Photo by Vitaly Gariev via Uplash.

It’s going to be quite a Thanksgiving this year, considering the current political landscape! If, like me, you really just want to eat some good home-cooked food with family and friends, here are some helpful tips for staying on top of arguments and keeping your Thanksgiving from getting too controversial.

Is your beloved family member going on a rant about how the Harris-Walz campaign was actually a coverup for the fact that climate change was deepfaked to make the moon landing more plausible? Consider approaching the matter with tactical evasion by roaring, “WOW. THIS PUMPKIN PIE IS DELICIOUS!” and glaring directly into their eyes while stabbing Nana’s award-winning hand-kneaded flaky pie crust hard enough to tear through the paper plate. If the subject is not dropped, you may consider forcefully serving your relative a helping of food, refusing to set down the serving knife. You should follow this up by gesturing at the food and repeatedly asking, “Isn’t Aunt Gertrude’s bean casserole just the highlight of your year?” As a physiological need, food is at the base of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and by fulfilling your relative’s basic desire for sustenance, you can de-escalate any political tension and make them feel loved and comforted.

Are you listening in disbelief to your ancient uncle’s Ted Talk about “post-birth abortion” and how “the left is grooming our kids to become vegan illegal immigrants who use our tax dollars to get sex reassignment surgeries?” I highly recommend vaulting onto the table and rubbing soggy stuffing into his hair while berserkly screaming gibberish. Everyone needs a little attention sometimes; this will gain his respect, help him feel warm and cuddly inside and steer the conversation to more constructive pathways.

Have you been dreading someone bringing up “mass deportation” or “illegal criminals,” but feel that the dinner conversation is quickly veering in a somewhat xenophobic direction? A great way to keep this situation under control is by slithering under the table and gently tickling people’s knees. “They’re coming for your jobses, precious!” you can tell them in your best Gollum voice from below their femurs. This is a great motto that your family will assuredly find meaningful.

Is your feeble grandmother using her last dregs of energy to aggressively declare that “more guns in schools would prevent mass shootings?” I recommend knocking over your chair and pitchily playing “Pumped Up Kicks” on the bagpipes while dancing an energetic Highland Fling. Generally, this will defuse the argument and leave your dear grandparent pacified and chuckling gently. I, at least, have personally found this tactic helpful.

Are all your male friends and relatives discussing “trans rights and men in women’s sports” while tugging on their impressive beards, no doubt sponsored by Black Rifle Coffee Co.? A tried-and-true method of keeping the conversation reasonable is to loudly cough every time anyone says anything you find especially unconstructive. If people throw you annoyed looks, it often helps to roll your eyes and say, “So sorry, I’m allergic to DUMB!” Men are naturally sensitive to people with allergies and intolerances and will generally do their best to kindly accommodate your biological peculiarities. Chivalry isn’t dead but sometimes you have to give it a little hint.

Helpful tip! Carry a large red button that says “NUKES” on it. This way, if anyone mentions current military conflicts during your idyllic and peaceful holiday meal, you can pull it out and slap it repeatedly while smiling widely and making explosion sounds. This is a great way to subtly signal that you prefer not to discuss these issues at the dinner table. If you catch someone giving you an odd look, be sure to mention that your nuke button is 100% prisoner-of-war made and therefore completely free!

Is your pale, high school dropout aunt making some less-than-accurate points about “Critical Race Theory in schools” and “perverting children?” A great idea for placating the situation here is to scurry off, return with an oversized baseball bat and gently bonk her over the head. Generally, the reason many women come up with opinions they don’t completely understand is because they have used Clinton-era, safety-recalled hairspray, which contains certain brain-altering toxins like cocaine and asbestos. By using your oversized baseball bat to ruin her hairdo, you will break her out of her daze. She will thank you over and over, of course, and the rest of Thanksgiving should go by with nothing but joy and happiness.

Has your chronically twitchy mother read something about “the jab” on her flat-earth Facebook group? Pull out a full-sized, hand-crafted, steel-bladed Spanish rapier and suggest a free, on-the-spot essential oil injection activity to help your family and friends experience more natural astral vibrations. I’ve often learned that in order to reroute the conversation, but still keep it from being all about yourself, it’s a great idea to sacrificially and genuinely offer something to the other person. Generosity never fails to warm hearts. Even your most stoic relative may have a tear in their eye once you’ve finished your DIY medical malpractice.

