Some Arrowhead Students Expect a Good Christmas; Some Expect Coal

On December 25th, Arrowhead students and staff will be waking up early to open their Christmas presents. Some students think they are on the good list this year and will be getting what they asked for this Christmas, and others won’t be so fortunate because they say they got on the naughty list.

“I’m definitely on the good list this year,” says Arrowhead junior Carly Minor.

Minor says she was placed on honor roll, is involved in extracurricular activities, gets along well with her parents, and maintains a job.

“I’m a bit too old to be getting presents from Santa, but I was on the naughty list when I was 12,” says Arrowhead teacher John Hoch.

Hoch had an argument with his mother the morning of Christmas and his mother threatened to give him coal if he kept being rude to her. Hoch says she gave him coal to teach him a lesson that year.

“She hid all of my presents and gave me coal. I was so sad because losing a good Christmas wasn’t worth fighting with my mom,” says Hoch.

After Hoch learned his lesson, his mother gave him his presents back a few hours later and he never fought with his mother or received coal ever again, Hoch says.

Although Hoch doesn’t have children yet, he says he could see himself doing the same thing to his children.

While Hoch would give coal to his children, Minor strongly opposes giving coal and thinks Christmas should be a positive and loving time, despite arguments.

“I have never gotten coal and will never give my kids coal. One day out of the year that doesn’t consist of disappointment or arguments is on Christmas and Christmas is about joy and celebration, not pointing out the faults in others,” says Minor.

Hoch says he is excited about Christmas every year because he spends time with family that he doesn’t get to see often and he gets gifts that he loves. Hoch has only gotten one gift in his whole life that he has hated, which was a Christmas sweater from his grandmother that had snowmen on it.

“It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life and I had to wear it because I didn’t have the heart to tell my poor, old grandma that I didn’t like it,” says Hoch.

Minor says she usually gets what she asks for each Christmas and enjoys it all except for the annual gift of socks and underwear that her aunt gets her each year.

“I’ve never hated any gifts that I get for Christmas except for the stupid socks and underwear that I get every single year from my aunt,” says Minor.