Thanksgiving traditions and additional programs will bring together students who are still on campus and community members during the winter break.
Continuing a long-standing tradition, the Church of Christ at Dartmouth is hosting a Thanksgiving Day meal at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 28. The gathering will take place at 40 College Street and will feature classic Thanksgiving food, along with vegetarian alternatives and options for dietary needs.
Maggie Burnett, interim director of Christian education and campus ministry, looks forward to “the camaraderie around the festive tables which makes this a truly special event each year.” Volunteers contribute appetizers, homemade desserts, and drinks, and join students and other guests for dinner.
All are welcome and invited to register to join the non-denominational community meal, which is co-sponsored by the First-Generation Office, the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, and the William Jewett Tucker Center, which coordinates the United Campus Ministries, including the Church of Christ at Dartmouth. The annual Christmas meal is also planned for Dec. 25.
Rachele Hall, senior assistant dean of the Office of Community Life and Inclusivity and director of OPAL, expressed gratitude for this opportunity to connect, “where our students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to share experiences and traditions while fostering a sense of belonging and togetherness through food and storytelling.”
Reflecting on the impact of the gathering, Jay Davis ’90, director of the First-Generation Office, noted, “the Thanksgiving dinner has, for many years, provided first-generation students an opportunity to come together in fellowship over food, at a time of year when community is harder to find on campus. We are very grateful to our campus partners and the CCDC for making this event possible.”
In the Guarini community, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science was to celebrate a Friendsgiving meal on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m in the Kellogg Hall mezzanine, open to all Dartmouth-affiliated community members. Now in its third year, the event aims “to not only create an inclusive and comfortable community for people of all backgrounds, but more importantly remember our Native ancestors,” said Sarah Vandal, co-president of SACNAS at Dartmouth and a Wampanoag Tribe member.
In the house communities, Allen House students are invited to join Thanksgiving at the home of Janice McCabe, associate professor of sociology and Allen House Professor and co-director of house communities development. McCabe began hosting students at her family table eight years ago and looks forward to sharing family traditions.
“Each year, it’s a new mix of undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and faculty, some of whom are experiencing their first American Thanksgiving,” McCabe said. “And some of them ask for my sweet potato praline recipe afterwards, which I gladly share.”
Looking ahead to winter break, house communities continue to offer programs to connect undergraduate students who remain on campus. Hall, who is coordinating the institution-wide committee for winterim planning, highlighted the teamwork of campus partners who are “committed to providing programming and resources to students who stay at Dartmouth for various reasons during the six-week break.” Students, faculty, and staff who would like to learn more about this year’s winterim resources may contact winterim@groups.dartmouth.edu
