Unwrappable Gifts 2023
Matt, Annina, Frank, and Joaquin share the intangible sources of hope and moments of beauty that have brought them joy this Advent
Matt Pang, Blog Editor
Is it called Hot Chocolate or Hot Cocoa? Hot Chocolate
At the height of first-semester prelim season, the leaves transform from a standard shade of green into a magnificent blend of gold and amber. For me, this begs the question: Why are trees most breathtaking when their leaves begin to die?
Perhaps it's because there’s beauty in death- not in mine or yours, but in Christ Jesus’. In the man who turned the gruesome, shameful symbol of the Roman cross into one of grace.
Thus, my unwrappable gift is the tree on Libe slope that God has lovingly used to remind me of the blessed tree upon which He was crucified.
Joaquin Rivera, Editor-in-Chief
Is it called Hot Chocolate or Hot Cocoa? It really goes either way for me
My unwrappable gift is Claritas itself. If you know me, you know that I am quite the Claritas apologist, somehow bringing it up into every conversation. And I do so because Claritas has been one of the most important things that I have done in college, and I stumbled into it by accident. At Claritas I found a community that loved me, loved the Truth of the Gospel, and also sought to love this campus well. At a place where students are always stressed about turning in work for the sake of a grade, it is refreshing for talented writers, designers, and editors to gather around and create a beautiful work together. Not for a grade or any kind of material compensation, but because we love what we do, we love each other, and we want to bring the peace of Christ to this campus.
As a writer and then the managing editor last year, I experienced incredible development in my ability to think critically about my faith, in large part through writing pieces for Claritas. And now, as the editor-in-chief, the greatest gift of all has been the amazing exec board members, and general members who have contributed to the journal, come to meetings, and endured my countless emails. I will proudly continue to tell everyone I know about Claritas.
Annina Bradley, Managing Editor
Is it called Hot Chocolate or Hot Cocoa? “They’re two different things”
For the past several years, my dad and I have had a tradition of putting Christmas lights up in front of our house together. We wait until the sun starts to set, don our gloves and coats, and carry dusty boxes filled with strings of glass bulbs from our garage to our driveway. I take great joy in dressing bare tree branches with orbs of warm light. Each year however, without fail, there will be several bulbs that have died and need replacing.
To me, Christmas lights symbolize a bright hope amidst the dark days of winter. They point to a greater hope—the hope of Christ’s return and a restoration of light on earth. This hope is certain, and unlike the replacement bulbs my dad and I purchase each year, we can rejoice knowing it will never flicker or fade.
Frank Fang, Staff Writer (Most Valuable Member)
Is it called Hot Chocolate or Hot Cocoa? Hot Chocolate
There are almost very few Chinese people in Abilene, Texas (home of the Abilene Christian University Wildcats. Scratch ‘em!). There are a lot of Chinese people at Cornell University. This Christmas, I will be traveling to China where there are even more Chinese people.
It’s been almost 8 years since I went to the motherland. Since coming to Cornell, I have slowly been becoming more aware of the fact that I am Chinese (not white), and I realize that I didn’t do a good job connecting with my culture. Granted, I didn’t have the pressure of doing so since there were so few Chinese people in Abilene, Texas. I can’t read or write in Mandarin, and I speak in broken, but understandable, sentences. Mandarin is a hard language to learn. It seems that many ABCs (American Born Chinese) also come to this realization in college.
I wish I listened to my parents more in my younger years and diligently learned the language and the culture. It’s unfortunate. However, I have the gift of healthy parents, a close relationship with them, and a willingness to learn. It will be nice to reconnect a bit with China this break.