The leaves have started to fall and temperatures have started to drop, making way for the holiday season. The coveted one week that has been on many students’ radars since classes started, fall break, has finally arrived.
Students took the time to reflect on what they were most looking forward to about having the week off. For many students, it was getting the chance to relax without having to worry about schoolwork.
“A break from classes is going to be appreciated,” Elizabeth Weesner, junior in chemistry, said.
Ranson Ford, junior in public relations, said he was looking forward to not having classes as well as getting to spend time with his family.
Spending time with family and friends, for many, is a large part of the holiday season, and Thanksgiving creates the perfect opportunity for students like Zach Cooper, senior in agricultural education, to do just that.
“When it comes to Thanksgiving, I always look forward to the day off spending time with family,” Cooper said. “It is rare that the whole family has the day off, and it is the small things like just being with them that can make a difference.”
Samantha Clark, sophomore in athletic training, said as an out-of-state student, going home is a rarity.
“It’s definitely treasured when you get to go home,” Clark said.
Ian Sullivan, senior in interior architecture and product design, is looking forward to heading back home to Kansas City not only to see his family, but also to have the opportunity to see his high school friends.
“We’re all really close, so we still go out to dinner to catch up since we all went to different colleges,” Sullivan said.
Mariah Larson, sophomore in secondary education, said she is excited to have one of her friends from China, who is also a student at K-State, to come home with her for Thanksgiving.
“It will be really fun because she’s never seen an American Thanksgiving before, and she’ll get to meet my family,” Larson said.
Traditions can be a large part of the holidays, but for some students and their families, that has never been the norm.
“I guess the only family tradition we have for Thanksgiving is that we don’t have a family tradition,” Ryder Chaffee, senior in operations and supply chain management, said. “Every year it is something different depending on everyone’s availability at the time.”
This Thanksgiving, Chaffee said he and his family are driving out to Colorado for the week, and on Thanksgiving morning are participating in a four mile “Turkey Trot” to start their morning off right.
Katie Cicmanec, sophomore in business, said she participates in a 5K “Turkey Trot” with her family in Maryland. She said it is one of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions.
As traditions go, many would argue that it is not Thanksgiving Day without the abundance of food.
“The best part of Thanksgiving is endless homemade pies that are made by the family,” Cooper said. “Any pie you want … we usually have it.”
Weesner said her favorite part of Thanksgiving Day is the meal itself, with cranberry sauce being her particular favorite.
“The food is really good, and it’s fun getting to chat with everyone around the table,” Weesner said.
Clark said she and her family really enjoy the preparation of the meal.
“My family is really into cooking, so we always shove as many people as we can into the kitchen,” Clark said. “There’s old-fashioned Frank Sinatra playing in the background, and we’re all just having a blast cooking away.”
Ford said his family does not have the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but instead enjoys their own unique meals.
“We have prime rib for lunch, then that evening we have pizza and watch a movie,” Ford said. “That’s something special we have done for many years now.”
For some students, maybe it’s not the food or the time spent with family and friends that is the best part of the day, but rather enjoying looking fashionable while doing all of it.
“My favorite part of Thanksgiving Day is getting dressed up to walk around the house in my nicest clothes,” Sullivan said.
