BY CARSTEN SAVAGE (’17)

Students’ stress levels reached considerable extremes this midterm season, but optimism and anticipation for a satisfying winter break are stronger than ever. As students buy tickets for upcoming movies, plan Netflix binges and think about what presents they will buy for others and want to receive themselves, they find themselves becoming increasingly excited for their vacations.

Many high school students are looking forward to similar activities; Netflix, texting, movies and music are always popular. As always, though, every student is different in many ways, so they are extremely divided over Christmas traditions and how they will spend their time during the period of leisure.

As always, holiday music is perhaps the most controversial component. While its primary goal is to make people happy, some believe that it creates only irritation. Senior Henry Dantzer will definitely not be listening to holiday music.

“I’ve heard the same songs so many times,” Dantzer said.

While Elena Grandbois tolerates Christmas carols more than Dantzer does, she has mixed feelings as well, saying that she “sort of” enjoys holiday music.

“I listen to it when I’m in the car,” she said, implying that she enjoys the songs best when they serve as background music. While Dantzer has an aversion to the music, then, Elena may actually find herself listening to holiday tunes on music services like Spotify and iTunes.

Dantzer and Grandbois’s Christmas plans differ as well. While Grandbois’s family plans on watching a Christmas movie together, Dantzer will be engaged in other activities.

“We never do that,” Dantzer asserted.

A similarity between Dantzer and Grandbois, though, is that they are both hoping to watch television during the break. Like many other students, they are interested in shows with fantastic and scientific elements. While Dantzer hopes to watch “The Flash,” a show featuring a super-soldier whose inhuman speed allows him to combat plotting criminals, Grandbois anticipates watching “Star Trek: Next Generation,” a production featuring an opera-like experience set in the Milky Way of the future.

In addition to “Star Trek,” Grandbois awaits “The Force Awakens,” the newest “Star Wars” movie and the sequel to “Return of the Jedi,” and Dantzer is just as excited to experience the latest addition to the saga.

While the two are excited to watch “Star Wars” and other films and shows to relax during the break, though, there are always other ways that people differ from each other. Reading books, for example, remains a disputed topic during the high school years.

Dantzer has had enough of them for a few weeks. He warns them to stay away with a firm “No.”

Grandbois has other plans, hoping that she will read “lots of books I get for Christmas.”

Many students can identify with Grandbois, and many with Dantzer, and a myriad of them will fall in between; everyone has been shaped by unique experiences and has unique interests as a result. It is certain, though, that all students are hoping to enjoy both holiday celebration and much-needed leisure time during their festivity-brimming vacations.

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