Since the beginning of this year, I've had the awesome responsibility of being the head of the Black & Latinx Alliance (BLA). This affinity group is focused on creating and strengthening the Black and Latinx community on the Circle, so we are always organizing fun events to bring this community together. Because the holiday season was approaching, my co-heads and I decided it was the perfect moment to organize Christmas cookie baking and decorating!
Thanks to Mr. Belsky and Ms. Dennison—our faculty advisors—BLA was able to spend a Sunday afternoon at their house; their fridge was filled with sodas and cabinets with all the baking utensils we needed, and there was a warm fireplace. There, dozens of us began to sit down around the dining table to play card games and catch up. At the same time, in an overcrowded kitchen, others began their best attempt at making cookies and icing. Laughter erupted in the living room as some people played board games or had a nice study break by the fire.
Once the fresh dough was ready, we all came together around the kitchen island to cut the dough into Christmas figures. I was put in charge of rolling the dough so that others could then start using the cookie cutters. The dough, even though it was freshly made just minutes before, was already dry, and, combined with my rookie cooking abilities, made the cooking process very chaotic. However, between laughs and shrieks, some new BLA students came to the rescue. They began to teach me their much-needed techniques, and soon everyone was working together like a well-oiled machine. Dozens of cookies—shaped like Santa hats, music notes, hearts, etc—were cut in just a few minutes and put into the oven. We waited impatiently for the cookies to bake.
Finally, we got to decorate and, more importantly, eat our creation. The cookies were far better than I expected, and the cooking process was a blast. We ended the meeting by listening to some Christmas music and hanging out in the living room. It was amazing to feel the festive spirit and get to know new students; the BLA meeting was an absolute success! My co-heads and I can not wait to organize more fun activities for the remainder of the year.