As Andrews University students reach the final stretch of the semester, they are getting a brief but much-needed break before the last week of classes and final exams with the Thanksgiving holiday. Students talked to the Student Movement about their excitement for Thanksgiving, how they have spent the holiday in the past and what they are looking forward to this year.
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?
Sicily Avita (sophomore, secondary education and religion): “We go to my uncle’s house every year for Thanksgiving. Everyone brings a dish or two, and the sports games are always on. We eat outside if the weather permits. After the meal, the whole family goes on a long walk around the neighborhood. Before everyone leaves, we take a group picture … Afterward, my family drives up to my dad’s parent’s house, and we have a SECOND Thanksgiving. Everyone gets together: the cousins, uncles, grandparents, and significant others. … It is always a wonderful time.”
Samuel Martin (junior, biochemistry): “[My favorite traditions are seeing] all my Canadian [friends] and feasting on the blessed food we cooked the night and day of. After we eat, we all go on a cousin walk in the park and explore the lovely nature that God provided us with.”
Gersh William (junior, psychology and theology): “[I like to] go home, invite a bunch of friends and family, eat good food and play video games with everyone.”
Aaliyah Ngyou (junior, business management): “[I like to] spend time with my family and friends, eat food and go shopping.”
Ashley Daluz (senior, speech-language pathology): “I eat good food, spend time with friends and family and decorate the Christmas tree.”
Colin Browne Jr. (junior, psychology): “I like talking with family. We carve pumpkins, we cook together and catch up on life.”
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving foods and dishes?
SM:“Some of my favorite dishes include rice and peas, oxtail, jerk chicken, curry chicken, callaloo, festival, a big turkey, mac and cheese and a five-liter drink of ginger beer.”
GW: “Some of my favorite dishes are black rice, mac and cheese, lasagna, potato salad, turkey and a bunch of other Haitian dishes.”
AN: “Mash potatoes, turkey, stuffing, brown stew chicken, mac and cheese and lasagna.”
AD: “Mac and cheese, brown stew chicken, lasagna, stuffing, potato salad and greens.”
CB: “Rice and peas, oxtail, deep-fried jerk turkey, mac and cheese, greens and more.”
What are some of the dishes or aspects of Thanksgiving that you dislike?
SA: “I don’t eat meat, so I guess the most obvious and unpopular answer is the turkey. My uncle would disagree. He likes to kill it for the meal!”
SM: “I dislike when mans don’t finish their food. Like fam, be thankful and [eat] the food broski. But in all seriousness, I don’t dislike any [food], still.”
GW:“Some aspects of Thanksgiving that I dislike are when you invite people, and they decide to invite a bunch of other people without your consent and 10 random people just show up at your house. Also, I don’t like it when people heavily critique the food. Mind you, their plate was cleared, and they had seconds and even thirds, and they didn’t contribute to anything.”
AN: “Potato salad, cranberry jelly and cranberry sauce.”
AD: “I dislike getting full quickly. I want to eat more food, but sometimes my stomach does not let me.”
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.