With the Thanksgiving break bearing down, reporters of a Journalism 300 class at the University of Massachusetts took to campus to find stories about the holiday’s traditions, its joys and its headaches.
TRAVEL: You have to get there first
For many UMass students, that Thanksgiving meal lies on the far end of intricate travel plans. Students are trying to make the most of the break — starting with getting home, which can be a hassle or an adventure.
Because the dorms close, students who don’t have travel plans are forced to find other places to spend the holiday. This creates a fun adventure for some, and a burden for others who report difficulty finding arrangements for the break, or have to deal with traffic and transportation.
Some students, like Yue Sum from Bejing whose family resides in China, have no way of getting home and are forced to stay with friends in the area.
“If I were to go home, it would cost over $2,000 a for plane ticket,” said Sum.
Although she misses her family in China, she is excited to experience her first “American” Thanksgiving. She will be staying with a friend over break.
Other students live much closer to campus, and are excited to go home and see family. Jenifer Belpedio, a senior from Windsor, Conn., will have no trouble getting home.
“I’m leaving tomorrow at night, it’s only a 45-minute drive. My dad is picking me up,” she said.
And while her family will be driving a few hours to make the trip to her house on Thanksgiving day, Belpedio has it easy. “Having Thanksgiving at my house is very convenient for me.”
Hector Rios, a sophomore from Holyoke, also finds no hassle in getting home, but understands the travel trouble many people encounter.
“I got a car and gas, so I’m fine, traffic is the only problem,” he said. “I wish the campus was open, a lot of people have trouble making it home, whether it is because they are broke or they don’t have anywhere to go.”
Even though not all UMass students will attend a traditional Thanksgiving this week, many, including Raghid Behnam, a 24-year-old computer engineering major from Baghdad, Iraq, have much to be thankful for.
Behnam is looking forward to reuniting with family members coming from Iraq who have obtained refugee status. “I’m really excited,” he said.
Despite differences in Thanksgiving plans, everyone seems thankful for a few days off to spend with family — wherever they are.
— by Brian Bevilaqua and Lauren Tom
FAMILY: Thanksgiving traditions still evolving
Somewhere in between childhood nostalgia and pounds of food, students say new holiday traditions are being created every year.
“My family is actually trying to start a new tradition where we watch the movie ‘Wall-e’ after dinner and go for a walk,” said Tim Adams, freshman at UMass.
For young adults, the holidays rekindle family experiences they knew as children, and will someday be recreating.
Ali Pirrello, senior at UMass, will likely keep her family traditions alive as she grows older.
“My family likes to play games like Catchphrase and Bananagrams while we drink and eat desserts,” said Pirrello, “It’s one of my favorite things and I plan on carrying on the tradition when I have a family of my own.”
In some families, such as Whitney Hadley’s, 26, family humor can run rampant.
“My dad and my uncles are horrendous when they come together… they send puns back and forth,” said Hadley.
John Mark, a student at UMass, described one unusual family tradition. “We do this thing where we have dried corn kernels and each person gets three around the table and we go around … and take turns saying one thing that we’re thankful for before we eat,” he said.
And some traditions aren’t as appealing, and may even be complete accidents. Tyler Maxwell, a pre-med student, said his grandmother always used to burn the turkey. The family is sticking with that.
“It’s a tradition to have a good dry turkey,” said Maxwell. ” She always used to make it super-dry, that’s always how it was, so now we try to keep it that way.”
Eating dinner with family is a tradition in almost everybody’s household and Jairo Camilo, a UMass senior, says the holiday recipe is simple: “We basically just gather around with the family, eat and drink.”
— by Julia Economou and Luis Garcia
THE EVENT: Embarrassing Thanksgiving moments
The stereotypical image of the American Thanksgiving dinner is a smiling family passing around heaping amounts of food and expressing how thankful they are for the little things in life.
The recipe may be simple, but that never stops the common disruptions that are simply part of the holiday.
Dylan McFadden, a 19-year-old computer science major from Georgetown, remembers something humiliating involving a dog, a casserole and one of his aunts.
