By Owen Prusek 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Thanksgiving Break. For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has been a time my family and I have looked forward to. Whether it’s a week off from school and work, or the delicious food on the actual night of Thanksgiving, there has been something about this time spent with loved ones that has held a special place in my heart. 

This Thanksgiving break was extra special. As a Senior, I had the privilege of celebrating the Feast of Juul. While the girls at Collegiate have Brunch, the boys look forward to the night of Feast, where they will be celebrated with a three-course meal with the other Senior boys in their class. Following the dinner, Senior boys head up to the Sharp Academic Commons for roasts and toasts with teachers and classmates. The faculty then opened up rooms around campus for all to explore, from playing table tennis and basketball, to setting up PlayStations in the classrooms. Dressing up nicely, having such a elaborate dinner, and having time to reflect on our time here in the Upper School with friends was a highlight of my time here. 

Fellow Senior Jake Slater (‘26) exclaimed, “I had been looking forward to Feast of Juul since I was a Freshman, and getting the chance to roast and toast a meaningful mentor to me was very special.” Slater and Henry Brost (‘26) gave an amusing toast and roast of varsity football coach Collin McConaghy. A perfect start to our last Thanksgiving break here at School, Feast was described by SCA Co-Chair Finn Dooley (‘26) as, “a great display of the brotherhood that we have here at Collegiate.” 

After Feast, the excitement and anticipation for Thanksgiving Day set in, and I began to look forward to some of my favorite parts about this break. My brother Miles Prusek (‘24) also shares this love of the holiday, getting to come home for a week and enjoy the food and time with family. “With a busy fall schedule, a week off is always appreciated.” 

There’s nothing quite like lying on the couch all day, doing nothing but waiting for food and watching football. On this day, especially, the football seems a little better, with players, coaches, and fans all excited, wanting victory on this day more than in most other games in their seasons. As most football fans know, the Dallas Cowboys have an annual Thanksgiving Day halftime show, with popular artists, and this year’s show featured Cougar David Crutcher (‘13) on the keyboards as part of Post Malone’s band. 

My love for Thanksgiving started around the age of five, when I began trying popular Thanksgiving dishes I hadn’t had before. Some of the dishes that have become my favorite over the years include, but are not limited to, my grandmother’s stuffing, with bread, vegetables, and the fresh herbs and seasoning; mashed potatoes with gravy; and, of course, turkey. This year, I got to take the night off, not preparing any of the food: just eating it. Overall, this Thanksgiving had one of the best spreads of food I have seen on a table, and it quickly became one of the best meals I have had in recent years. 

Every year, cooking the turkey is very important to my family, and there are many steps and preparations done to make it even better than the previous year. This year, my dad, Keith Prusek, smoked our turkey on a Traeger Grill, a wood pellet smoker, and it turned out to be some of the best turkey I have had to date. Weighing in at 16 pounds and smoked for over six hours, the flavor and tenderness were perfect. 

But it is not only the food and time off that make this a special holiday to me. Getting to see the people you love that you can’t always see, and friends and siblings coming home from college for a well-deserved break, is always exciting to me.

All photos by Taylor Dabney.