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St. Cloud State University
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Commentary
Share Thanksgiving: good idea, few takers
Published:
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Thanksgiving is meant as a time of sharing and of togetherness. We welcome friends and family to the table to celebrate another year passing, we eat until we can't eat anymore and then find a way to escape the table to avoid doing the massive amount of dishes the feast generates.
Apparently, this spirit of goodwill is limited. For those from other countries who attend SCSU, the Center for International Studies came out with a program of sorts to find a host family to share a Thanksgiving meal with someone from another country. After all, a lot of these students can't go home like the rest of us can.
Forty students applied to be a part of this; so far there aren't enough families that have volunteered to participate in the program. What a shame. This is a good opportunity to show someone else from another country a slice of something purely American. By being generous, and allowing someone from another land or culture into your home for just an afternoon, you would be performing an act of goodwill. Sure, they might not have the same customs as you, but, in the end, isn't what it's all about? You would both learn something from each other.
In a way, it would be like the first Thanksgiving, when the Indians invited the Pilgrims, who were of a different culture, to a harvest feast of goodwill. We claim to adhere to this basic principle, while we keep our doors shut to those different than ourselves. What would have happened if that first Thanksgiving had never happened? If those Indians had just said "They're different - we'll just eat by ourselves" and let it be at that? Where would our precious weekend of food and football be then?
On a larger scale, we have a chance to show people from other cultures that we are not savages bent on conquering the world. We can show them that yes, we may be different, but we still believe in family, and tradition. This is a good opportunity to leave a positive impression on these students. This program has been going on for ten years - it would be interesting to see what the students who participated thought after the day was done. One would hope that we'd done a good job.
Also, if you couldn't go home when all of your friends could, wouldn't that be rather lonely? Think about it - nothing is open, no one is around. That's got to be depressing. By taking someone in, they would at least have something to do, even if they didn't appreciate what you tried to do for them.
With the holiday fast approaching, we hope that the number of host families increases. It's a good idea to expand horizons, if only for an afternoon. Besides, you'll have the next three days after the feast to eat leftovers and watch football. Also, don't they start playing all those old Christmas movies around this time of year? Shopping. Need we say more? The point is that there's more than enough time in this holiday for yourselves and for family.
So, go about shopping for turkey and the makings for stuffing. Make sure you have enough firewood. If you drink, be sure to get some wine - preferably a white to go with the meal. Cranberry sauce is a must, just don't get the stuff from the can. But in the back of your mind, keep the thought that someone out there doesn't have anywhere to go for the holiday - and you have the power to change that.
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