From the Editors Desk: The Dining Table Theory

Every Thanksgiving, college students across the country gather around wobbly and scratched dining room tables to mark the coveted celebration of “friendsgiving.” It’s a poignant reminder of the concept of chosen family, which becomes all the more important for those leaving home for the first time after graduating high school. 

My friend group and I — many of whom have remained consistent from my first year of college — have graduated from hosting friendsgiving in a dorm room common-space to gathering in the dimly-lit dining room of my off-campus apartment. 

I’ve spent the last four years curating what I call the “Dining Table Theory.” It’s quite simple — my heart is at its fullest when my dining table is messy. 

Homework strewn across the surface, white marks on the once-shiny finish leftover after a party from the night before, my roommates cat perched in the center — even though she knows she shouldn’t be there — or a hodge-podge of dishes pulled together by me and my friends at our weekly family dinner covering the top are all things I have come to celebrate.

Friendsgiving is a wonderful reminder of the love I’m so lucky to be surrounded by, and I can only hope I continue that sentiment throughout the rest of the year. There’s always room at the table for another person, no matter the season. 

This Phoenix edition — the last of 2025 — I am heavily aware of my gratitude for this life I have spent four years building. For the time I have left in my apartment, at this desk, at this university and in this chapter of my life.

So thank you to those around me who fill my cup — and, of course, my dining table. 

This week, read about upcoming things to do over winter break in news, hear about the pros and cons of Thanksgiving food, learn about an alternative studio space serving the community in arts and get updates on the rocky start to the men’s and women’s basketball seasons in sports.