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COLUMBUS SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
VOL. 65
ISSUE 2
December 2022
Nelson's Past was a Blast! Gabrielle Yuan, XII Ms. Nelson is my natural caffeine in the morning. Her bubbly personality wakes me up immediately and after a few seconds, I find myself laughing about her weekend stories or carefully reading her meaningful words of advice on the daily attendance sheet. With so many words to describe Ms. Nelson, some that immediately come to mind are exceptionally charitable, dashingly humorous, and superbly qualified for any task. Before working at CSG, Ms. Nelson was a bartender at Mojoe Lounge, working night shifts while taking care of her children during the day. “I absolutely loved it,” she begins, “It’s taught me a lot of the same skills that I use here at school.” Through both bartending and working at school, both tasks require “excellent customer service” and “patience.” Ms. Nelson emphasizes that she can make a mean espresso martini. Ms. Nelson also worked at
the Arts and Preparatory Academy (ACPA) for ten years, acting as the transportation coordinator, child nutrition director, attendance officer, and administrative assistant. With so many important responsibilities, she also took in an ACPA student named Kylie. “Though it was a couple of years ago, I took care of her for a while as a kid of my own,” she remembers. Ms. Nelson really enjoyed being with Kylie who is now 25 years old, out of college, and pursuing her career. Ms. Nelson is also a huge pet lover, having just adopted an “amazing German Shepherd named Nara” a couple of months ago. With Nara, she loves going to metroparks and soaking in the sun on long walks and hikes. Not to mention, she also has a three-legged cat named Poly, who has been in the family since 2012. Through this, we can tell how big of a heart Ms. Nelson has, caring in ways that put others first. After a couple of months at CSG, Ms. Nelson appreciates the students the most. “The seniors are some
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of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” Ms. Nelson begins, “I really enjoy how kind and caring they are, while being extremely service-oriented, which I truly appreciate.” Through communicating with so many students every day, Ms. Nelson understands the stress and wants to make even one person’s job easier. Through all that Ms. Nelson does for CSG, we should be sure to not only thank her for the endless supply of candy and stomach-hurting jokes, but also for her management in everything that keeps our school running smoothly. For me, Ms. Nelson’s love for each and every student shows how she’s made the atmosphere of the US office feel like a safe space, a place I come whenever I’m looking for someone to cheer me up or a helping hand for any of my struggles. I know that whenever I walk into the office and see Ms. Nelson’s signature bun, her Gucci glasses, and her eager grin, I’ll leave happier and ready to make someone else’s day, just as she did mine.
Ms. Nelson pictured in her element. Photo courtesy of Lilly Kern, XI.
Frosty Traditions Pilar Walton, X
We all anticipate the end of the semester. We look forward to the end of exams and getting out of school for the holidays. But what do students and faculty members do once they leave for winter break? CSG students and faculty have many unique traditions. Becca Hoffman, XII, celebrates Hanukkah with her family. She does a big gift exchange on her dad’s side and her family lights the Menorah every night of Hanukkah. However, the most unique tradition involves a small animatronic figure named Latke Larry. This was passed down from her grandfather to her family. This figure sings a song when you press its foot. During the holidays they eat a lot of fried food like latkes, which are fried potato pancakes, and jelly donuts. Sammy Kleiman, X, along with her sister Cammie, XII, help make latkes, and on Hanukkah she enjoys dinner with her grandparents on her mom’s side. Sammy and her
cousins from Florida also do a white elephant gift exchange on Thanksgiving. Katie Ann Timcho, X, celebrates a traditional Slovakian Christmas. Her family makes traditional pierogies, which are “nothing like the [ones the] school serves,” as well as bobalki (fried dough balls), lekvar (bitter prune jam), and sauerkraut soup. Do your traditions include superstitions? Anabanel Anne, IX, has never had cranberries because her mom believes they are bad luck. Do you enjoy watching movies with your family? Koyuki Yagi, X, watches A Charlie Brown Christmas every year and Justice Johnson, XI, enjoys eating chocolate boom-chicka pop while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas. At the O’Leary and Miranda household, they make iced orange cookies for their family gathering each year. Mrs. Miranda said she had to “marry into the O’Leary family to gain access to the recipe”. She always gets the icing recipe wrong, and it’s a joint effort to perfect these cookies.
Mrs. Miranda bakes the “sponge-like cookies,” and her husband makes the orange icing. Mr. Parsons stays up until 2 am watching It’s a Wonderful Life, crying his way through the ending scenes. His extended family does Thanksgiving on Saturday, “beginning the day watching the OSU-Michigan game.” He is looking forward to that happening again this year. The holidays bring fun activities and traditions. Whether that’s decorating a Christmas tree, lighting the Menorah, baking, or traveling, we all have fun holiday activities we can’t wait to do.
Latke Larry. Photo courtesy of Becca Hofman, XII.