Junior English major
There’s no denying that our student body looks pretty darn good. This year, this university was ranked No. 35 on The Active Times’ list of fittest colleges. From attending group fitness classes at Eppley Recreation Center to grabbing a healthy wrap at the Maryland Food Co-op, Terps invest a ton of time in staying fit.
But as winter approaches, we begin to feel guiltier and guiltier each day we don’t hit the gym. The fat rolls for hibernation start to find their ways to our stomachs, and everything tastes so much better than usual. Instead of enjoying our hot cocoa, we drink it with the foreboding regret that we will have to run for an hour to burn it off.
Here is my proposition: Don’t sweat it. This year, instead of worrying about working out after Thanksgiving, just indulge. In Mean Girls, they say, “Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it.” Well, here is my new motto: Thanksgiving is the one day a year when a Terp can eat like a total fatty and no other Terps can say anything about it.
As college students, we barely have the time — or more importantly, the money — to enjoy a feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, carbs and more carbs, pies, desserts and expensive wines. Therefore, it is only right that we stop running ourselves into the ground and take a look at the reasons we should indulge.
First, the food is free (for the most part). For many of us, our parents and relatives will be doing the cooking, and we’ll be doing the mooching. After a semester of buying groceries and sobbing over the expensive prices at Chick-fil-A, we have the opportunity to feast our hearts out without having to swipe our cards or frantically check our bank accounts.
Second, you do not want to offend your relatives. When you stare down the juicy dark meat and take only one piece because you want to watch your bod, Aunt Whatsherface is going to take that to heart and hold it against you for the next 40 years until she dies. No wedding gifts for you.
But most importantly, indulge because it reminds us of the gifts we often take for granted.
In 2012, 16.2 percent of state residents did not have the income or resources to provide food for themselves or for their families at some point during the year. Some of those residents might be on this campus.
Although it is important to avoid gluttony and follow health guidelines, it is a slap in the face to those less fortunate when you are given the opportunity to eat heartily, and you turn it down because you “don’t want to eat carbs.”
There are thousands of people who struggle to buy even a piece of bread, and we have the audacity to say, “I can’t eat that! I need to lose three pounds!”
We must use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to reflect on how we view our bodies. Is eating stressful? Do we eat too much? Do we eat too little? Do we take food for granted? All I hope is if you turn down a second plate because you want to watch your weight, you’ll be considerate enough to give some of the leftovers to a person who truly needs them this winter season.
Katie Stuller is a junior English major. She can be reached at kstullerdbk@gmail.com.
