Many students who have traveled far to attend Kent State will be staying on campus during Thanksgiving break this year.
As of 2023, 100 international countries were represented among 2,074 international students on Kent’s main campus. Moving to America brought these students a whole new set of holidays to celebrate, which Deepa KC, a freshman criminology & justice studies student from Nepal, said is exciting.
“This is my first ever Thanksgiving celebration,” KC said. “This holiday is a new experience for me. Moreover, it’s about accepting cross-cultures in a foreign land. It’s about a time of the year to create new bonds and an opportunity to enhance the ones we already had.”
Living off-campus with friends, KC said she plans to celebrate the holiday with her roommates, who have become like family.
“We decided to treat each other and give ourselves some quality time,” she said. “My roommate and I will visit our friend’s apartment with Nepalese cuisine and momo — the rest of the items our friends are preparing.”
“We have also decided to get a turkey together and have dinner plans, we will also have guitar jamming sessions alongside,” KC said.
The university has events planned for on-campus students as well.
Eastway has a Thanksgiving meal pickup from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. the day before Thanksgiving, on Nov. 27. FAB is also hosting a Friendsgiving dinner on Nov. 15, an event that Ana Hasselbusch, organizer and junior hospitality and event management student, said she hopes international students come, too.
With a full Thanksgiving meal, raffles for fall baskets and Thanksgiving-themed games, Hasselbusch said she planned the event for those who are not able to go home for the family-oriented holiday.
“I wanted to create an event for students to go to that feels familiar,” she said. “I’m hoping people bring their family and their friends to this event to make it more homey.”
Even though Hasselbusch said international students may not know much about the holiday, she hopes they come to learn and join in.
Off campus, the Kent State Hotel and Conference Center is offering Thanksgiving to-go packages at set prices that can be ordered before Nov. 20. There will also be a ‘Tree City Turkey Trot’ hosted by Kent Parks and Recreation Thanksgiving morning.
KC said she feels lucky to have formed bonds with friends who are like family.
“I have slowly started adapting to this new environment, accepting the cross-cultural scenario,” she said. “I totally respect it, and I do enjoy the American holidays as well, celebrating them with my close ones makes it better any day in every way possible.”
Lauren Cohen is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