“My dog ate a layer off the top of the casserole and my dad wrapped it up and gave it to my aunt. We didn’t tell her until two years later,” said McFadden.
Another victim of canine connivance is James Palmier, a 19-year-old business management major from Wellesley.
“I remember the dog taking the turkey off table,” said Palmier. His family resorted to going out to a restaurant that year.
Dogs aren’t the only animals that win out over humans on the occasional Thanksgiving.
“There were maggots in the biscuits,” recalled Jake Stuckey, a 24-year-old political science major.
For those who don’t run into food mishaps, Thanksgiving self-indulgence can be its own trauma.
Rachael Smith, a 19-year-old English major from Westford, remembered the pain emotionally and physically.
“You eat way too much and that’s embarrassing,” said Smith. “Then you just feel awful about yourself then fall asleep and everyone laughs at you.”
And what would Thanksgiving be without the intoxicated family members?
Nadia Waski, a 21-year-old anthropology major from Westport, Conn., recalls a Thanksgiving when her uncles “got very drunk in front of their kids.”
And if your uncle isn’t overindulging in drink, he may choose to bring something questionable to the feast table instead. “I think the weirdest thing my uncle brought was White Castle stuffing one year,” said Maxwell, a pre-med student from Long Island. “I regret to say that it was actually delicious,”
Hopefully you can make it through Thanksgiving without embarrassment. If not, at least your dog won’t go hungry.
— by Jim Lyons
FOOD: You are what you eat, for days
Food is the essence of Thanksgiving, and for some, that means creating their own edible masterpieces.
Doug Jillson, manager of the Campus Canter UPub, began a Thanksgiving tradition years ago. He creates a Thanksgiving soup by tossing in all of the leftovers from the meal. “Everything goes into one pot.” Jillson says the result is thick and flavorful. Jillson’s leftover soup is even sold at $2 to $3 a bowl and managed to raise $250 dollars in a fundraising event.
Jillson also likes to be creative with Thanksgiving desserts. His favorite dessert, his wife’s pumpkin pie, becomes a completely different type of food. “I scoop the filling out and make pumpkin pie pancakes.”
Sandwiches, of course, are a prime leftovers tradition. “We call them gobblers,” said Whitney Hyde, a 26 year-old philosophy major from Martha’s Vineyard. Gobblers, according to Hyde’s family, are sandwiches with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and, of course, gravy.
— by Geoff Dempsey and Tim Gustave
SHOPPING: Customers gearing up for Black Friday
Black Friday, arguably the biggest shopping day of the year, marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, with stores choosing to open earlier and earlier every year. Not to mention, it’s a great way to work off all that pie.
From its name, stores hope to maximize their profits, or “go into the black”, as they head into this busy time. Typically, retailers rely on this day to turn loss into gain.
J.C. Penney and Best Buy are among several large retail stores that will open Thanksgiving Day with people flocking to the stores to get discounts on desired items. J.C. Penney plans to open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, while Best Buy plans to open at 6 p.m.
Some retailers offer exclusive online access to Black Friday deals for loyal customers. Best Buy is offering Black Friday deals online or over the phone to consumers who are part of their “My Best Buy Program.”
However, It’s debatable whether or not the sales are worth the planning and effort.
“I don’t want to compete to get into a store that doesn’t have much value to me,” said Peter Levin, a UMass junior from Worcester. He said he is “often intimidated by these crazy people.”
Levin noted that most of his friends who do shop on Black Friday head to the mall around 5 a.m. and usually target designer brands and electronic devices.
Veronica Stracqualursi, a senior journalism major from Medford, says she may go out with friends and shop, despite the chaos this day creates.
“I go out occasionally and it is very hectic,” Stracqualursi said. “One time, I almost got knocked over observing the craziness outside a store.”
Even with its reputation, Black Friday shopping is a guarantee stores will attract customers willing to take the plunge and endure hysteria in order to get a bargain.
— by Kaitlin Boyer and Jason Kates
Adamo Pulzone and Nick Clough contributed reporting to all the above stories.
