Autumn Polls

Written and compiled by Jesse Signorile

November 2023

With November ending, The Helix decided to email a November-related poll to the school. 68 people responded to it. The poll contained questions regarding autumn, Thanksgiving, Powderpuff, holiday music, fall beverages, and more!

The most controversial question among Biotech may be the one about the Powderpuff game; we asked the responders which grade they think will bring home a win. According to this graph, not many people had hope for the sophomores, with only 13.2% voting for them. On the contrary, many people believed either the juniors or seniors would win—in fact, the votes tied for them at 32.4%. People had relatively more (perhaps misguided) optimism regarding a freshman win than they did with the sophomores, but not as much as they had for the upperclassmen. Overall, the juniors ended up winning, so the predictions were pretty close.

Another question asked how students felt about the tradition of Black Friday shopping. As you might have guessed, the majority were in favor of it—what isn’t there to like about a day full of shopping and discounts? However, as many people have seen, the sales haven’t been as great as they were in previous years. Therefore, those who voted saying they love Black Friday shopping may have a different opinion after seeing the poor sales and crowds. 0% of voters hate the tradition, while a good amount of people feel indifferent about it.

Thanksgiving is one of the most celebrated days in November. Therefore, it is important to know how Biotech students feel about specific Thanksgiving food. We all know that the main dish of Thanksgiving is turkey. However, this meal is evidently not the favorite of many Biotech students, as only 11.8% consider it their favorite. In fact, a popular side dish, mashed potatoes, was voted the favorite by 39.7%. This statistic is not surprising, as this classic side is widely liked. Pie is also pretty popular, with 32.4% enjoying it as their favorite. These percentages reveal that people would rather eat only the side dish or skip to the dessert on Thanksgiving day. However, in another question asking for the students’ favorite part of the entire Thanksgiving meal, 52.9% answered with the appetizers. Interesting take!

We’ve gone over Biotech’s favorite Thanksgiving foods and courses. However, what fall beverage do these responders prefer? Well, according to the graph, 51.5% enjoy hot chocolate the most: the classic beverage on a cold day. Surprisingly, pumpkin spice lattes are only at 25%. This seasonal beverage is frequently bought at coffee  shops during the autumn season, but it’s Biotech’s favorite.

Lastly, students were also asked about the true reason for their last absence. 55.9% said that they were sick, which likely sounds normal to you. However, a more surprising result is that 10.3% of the students were absent to skip a test. With the intense workload at Biotech, it’s definitely understandable to want to buy more time to prepare themselves. As answered by 8.8%, some students also skipped school to study for a test or catch up on homework. It is pretty easy to fall behind, so a catch-up day is always beneficial. 11.8% of students needed to work on their college applications; many seniors have needed a day off from school to perfect them.

The Helix thanks everyone who filled out the Google Form. November and the autumn season were filled with fun and activities. Hopefully, the winter will bring the same excitement to Biotech students!