Invite a Friend Home This Thanksgiving
BU Student Government encourages a very welcoming holiday
Over the next few days there will be a mass exodus of the BU campus. Most students, with dirty laundry in tow, will head home for turkey, friends, and a few nights in their own bed. But some will stay. International students and many West Coast transplants will do the math, and many will decide that four days away doesn’t justify the cost of travel.
Student Government president Dexter McCoy (COM’14) has a suggestion about how we can share our holiday with those students. In an email sent to students last Tuesday, McCoy urged his peers to “take in” friends who won’t be traveling home for Thanksgiving break.
“If you are able and willing, please reach out to a student you may come across who may not be heading home next week,” wrote McCoy. “Even if they do not take you up on it, the invitation itself is a kind gesture that will make them feel the sense of community that we strive for as a University.”
In just a few hours, several students had emailed back, thanking him for his efforts. “I heard from a few international students who were worried about where they were going to go during the break,” he says. “They appreciated the kindness.”
The idea came to McCoy after several students approached Student Government officers with the idea of instituting a program that would connect potential holiday hosts with students who were unable to go home, similar to programs at other schools.
“It’s a good idea, but it might takes months to set something up like that at BU,” McCoy says. “In the meantime, it was important for us to make this move before the holiday season. That’s what this administration is about—if there’s something that students want to do, we take action on it immediately. We’re students helping students.”
While Marsh Chapel and the Dean of Students will cohost a Thanksgiving dinner at Marciano Commons on Thursday, some students would rather be with a family for the holiday, says McCoy, who is looking forward to spending turkey day with family in Louisiana.
“BU has students from all over the world, so this Thanksgiving is a chance for people to experience something they otherwise wouldn’t,” he says. “Escaping from campus for a few days and going home is important as we reset our minds and get ready for finals.”
Michael Vonnoh (COM’17) has been looking forward to traveling home to Long Island since the first month of school. “I can only imagine how people must feel who can’t go home until Christmas break,” Vonnoh says. “I’m bringing a friend from my writing class home with me. My mom said that if I left anyone at BU without a place to go for Thanksgiving, I’d be in trouble.”
The registration deadline for Thanksgiving dinner at Marciano Commons is today, November 25. Find more information here.
Questions for Student Government officers about Thanksgiving break? Email BUGov@bu.edu
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