At this time of year, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of studying for finals and finding the perfect holiday gift. Every year the holidays pass by in a whirlwind for students, leaving little time to relfect on what’s truly meaningful. Despite how cliché people may find this sentiment, values such as togetherness and giving will always be the core of the holiday season. Especially now, it’s essential to keep these core values in mind admist all of the political division and hate occurring in the world. When it comes down to it, if you strip away things like religion and politics, we’re all the same and a part of the same community. The holidays provide a time to come together and have unconditional love and understanding for family, friends and even those we might not normally talk to. Rather than spend our holidays debating and arguing over contentious topics, we should empathize with one another and strengthen our community bonds.