In order to provide a traditional Thanksgiving meal for undergraduate students who are unable to return home for the holiday, Boston University Dining Services will host a Thanksgiving feast Nov. 27 in the Marciano Commons.
The feast, which will be hosted for the second year, is free of charge exclusively for BU undergraduate students, regardless of whether or not they have a meal plan, said Robert Flynn, BU Dining Services social media coordinator.
“It also allows a lot of our international students to experience an American tradition in a relaxed and friendly environment,” he said. “There are a lot of international students that can’t travel for Thanksgiving, and we felt that this was the best thing for them. It’s a great way to make new friends and get together with other students.”
More than 360 students, a majority of whom were international students, attended the meal last year, Flynn said. Given the slight increase in international undergraduates admitted to BU this year, the number of students at the feast is expected to increase.
“We just started sign ups, so there is only a couple dozen [signups],” he said. “It’s only been a couple of days. As word gets out and we continue to send out notices, the number will rise.”
From 1 to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, the classic meal will feature slow roasted turkey, fresh cranberry chutney, sour cream, chive whipped potatoes and pumpkin pie. Vegetarian and vegan options will also be available. Turkey will be served from the brick pizza station, Flynn said.
“A lot of local students in the Boston area also stopped by with their friends. It was great fun, and it will be again,” Flynn said. “We had about 15 to 20 staff members that volunteer to come in and work on this holiday.”
Last year, BU Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore and BU President Robert Brown welcomed students at the meal, ate with them, shared their own experiences of Thanksgiving and took pictures, Flynn said. It has not been confirmed whether they will be present at the feast this year
Several students who were at the meal last year said it was a nice opportunity to get a good meal and meet other students staying on campus during the holiday.
Enze Yan, a College of Arts and , said she went to the meal last year because she couldn’t afford to go back home to China.
“Initially, [I] wasn’t ecstatic about staying in Boston, especially at campus. [I] was lonely, but then I got to meet a lot of kids at the lunch, quite a lot from my home country too,” she said in an email. “[It’s] an authentic way to understand American festivals and celebrations.”
Tru Hoang, a junior in the College of Engineering from Vietnam, said he attended last year and will return for the upcoming Thanksgiving lunch.
“I had a great time, and for that reason, I have already reserved my spot for this year,” he said. “My hometown is on the other side of the globe, and so traveling home for a break as short as Thanksgiving is too expensive. It was fantastic food and great company.”
Hoang said it would be nice to hear more about the origin of the Thanksgiving tradition at this year’s lunch.
Melis Aydogan, a junior in the School of Management, said the meal was a great way to get into the holiday spirit on campus.
“My family is not from the United States, so Thanksgiving was not really a tradition in our culture,” she said. “It’s important that BU’s dining service is doing this because it gives the opportunity for anyone on campus to come together and have a meal, regardless of your culture and traditions.
Aydogan said she is looking forward to the Thanksgiving meal this year.
“I thought the meal last year was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised,” she said. “Dining hall food went from a 1 to 100 really quick. I hope this year’s meal will be just as tasty or even better.”
All students interested in attending should reserve their place online at BU Dining by Monday at 11p.m.
“To register for the meal and to get more details, please visit www.bu.edu/thanksgiving. The deadline to register is 11pm on Monday November 24, 2014. “
