someone on the naughty list. He seems stupid.”

Alexa let out a long breath. “I think you’re right, Harry.” A tear fell from her eye, but I quickly brushed it away with one of our blankets and handed her another cookie. “Thanks, buddy.”

“I think we need more cookies for Santa.”

“Let’s get on that then. We’ll quickly make some right now, before Santa comes.” Alexa jumped up and hit her hand on the cushion. I laughed and crawled up with her, “I love you, Harry.” She pulled me in for a strong hug.

“I love you too! But we gotta get going on those cookies if we’re going to make sure Santa gets some! It’s almost midnight!” I shoved away from the hug. “He could be here any minute!” Alexa kept laughing at me. “I’ll go check the Santa tracker on the computer so we know how much time we have.” I started out of the fort, but Alexa caught my arm and pulled me back in for another hug.

“Merry Christmas, Harry.”

“Merry Christmas, Alexa,” I shook my head at my sister. Teenagers were so weird.

Christmas Poem I

by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2018

Christmas

by Sam Ward ’21

Though, first and fifteenth left no guarantee,
Wrapped presents with bows stuck under the tree,
But the sentiment meant so much more to me.
O holy Child of Bethlehem

More than the Xbox or bikes you bought,
The treasures would be for naught,
If it had not been for your careful thought.
Descend to us, we pray

When the snow carries the day away,
I know spirits rise from eternal decay,
A holiday mood not present yesterday.
Cast out our sin and enter in

And when tomorrow comes, hold me still,
Make sure I act with goodwill,
The change does not start on Capitol Hill.
Be born to us today.

Angel blowing horn and spreading the good word — Photo courtesy of sophiewainwrightdesign.files.wordpress.com

LED Stars

by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2018

Christmas

by Erin Venuti ’20

With each Christmas season, the sky descends upon the earth, sprinkling the world with stars. As she drives through town, she passes constellations on either side of the road — berries of light growing in gardens, golden icicles draped from roofs, the curious, childlike flicker of a candle in the window. In the town center, the elms disappear and are replaced by spirals of yellow, narrow where the trunk should be and blossoming outward as far as the branches might stretch.

The radio sings quiet carols and she can’t help but listen in silent awe. She’s seen 21 Christmases and for each one she’s been a different person: an infant, still wrapped in swaddling clothes herself; a girl with a toothy grin and a bow, eager to see what Santa will bring tonight; a young woman, simply grateful to be home. But the lights are always the same, the same houses, the same bushes, the same trees. They’ve come to remind her, even on the coldest nights, the lights will still shine.

People walking underneath trees with Christmas lights at night — Photo courtesy of media.cntraveler.com

Tiff and Earl

by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2018

Christmas

Dear Tiff and Earl,

My friend and I cannot settle this debate. He claims that Die Hard is just a movie that takes place during Christmas, while I argue that Christmas is one of the integral themes in this amazing movie. I was hoping you both could settle this debate. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

Yippee ki yay,
Christmas Lover

Dear Christmas Lover,

Die Hard is my personal favorite Christmas movie of all time. Around the holidays, I always watch it with my family while we decorate. It’s such a fun tradition! My kids always love when the line comes up, and I scream, “Yippee Ki Yay Mother Lover!” at the top of my lungs. We then watch the Silent Night, Deadly Night saga!

Merry Christmas!
Tiff

Dear Yippie Lover,

There’s really no debate here, so please ignore that idiot Tiff. Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie any more than my mother is one of Santa’s reindeer. If you want an action movie at Christmas, look no further than Krampus. After all, instilling deep fear into young children is the best way to prepare them for the harsh realities of the real world. Rudolph, eat your heart out.

Watch out,
Earl

PC Clubs Give Back This Holiday Season

by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018

Campus

by Kellie Johnson ’22

News Staff

In the spirit of the holiday season, the Providence College community is taking the opportunity to give back. It is the time of year when we emphasize the importance of giving. For this holiday season, multiple organizations on campus have adopted families and started collecting donations to provide those less fortunate than us with a traditional Christmas experience.

For example, the Friars For _____ club started a fundraiser for the holiday season. The Friars For _____ club is a student-led organization with the intentions of raising awareness for and donating to important causes. This holiday, the club put donation boxes in each of the residence halls on campus where people could drop off gifts for children who would not be receiving gifts on Christmas. These boxes can be found in the building lobbies and are wrapped up in Christmas wrapping paper.

The Friars For ___ club packed up the boxes on Tuesday, November 27, and sent them to Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is an organization that packs up shoeboxes of donations and sends them to over 100 countries around the world in order to bring joy to children on Christmas.

Also this holiday season, Campus Ministry sponsored Giving Trees. Trees are on display in St. Dominic Chapel, Raymond Dining Hall, and the Office of Academic Services. Each of these trees have ornaments with a child’s name and Christmas wish on them. The presents that people bought for the children will be delivered to the students at the San Miguel Middle School and Smith Hill Early Childhood Center. If you missed this opportunity, there are still many ways you can contribute this holiday season.

Each residence hall has also participated in the Adopt-A-Family fundraiser. Each residence hall has chosen two children that they can raise money for.

For example, each resident of McVinney Hall is planning on donating a single dollar to the foundation, which will total out to be $150 going towards Christmas presents for the children. It is incredible to think what a single dollar can do for another person. Resident assistants and hall directors are encouraging students to come together to help change another family’s life.

Along with this program, residence halls are buying appreciation presents for the men and women who help to maintain and clean buildings at PC. Students are encouraged to think of ways to show appreciation to those who do so much for our community.

On campus and within the city of Providence, there are more ways to give back to the community. Every small contribution will make a difference in another family’s life this holiday season. These are real impacts one can make in people’s lives, and the opportunities are available on-campus to all of the PC community.