By Ralph Parcon
“A Night of Thanks and Gratitude”, a communal thanksgiving dinner, celebrated the holiday together as a campus before students, faculty, and staff leave for break.
The dinner, which was held on Nov. 13, featured several staff and faculty members volunteering to serve attendees at the event.
Some of the dishes that were offered included different variations of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and a choice of rice or green beans.
What’s on the menu for dessert, you may ask? A variety of pies including pumpkin, sweet potato, and chocolate cream.
Tara Segal, assistant vice president for Mission and Ministry and one of the volunteers at the event, said this year’s event “was wonderful” and loved how there was “creative items like turkey with mole and Puerto Rican rice.”
“They also offered Halal turkey,” she said. “I’m consistently impressed by their efforts to make sure everyone is welcome and well fed. By the time folks got to my spot in line [green beans and rice], most had to make room on their plates because everything was so good. This tradition is a wonderful way to celebrate our community.”
The majority of attendees sat at their tables as large groups of people came together to celebrate and be thankful for all that they have in their life.
For the resident students, this dinner was their way of coming together as a family away from home. There were even several ELS students who attended the dinner so that they could see what Thanksgiving is like.
Ryoya Morikawa, one of the ELS students, said shared many great memories with friends and thought the dinner was a great opportunity to learn more about American holidays.
Another student Usui Hiyori said the dinner “was delicious” and “was so happy to eat many foods.”
Overall, it was a great time to see people to come together and celebrate their thankfulness and gratitude of life.
