Gobble up the lasagna

Published in Long Beach City College's Viking newspaper in 2005.

The portrayal of the first Thanksgiving, between the Wampanoag Indians and the Pilgrims in 1621, seems a bit skewed to some LBCC students, but instead of dwelling on the actual meaning, thanksgiving can be a time for delicious lasagna.
"We never have turkey for Thanksgiving dinner," student Aldo Fernandez said. "It's been like that for as long as I can remember."
Fernandez's parents are Cuban and his mother enjoys grand Italian feasts.
"I really like the platanos," Fernandez said. "It's basically fried bananas."
Along with turkey, geese and duck, which the Pilgrims provided, the Wampanoag Indians brought lobsters, clams, oysters and fish to the gathering. According to a history of Thanksgiving Web site, staple foods like pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, corn and mashed potatoes didn't appear at the first table.
Thanksgiving has been a celebration of the Autumn harvest all over the world and took place when nature was ready, according to the Web site. It wasn't until 1941 that Thanksiving was declared a national holiday in the U.S. by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
"I think the story we learn about is actually more brutal than most people like to think," Fernandez said. "I generally just give thanks to my family and take time to notice special people in my life."
LBCC is closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 24 and 25 for Thanksgiving.