[box]Students anticipate Thanksgiving break
By Christina Saint-Pierre[/box]
AP Photo/Dave Martin
Clyde the turkey struts around the front lawn of the Governor’s Mansion in Montgomery, Ala., Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013.
“There’s no place like home!”
This thought runs through the minds of many college students around this time of the year, especially as classes come to an end on Tuesday, signifying a time when many students will head home for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving break is the first major break for college students in the fall semester. The prospect of family, friends, and food makes the craziness of the first semester seem worthwhile. For many college students, going home for Thanksgiving is a much-needed break before taking finals at the end of the semester.
For five days, some students will sit back, relax, and eat, while others will use the time to catch up on school work.
“The school year has been stressful because of all these projects, so Thanksgiving break won’t really be a break, but it will give me extra time to finish projects,” senior Brandon Boggs said.
For junior transfer student Michelle Herrera, this will be her first time home since the start of the semester.
“I’m extremely excited. Being away [from home] for the first time made me appreciate the little things at home that I took for granted,” Herrera said. “Plus, I can’t wait for the home cooking.”
Home-cooked food seems to be a commonly anticipated part of Thanksgiving break.
“Honey-glazed ham is my favorite thing to eat on the Thanksgiving table,” junior Nicole Greer said.
Whether you are from the East or West Coast, or anywhere in between, Thanksgiving is a time for families to come together. This is an exciting time for students to go home, spend time with family, and indulge in traditional, home-cooked meals.
[box]Food, family, parades, and traditions
By Elizabeth Aliotta[/box]
Thanksgiving is a time for food, family, parades, and traditions. Everyone has their own family traditions that seem to never die. ENC students shared some of their own Thanksgiving traditions.
Three or four years ago, freshman Nick Prax started a tradition of camping out with his family in front of stores for Black Friday.
“Basically, I would be the one camping out and for Thanksgiving dinner we would go to the military post and eat as a family,” Prax said.
Once the stores opened, Prax and his family would all go in to shop together.
You don’t have to leave the house to create family traditions, though.
Senior Becky Malas shared that her family tradition is “playing board games until ridiculous hours of the morning.”
Thanksgiving is also a time to visit with family.
Senior Juanita Brown said that before her great aunt passed away, her entire family would visit her and spend time together.
“My favorite thing about it was that everyone came, not just my immediate family…but all the great aunts who were living, first, second, and third cousins. Everyone came, and often people would bring significant others,” Brown said.
For some students, Thanksgiving is a great excuse to just relax.
Junior Zack Bohinski and his family gather around to watch annual television shows.
“We watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and then the Purina Dog Show,” Bohinski said.