Ah, Commons Thanksgiving. Genuinely my second-favorite Davidson Holiday (after Christmas in Davidson). This is my third Commons Thanksgiving, and it did not disappoint. Like the investigative journalist I am, I have organized a definitive timeline of Commonsgiving, with pictoral assistance:
11:25. I leave work and power-walk across campus. The walk from Jackson Court to Commons is about 6 minutes (my freshman year it was only about 3.5 minutes, but the construction of the new academic building is a real impediment).
11:30. My Commonsgiving partner, Emily “Emstan” Stanley, has agreed to meet me outside Commons at 11:35, because “standing in line together is part of the experience.” I’m there early and I’m way too excited to stand still, so I do a lap around Belk. Eventually I see Emstan in the distance. She has spilled coffee on her shirt in her Commonsgiving excitement. Babbling about pie, we enter Commons, right in front of a flock of first-year boys who definitely think we’re weird for being this into Commons. I don’t have meal plan, boys, cut me some slack.
11:38. The line is kind of long. Understandably. We wait in anticipation. There are A LOT of people already sitting. Understandably. I’m a little nervous about getting a seat.
11:40. Eva swipes my card — I’m using my RLO meal swipe for this. (Sorry, RLO.) I’m in.
11:42. Emstan grabs us trays and silverware while I hold our spot in line for the main courses. Getting more and more excited. I see another one of my friends and we gush about Commonsgiving for a few moments before –
11:45. The time has come. I set my tray down. “Can I please have turkey?” I say. Then think better of it. “Also ham too, please.” Pause. “Actually can I just have some of everything?” Emstan makes fun of me for almost not getting everything. We debate whether or not to get salad, but there’s room on our trays, so like, why not?
11:50. Time to hydrate. Commons staff has very helpfully pre-filled cups with ice, so we just get water. Hydration is key. We go to the dessert bar (nee salad bar), and I immediately grab the chocolate cheesecake and the raspberry-swirl cheesecake and put them on the same plate so they fit on my tray. Efficiency. Geometry. It’s all here, folks.
11:53. While Emstan organizes her desserts, I secure some seats. Then I realize there’s pecan pie on the actual dessert bar and jump up to go grab some. I now have three desserts. This is a lot of food, but I’m not overwhelmed. We put our desserts off to the side so we can save a seat for one of our friends.
Before.
12:00. Emstan and I begin eating.
12:03. Commonsgiving is the best time of the year. Point blank.
12:05. I’ve never been this happy.
12:07. This is a lot of food.
12:08. Shit, this is A LOT of food.
12:10. We stop eating. I feel a little overwhelmed now. We do some deep breathing.
12:15. Second wind. I start using the salad as a palate cleanser, which works nicely as I move from turkey to ham to potatoes to stuffing to sweet potatoes…
12:20. Some of my friends show up out of the blue, so we reorganize our desserts so they can sit next to us. They sit. I’m so excited to have more partners for my Commonsgiving experience that I start eating with a little more fervor.
A variety of emotions about Commongsgiving and pictures thereof.
12:25. Emma, our friend whose seat was originally secured by our many desserts, finally arrives with her food and a couple more friends. They sit on the other side of me. Truly, this is the happiest I’ve ever felt.
12:30. I’m starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of food I still have left, and that’s not even counting dessert. Emstan has done admirably, but I leave most of my potatoes and stuffing behind. There’s only so much you can do.
12:35. I stop eating entirely for a while and think about what I’ve done. Also, like, talk to my friends. But mostly think about what I’ve done. And hydrate.
12:50. I’m feeling better and ready to tackle my three desserts. We start talking about One Direction, for whatever reason (their new album?), which somehow leads to a tableround discussion of which celebrities we’d most like to have sex with. This is, you know, a very pivotal and intellectually stimulating conversation, but I gotta admit that most of my attention is given to my chocolate cheesecake.
1:00. Some of my friends leave for meetings/homework/etc. I have a 1:30 class and it’s too early to leave for that, so I get to sit longer at Commons. If you know me at all, you’ll know how much I love hanging out for hours before and after meals. It’s like the most social and productive procrastination I could ever engage in.
1:15. All things must end.
After.
1:20. I head back up to Eu, where my 1:30 class is. I feel very full and sated and content, emotionally and physically.
1:30. My nonfiction class starts. We briefly bond about the beauty of Commonsgiving, and then move on to, you know, nonfiction.
2:00. I’m going to fall asleep. Why did I eat so much?
2:30. I would do it again.
2:45. I will do it again.
4:20. My class ends and I start counting down the days to next Commonsgiving on my way walking to an event with free Amelie’s. Today (and yesterday and tomorrow and forever), my life revolves around food. Thank you, Commons, for providing me delicious food and an outlet for beautiful emotional bonding. See you at brunch on Sunday.
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