By Michael GsovskiThe Daily Northwestern
Chris Andersen does not know how to cook a turkey. But he and his friends will be learning with the help of Rachael Ray this Thanksgiving when they attempt to cook their own Thanksgiving dinner in Evanston.
“In my case, I think it’ll probably be better than it will be with my parents cooking,” said Anderson, a Weinberg junior.
Andersen said he is staying in Evanston for Thanksgiving because he does not want to pay to fly home to New Jersey.
“I don’t think that there’s anything I’d rather do less than spend Thanksgiving in an airport,” Anderson said.
It’s no wonder he doesn’t want to fly. According to the American Automobile Association, 37 million Americans traveled over Thanksgiving weekend last year.
Some Northwestern students said they like to go home for the holiday to relax and be with their families. Other students said they find it easier to stay on campus for the long weekend because NU’s Fall Quarter ends two weeks after Thanksgiving break. Still others said the distance was too far to travel for just a few days.
Weinberg freshman Stephanie Choing is spending her first Thanksgiving away from home in Evanston. The California native said returning home would be “a waste of a plane ticket.”
“It’s too far for me to go back just for Thanksgiving and then leave again in another week,” said Christopher Schmidt, a Weinberg freshman from New Mexico.
Khushbu Shah agreed. The Communication sophomore is opting to stay in Evanston rather than fly home to Florida.
“I don’t think it’s worth it to go home and then come back and then go home (again),” she said.
Medill junior Zach Spear said he plans to return home for the holiday.
“It’ll be nice to take a break from classes and school and all the work and get to spend time with my family and have a good home cooked meal,” Spear said.
So what’s a student stranded in Evanston over Thanksgiving to do?
“I have some friends and family in Evanston, so I’ll probably eat there, watch football and get an early start on Reading Week,” Schmidt said.
“I’m going someplace for dinner; I have friends to go to dinner with,” said Weinberg freshman Tim Herrmann. “So I’ll still have a good Thanksgiving dinner.”
Associated Student Government and Sodexho will sponsor a Thanksgiving dinner in the Foster-Walker Complex Thursday from noon to 2:30 p.m. for students remaining on campus. Tickets to the dinner are $5 and can be purchased at the Norris University Center Box Office.
Some students, such as Shah and Schmidt, seemed ambivalent about the holiday.
“I guess it’s nice to have a holiday, ” said Schmidt. “But I don’t really care.”
Reach Michael Gsovski at [email protected].
