Thanksgiving break ? a welcome relief for fatigued students ? officially starts at noon on Nov. 27, though many students are opting to leave early and some classes have cancelled regularly scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday meetings.
Many students are opting to head home for the break and spend the holiday with their families. “I’m going home and eating a whole lot of turkey,” freshman Mike Rothberg said.
Other students are using the break as an escape from schoolwork and a chance to relax. “I have a friend here from Japan, and I’m going to show him NYC,” senior Yusuke Shinizu said.
Students who stay on campus will have a little more difficult time finding abundant meals if they choose to stay at UR for the break.
Danforth will be open every day during the break, but on limited hours. Thanksgiving Day brunch will be available from noon to 2 p.m., and lunch will be available on Friday and Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. Students can sign up for box dinners for those nights ? the price for these is the same as for a normal lunch. Wilson Commons and Douglass will close after lunch on Wednesday and will remain closed until Sunday.
Eastman students will be able to get Thanksgiving Brunch from noon to 1 p.m. at the Eastman Dining Center. The Orchestra Pit will provide lunch and boxed dinners on Friday and Saturday.
Full Thanksgiving dinners will be available at Danforth and the Meliora this coming weekend. The Susan B. Anthony Hall Council is sponsoring a dinner “with all the trimmings” Saturday night, Nov. 23, at Danforth at 5 p.m., according to Dining Director for Danforth Kevin Fuchs.
The Meliora will also sponsor a dinner on Friday, Nov. 22 as part of its Friday night theme buffets.
Students from other countries, who don’t have family nearby with which to spend Thanksgiving, have several chances to partake in the holiday tradition.
“I think with international students, they just spend it with friends,” international graduate student Christine Huser said.
The Rochester International Council is also connecting students with local families for the Thanksgiving holiday.
RIC has been in existence since 1948.
“I expect [Thanksgiving dinner] was one of the first activities that they did,” Executive Director Rainy Becktell said.
She says that they assign 40 to 50 students to families every year, but that more find informal connections with friends.
“Couples with younger children think it’s a great way to introduce children to other people, and Thanksgiving just makes it a great time,” Becktell said.
