As the air gets colder, the hearts of Americans get warmer with the season of thanks vastly approaching. Already, turkeys are being bought and holiday plans are being made in anticipation of Thanksgiving Day.

For many students and faculty of Park University, this means visiting family for delicious feasts and giving back to the less fortunate.
Some trips home are longer than others and with them bring new experiences.

“Usually I help make the food but now I just drive and the food is done,” said Aaliyah Brown, a St. Louis native and a freshman in the fitness and wellness major.

Brown said she is thankful for her family.

“If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today,” she said. “I’m grateful to just have really great people around me and a good environment and to just share that with them around the dinner table is fantastic.”

Another student that looks forward to going home to family but with not nearly as long of a drive is Ciante Brown, a freshman majoring in business and administration.

To her, going home means a weekend of good food and company.

“My mom cooks our Thanksgiving dinner at our house, my grandma does at hers, my aunt, my cousins, they all cook their own meals and we go house hopping over the weekend,” said Brown.

Her thankfulness goes towards her family as well.

“I’m thankful for my family and being able to go to college and getting an education,” she said.

Students are not the only ones on campus looking forward to the Thanksgiving break that Park University gets from Thursday, Nov. 27 to Monday, Dec. 1.

Faculty are just as eager to see loved ones and reflect on what they have to be thankful for both on campus and off.

“I am thankful for having five really good work studies to work with this semester,” said Susan Michaud, the office manager of the academic support center and a Park alumnus. “I’m thankful for the health of my parents. I’m thankful for my sister getting better and being closer to home so I can see her more often.”

As far as dinner goes, Michaud goes the traditional route along with serving her special dish of marshmallow salad.

“Traditionally what we do is have a smorgasbord of food for lunch,” she said. “We have a Thanksgiving lunch at home with the family.”

Once the Thanksgiving holiday is over, her baking season begins, where Michaud will make several thousand cookies to hand out to friends, family and co-workers.

For those residential students who choose to stay at school or can’t make the long journey home for the Thanksgiving holiday, Sodexo Dining Service will be providing a Thanksgiving meal.

Rather than dine in the cafe, the meal will be served in the Copley Quad kitchen on noon of Thanksgiving Day.

Wherever Thanksgiving finds a Park Pirate, may it be a happy one.