My last pro tip: if anyone brings religion into politics at all, have two pieces of bread on hand. This way, you can slap the bread onto either side of their face and scream at them that disregarding the separation of church and state, according to federal law, makes them an idiot sandwich. Everyone loves sandwiches, so this will be a sugar-coated approach to calming them down and helping them realize their mistake, leading to a more constructive interaction.

Of course, no matter your political opinions, it’s not acceptable to incite violence, even on friends and family. Sometimes you just have to let people have their own opinions and refrain from feeling that you always have to prove yourself right or convince everyone around you of your beliefs. Avoiding engagement entirely can really help your mental health stay steady, even if it means you have to listen to opinions you don’t agree with. If you want your political opinions to matter, there are ways to do that – the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict recommends marches, boycotts, walkouts, petitions, strikes and statements among others – but arguing during the holiday break is likely not going to change anything. 

Photo by Drew Hastings via Uplash.

“Falcon’s Flight,” a product of the Liechtensteiner manufacturer Intamin, has been advertised as the longest, fastest, and tallest roller coaster in the world. First announced by Six Flags on Aug. 26, 2019, the record-breaking coaster is currently under construction and projected to open by 2025 as part of the Six Flags Qiddiya grand opening in Saudi Arabia. 

The 3D rendering of “Falcon’s Flight” features three separate LSM launches, 4.2 kilometers (2.6 miles) of track, a top speed of 251 kilometers per hour (156 miles per hour) and a 640 foot drop. For reference, the average roller coaster is only 610 to 914 meters (2,000 to 3,000 feet, less than a mile) in length, 24 to 46 meters (80 to 150 feet) in height, and reaches a top speed of 64 to 97 kilometers per hour (40 to 60 miles per hour), paling in comparison by every metric to the ambitious blueprints for “Falcon’s Flight.”

“This project is daunting and requires many engineers and designers to make it work safely and provide enjoyment for many riders,” said Dr. Blane Baker, professor of engineering and physics at William Jewell College, in an interview with The Hilltop Monitor. “Working collaboratively is important. In my view, the design team would consist of a diverse group with expertise in design, safety, crisis management and public relations.”

The new amusement park Six Flags Qiddiya, home of “Falcon’s Flight,” will be part of the ongoing development of a project called Qiddiya City. Qiddiya City is being constructed near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will play a key role in the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative – an effort by the Saudi Arabian government to reduce the country’s reliance on oil by promoting new tourism and entertainment efforts, such as amusement rides like “Falcon’s Flight.” Oct. 9, 2024, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Projects have reached $1.3 Trillion in value. 

For many years, Saudi Arabia has garnered negative attention from the rest of the world due to an abysmal record of human rights violations. This largely stems from a theocratic government, in which the public practice of any religion other than Sunni Islam is illegal and punishable by detainment, torture, and in the case of atheism or agnosticism, even the death penalty. LGBT+ individuals are heavily persecuted and subject to exemplary punishment, such as a 27-year-old man whose identity is unknown who was sentenced to 500 lashes and a fine of 50,000 riyals (equivalent to approx. $13,000 USD) for the crime of homosexuality. To add to the list of examples, male guardianship over women in Saudi Arabia was codified in 2022 and the kingdom has faced backlash over the state-sanctioned murder of independent journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, after having criticized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in The Washington Post.

For these reasons along with an abundance of other concerns, many have critiqued Vision 2030 as not only a way to diversify the country’s economy but to distract from its failure to rectify these concerns. While LGBT+ Saudi Arabians are forced into exile, Saudi Arabia notes on their official government that the kingdom welcomes LGBT+ tourists wishing to visit, clarifying that travelers will not be required to disclose such information. Many critics have taken notice of this contradiction in standards, such as Pakistani journalist, Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, who characterized the hypocritical measure as “a grotesque insult to the local gay community.”

Due to the extreme and ambitious nature of the record breaking roller coaster, “Falcon’s Flight,” many coaster enthusiasts have debated whether the ride will live up to the standards it has promised to meet – or whether it will even be built at all. For many, the coaster was merely wishful thinking until photos of the construction process began to surface earlier this year.

“The viability of the coaster will depend on regular inspections and the ability to carefully monitor sensors installed along the track,” weighed in Dr. Baker. “Drones and other modern technology could be very useful for monitoring the performance of the coaster and how riders are doing. Protocols must be in place to keep coaster staff vigilant and ready to respond to problems. The absence of welds in the track should eliminate problems with welds cracking.” 

