THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2002
COVERSTORY
THE UNIVERSITYDAILYKANSAN 9
Thanksgiving: a feast for all
A cornucopia of feasts provides food aplenty
By Caleb Nothwehr
cnothwehr@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Thanksgiving break was never much of a break for Andrea Baron.
The Cañon City, Colo., senior had to drive nine hours to celebrate the holiday at home and always ended up doing homework the whole time when she was there.
This year, she and her three roommates are busting out their moms' recipes and creating their own Thanksgiving day feast.
"I have to make the gravy," Baron said. "I'm kind of nervous about that."
Some KU students are taking the opportunity to give thanks with the ones they live with during the better part of the year.
For the past two years, students living in Battenfeld and Miller scholarship halls have teamed up to celebrate Thanksgiving
Zach Straus/Kansan
"Last year we ended up tossing hot sweet potatoes. When you're cooking for six to eight hours, it gets monotonous."
Chris Beauchamp Hutchinson fifth-year senior
Chris Cardinal, Salina sophomore, serves himself a second scoop of ice cream at Mrs. E's annual Thanksgiving meal. In addition to desserts, Ekdahl Dining Commons offered a spread of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and other festive seasonal foods.
together.
Residents from both halls will spend the weekend preparing for the dinner and then feast on Sunday evening.
"It's a chance to fool around and get in the holiday spirit with people you live with," said Chris Beauchamp, Hutchinson fifth-year senior, who is in charge of the cooking.
James Foley and Libby McConnell, Little Rock, Ark., freshmen, serve themselves from Ekdahl Dining Commons' Thanksgiving meal last night. The campus dining halls served a special dinner in honor of the holiday.
Zach Straus/Kansan
In past years, the cooking has led to tomfoolery among the chefs, Beauchamp said.
"Last year we ended up tossing hot sweet potatoes," he said. "When you're cooking for six to eight hours, it gets monotonous."
The dinner also provides an opportunity for international students who live in the hall to get a taste of what the American holiday is all about, Beauchamp said.
Jessica Fergen, Belle Plaine freshman and Miller resident, said she had been baking all week in preparation for the dinner.
"We love the Battenfeld guys," she said.
Students living in residence halls were treated to a Thanksgiving dinner at campus dining halls last night.
Members of student organizations and clubs are also setting aside time to celebrate the holiday.
The Vietnamese Student Association is jumping on the holiday gravy train by holding a Thanksgiving dinner at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building, 1204 Oread Ave.
"I'm used to having rice more often," he said. "I just eat because I'm hungry."
Coming from South Korea, Yoon Jae Lee, Applied English Center student, wasn't as impressed with the cafeteria's Thanksgiving dinner.
"It's better than any other night during the year," Patrick Shaw, Chicago sophomore, said as he sat down to a table at Mrs. E's.
"I have to make the gravity. I'm kind of nervous about that."
Andrea Baron
Cañon City, Colo., senior
Linh Ly, Topeka sophomore and president of the Vietnamese Student Association, said the annual dinner usually attracted 30 to 40 people.
The dinner will include all of the
Thanksgiving dinner staples and a touch of Asian food, such as spring rolls and egg drop soup.
Baron and her roommates' dinner next Thursday will include the traditional Thanksgiving foods: turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.
But Baron said they hadn't decided who would stuff the turkey.
"We're more interested in who is buying what," she said.
Edited by Sarah Hill