With Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, many students are planning holiday activities, food shopping and preparing to feast.
As an Arabic student, Anz Khan, a 19-year-old mechanical engineering student from Jackson, said he doesn’t celebrate in a traditional way. “Usually my friends and I go off-roading together.”
Mairene Coneros, a 17-year-old nursing major from Long Branch, also marks the holiday a bit differently. “I volunteer at different food banks.”
Brookdale students look forward to celebrating in numerous ways even though college is now an added stress.
To make college a bit more festive, the Student Life Board is planning a Thanksgiving-themed bingo, 6:30 p.m. in the SLC, Nov. 14, according to board member Benjamin Kuleshov.
Kuleshov said he is “absolutely” looking forward to Thanksgiving. He and his family travel to visit his grandfather. He is looking forward to all the food, especially the turkey and gravy.
“I‘m more busy now that I started college, but I can always make time for family,” Kuleshov said.
“It’s one of my favorite holidays. I love celebrating all the gratitude and thankfulness together with my family,” said Maddie DaSilva, a 23-year-old liberal arts major from Long Branch.
“My family celebrates Thanksgiving by having food and a big celebration,“ said Kaitlin Thomson, a 20-year-old public health major from Atlantic Highlands.
Roza Blackwood, a 23-year-old art major from Red Bank, said she is really excited to host the family celebration together with her parents. “I like Thanksgiving just to see people.”
Just like other students, Blackwood said that being a college student did not change a lot about Thanksgiving. The workload is manageable enough to still make time for family and friends, she said.
Journalism students Thomas Cohn, Marie Bollmann, Rachel Heimowitz, Diana Cosaj and Ethan Martins contributed to this story.