While most students pack up and go home to their families for academic breaks, Oregon State University’s campus does not fall completely silent.
Due to the length of breaks and the high cost of travel or visa restrictions, many international students often opt to stay in Corvallis. Some are glad to join their local friends’ and families’ Thanksgiving meals while others experiment with new recipes in dorm kitchens.
Azumi Arao, a first-year business major from Japan, will be spending a warm Thanksgiving with her roommate’s family in Corvallis. “It’ll be my first time experiencing Thanksgiving and I’m excited to see what it’s like.”
Duc Minh Tran, a first-year architectural engineering major from Vietnam said, “I’m going to try making a turkey.”
A few ‘dorms-givings’ are expected to pop up across residence halls, bringing together students who remain on campus for the holiday.
Events such as Harvesting Truth, hosted by Community Engagement and Leadership, will not only offer students a space to reflect on gratitude, but also explore new connections and shared traditions within the OSU community.
Harvesting Truth is a community dialogue given through an Indigenous perspective. The event will be held 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 13 in Memorial Union room 109. There will also be catering.
According to Jaeda Panagos, one of the facilitators of the dialogue, the event “invites participants to reflect on the history and narratives surrounding Thanksgiving,” and “encourages participants to move beyond the colonizer perspective and traditional Western story to acknowledge the ongoing impact of colonization on Indigenous communities.”
Panagos also said Harvesting Truth “offers an opportunity to explore gratitude as a continuous, year-round practice rather than one tied to a single holiday.”
Together, Panagos and her co-facilitator will lead the dialogue in a story circle format, giving participants uninterrupted time to share stories in response to their reflections. There will also be a gallery walk featuring pictures of Thanksgiving and interactive video clips.
Not all students will stay behind, some may plan to visit their relatives or friends in other states.
“I’ll be going to Boston to celebrate Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle,” said Musiige Ali, a first-year computer science student.
Many students also plan to use the break to simply rest, explore local spots or take trips to nearby towns.
Melissa Greff, resident director for the International Living and Learning Center and Halsell Hall said, “The dining halls will be open and at least one of them does a Thanksgiving type of spread for dinner.”
According to the Student Success Services Senior Coordinator Ethan Strickler, “The details have not been finalized, but I am planning an event for INTO OSU students so they have a chance to try some Thanksgiving desserts.”
Strickler said further information will be announced closer to the holiday.
Students can also look forward to the to-be-confirmed winter break group activities and “hot chocolate pop-up events.”