For many University students, Thanksgiving is a time to recharge before finals and spend time with family and friends. Some students, however, may not have a family to go home to — or at least family supportive of who they are.
For these students, the Progressive Student Alliance, Spectrum and the Association of University Women hosted a Thanksgiving themed “Fall Feast” on Tuesday night. The event was complete with turkey and other Thanksgiving specialties and gave students a place to be themselves and to celebrate with their surrogate family at school.
Blair Brown, communication studies sophomore and co-organizer of the event, said students need a place at school to feel like they are part of a family that supports them.
“Many students in the LGBT community are free to be who they are here at school, but at home, they may not be out yet,” Brown said. “We want to be a surrogate family for those who may not be able to be who they are at home with their own family.”
Brown said in the LGBT community, there are many who have not come out to their families. This can leave them feeling left out of festivities, she said.
“I spoke to one of my friends who is not out to his family and he is just staying here because he doesn’t want to go back and deal with any problems,” Brown said. “That is why we want to make this event special to those dealing with that issue.”
Nichole Fusilier, psychology sophomore, said when students come to the University, they are free to be who they are, and going home to an unaccepting family can be stressful.
“College is a blank slate for most people,” Fusilier said. “Here you can be yourself, but sometimes going home makes people fearful to show who they are.”
She said Thanksgiving is a special holiday with a “family feel” to it, and she said she hoped the event shared that with those who attended.
“Thanksgiving kickstarts the holiday season, and if you get this one started right then hopefully that lasts through the year,” Fusilier said.
Fusilier said more than anything the Fall Feast was meant to create positive memories for those who may not have the same experience going home.
“We want people to have these good memories when they look back on Thanksgiving,” Fusilier said. “If you can’t look back and remember something positive, then you are missing out on something special.”