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Holiday Dreams: If I could be Santa Claus…

The Langley Advance asks students at Langley Secondary School to reflect on gift giving.
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Langley Secondary students Jordan Baerg

Members of the Langley Secondary School Me to We Club already work to make their school and community a better place. Right now it’s trying to help fight hunger. The Advance sat down with some to chat as thoughts turn to Christmas. They were asked to think about gift giving if they had Santa’s unlimited resources and powers.

Alex Quinn, Grade 11

His gift would be peace for the world.

“It seems that over the last year, the world has been slowly falling apart. If we could group together just to spread love and lift some people’s spirits, that would be great. Although we cannot create complete peace, we can promote it by helping spread kindness.”

Jordan Baerg, Grade 9

She’d give the gift of a better food program at her school.

“Not a lot of students come to school with food and they ask their friends for some,” she said.

And for giving a traditional gift – “Maybe I would get my mom a nice set of jewelry.”

Makayla Goldsmith, Grade 12

She said there’s no facility in Langley where young people can go if they don’t feel they can go home.

“I would like it for the kids of my school to have a safe place outside of school.”

Goldsmith’s thoughts turned to the practical when it came to wanting to give a gift.

“A new family car, that would be nice for my parents.”

Connor Frey, Grade 11

He envisioned gifts for the community of Langley and for his family.

“I want more homeless shelters for homeless people.”

“I want to get plane tickets for my family to go abroad to visit family.”

Brikenda Konjuhi, Grade 11

“I would give my family good health.”

Her family came to mind when she was thinking what she would do if she was Santa. Konjuhi is a member of family of five living in a condo. The family came to Canada as refugees in 1999 from Kosovo.

“I would give my parents a big house.”

Sophia Pearson, Grade 11

“To my school, I would get rid of bullying. I feel like that’s a huge issue.”

Pearson would like to get a special gift for her brother – a new car.

“His car is always breaking down.”

But her dream doesn’t involve triple digit horsepower and six digit price tags.

“Just a stable, good, reliable car [so he can get to work].”

Donita Raci, Grade 11

Her gift is underpinned by concern about the march of time regarding family that lives in England.

“Health for my grandparents” and a family trip to see them are the gifts she would give if money were no object.

Raci would also like to get a little something for her mom – jewelry – for all she does for the family.

Liisa Hazell, Grade 11

The young woman wants to improve people’s day in a unique way.

She takes public transit, and said bus stops and buses are often dirty. Her gift would be cleaner stops and buses, and buses running more often.

Her brother came to mind when she thought about a gift for someone in her life.

“My brother works out a lot. I think he would really like a good weight lifting bar.”

Scott Farynuk, Grade 11

“I think I just wanna bring families together because Christmas is all about families.”

A little closer to home, he’d like to give the gift of higher education.

“I’d like to give a chance for my older sister to go to the college she wants to.”

And he’d like to get a little something special for his mom, a gift to replace a family treasure stolen last Christmas when their home was broken into.

 



Heather Colpitts

About the Author: Heather Colpitts

Since starting in the news industry in 1992, my passion for sharing stories has taken me around Western Canada.
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