If or when Six Flags Qiddiya opens its doors, American consumers are largely split on how this will impact their spending patterns at local Six Flags parks. Following their merger with Cedar Fair on July 1, 2024, Six Flags owns a total of 42 amusement parks across 17 states, along with locations in both Canada and Mexico. This includes one park local to our campus and publication: Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. 

The Hilltop Monitor conducted a series of anonymous online surveys asking students whether Six Flags’ involvement in Saudi Arabia’s 2024 would impact their willingness to support local amusement parks owned by Six Flags. 60 randomly-selected students representing a variety of departments and academic backgrounds volunteered to complete our survey. 30 percent of students answered that Six Flags’ partnership with the Saudi government would influence whether they would spend money at Six Flags parks such as Worlds of Fun in the future, of which 15 percent noted strong influence. 25 percent noted that this would not impact their decision. Another 25 percent noted they would not have planned to visit the amusement park for reasons unrelated to the partnership, while the remaining 20 percent stated that they would need more information to make a decision. 
Though the future of “Falcon’s Flight” and Flags Qiddiya is rather unclear, the record-breaking coaster continues to stir controversy and spark discourse regarding ethical challenges and the plausibility of the park delivering on its bold promises. Updates can be tracked on the official website for Six Flags Qiddiya. As of the time of publication, an official opening date is yet to be posted to the site.

Do you know how much time you spend each day staring at a screen? If not, perhaps it could be worth it to go ahead and check. Earlier this year, I did just that and was shocked to learn I spent an average of 8 hours per day looking at a screen! 

Before this discovery, I had always thought of myself as a moderate user. Well, it turns out I am! On average, college students spend 8-10 hours per day on their smartphones. Each year, that adds up to a whopping 3,024 hours, which is equivalent to 126 days of non-stop phone use. 

By limiting my screen time using apps like Opal, which block certain apps at specified hours, I have taken note of many benefits. In no particular order, here are five reasons I plan a regular digital detox:

Improved Mental Health

Studies have shown a correlation between heavy social media use and anxiety, depression, loneliness and suicidal ideation. Taking a step away has allowed me to take control over my life and be mindful, intentional, and disciplined. Consequently, I feel a new sense of autonomy, gratitude and fulfillment. In practice, this has come in measures simple as getting out of bed sooner than I would scrolling through a news feed. It means redirecting my boredom towards projects, chores and activities that bring me fulfillment.

Higher Levels of Focus and Productivity 

Not only do phones pose a distraction when trying to work, but high intake of social media and other digital outlets can even lead to the development of a shorter attention span. Since beginning my digital detoxes, I’ve found that I get bored less easily and feel less inclined to reach into my pocket each day. I can now fully acknowledge the beautiful outdoor/palette coloring my walk to each class; from the bright green trees, to the cyan blue skies, to the red telephone booth outside of Brown Hall! 

Better Sleep and Physical Health

While many of us might think of late night phone use as a way to fall asleep to mindless content, phone use can actually interfere with our natural circadian rhythms by exposing us to bright lights prior to sleep. This can lead to a deficiency in melatonin and even cases of insomnia at bed time. In pursuit of a healthier sleep schedule, my digital detox involved disabling my “wind-down apps” like YouTube and TikTok near my bedtime. In doing so, I discovered that I am often much more tired by the end of the day than I ever would’ve realized. My long-time habit of phone time as a means of tuning out my thoughts before sleep was quite likely contributing to my overstimulation and lack of rest. 

Reconnection with Hobbies

Have you ever wanted to learn a new skill, or perhaps dust off an instrument you haven’t played since grade school? Just think about what skills you could develop each day with an extra 8-10 hours! As college students, we often feel pressed for time; yet we waste so much of it. While much of our time spent scrolling is likely in passing, cutting from my daily routine the hour or so I’d spend on TikTok each night has allowed me more time to play my guitar and get lost in Carcassi.

Focus on Real Life Connection 

When you’re focused on staying digitally connected, it’s easy to lose the feeling of genuine connection. Placing a barrier between myself and Facebook messenger, Instagram DMs and Snapchat has encouraged me to get more involved with my own community and feel more immersed. The time I spend with my family, friends and loved ones feels much more enriching when I can fully dedicate my time, energy, and attention. 

Conclusion

Life is too short to waste away the present by living it halfheartedly. I hope this article encourages you to live in the moment and practice mindfulness by limiting what distracts you from it! A digital detox might just be the perfect place to start.