(Photo by: Sammie Magee)

Warm hot cocoa, cookies and Christmas carols: Christmas at the Caboose serves as a festive kickoff to the holiday season, along with a holiday food drive for the Student Basic Needs Center. It is taking place this Friday at 6 p.m. They are requesting items like canned vegetables and cranberry sauce, stuffing and cornbread mix, instant mashed potatoes and gravy, pie filling and baking mixes, hot cocoa, baking spices, peanut butter, jelly, canned meats and cereal.

“We [have] put Christmas lights on the caboose since right after Covid, because everything was just, you know, it was Covid and it wasn’t any fun, so we tried to do some cheer. Last year, we decided we would have an official event and not just have lights, but invite people to have cookies and hot chocolate and coffee and meet Santa. We would pick someone out of the crowd [who] got to actually plug in the lights to light up the caboose,” Terry Harrison, director of the Railroad Conductor Certificate program, said.

For this year’s lighting event, they have already selected the child who will have the honor of lighting the caboose.

“We’ve already picked him out, and he’s all excited about lighting the caboose. He’ll be the one, so it’s just fun.” Harrison said.

The bright orange caboose is placed to the South of the ITC building. It’s tucked in the parking lot, and Harrison is hoping to fill it this year. During the event, there will be caroling, free cookies and cocoa, and a free camping mug if you bring a donation of a shelf-stable food item.

“We’ll eat cookies, and we’ll celebrate the holidays JCCC style,” Harrison said.

Harrison asked that students invite their friends and family, and that everyone wear their favorite festive clothes.

“We’re just going to have a really nice event that we all can remember,” Harrison said.

The collection for the Student Basic Needs Center started when Harrison, a member of the committee, spoke with the rest of her team about “adopting a family” for the holidays. After talking to more people, they learned the scope of students’ needs on campus. Last year, they filled two carts full of donated food.