Aside from just a few days out of class, the Thanksgiving holiday is a time when students get to return home to their families and enjoy their time together.But some students won’t have such an opportunity.Members of LSU’s various athletic teams are finding ways to celebrate the holidays despite their busy schedule.LSU senior defensive lineman Charles Alexander and senior linebacker Jacob Cutrera said the football team is having a little meal together then practicing on Thanksgiving Day.Both Cutrera’s and Alexander’s families are not too far away from Baton Rouge, and they both said they’re looking forward to seeing their families.”We are trying to convince coach [Les] Miles to let us go home early,” Cutrera said with a laugh. “He said he’d look into it.”The LSU men’s basketball team is in New York for the Preseason NIT Tip-Off and will play games Wednesday and Friday. Team spokesman Kent Lowe said the teams at the NIT will celebrate Thanksgiving together.”There will be a brunch for all four teams at the Marriott where we are staying where people can watch the parade,” Lowe said. “Then there will be a traditional Thanksgiving meal for all four teams that night.”The LSU volleyball team will travel to Houston on Thursday for Friday’s match versus Rice.Sophomore libero Lauren Waclawczyk said the team is going to senior middle blocker Brittnee Cooper’s home in Houston for Thanksgiving dinner.”Her family has been so generous,” Waclawczyk said. “[They’re] offering a really good Thanksgiving, we are hearing, so we are going to head there for dinner and then play Rice on Friday.”Many of the athletes on the LSU swimming and diving team are from other countries, meaning they don’t celebrate the U.S. form of Thanksgiving.LSU freshman swimmer Craig Hamilton is from Edinburgh, Scotland. He said he is going to Mississippi with his roommate, freshman swimmer Timmy Dasinger.Hamilton said Thanksgiving is not celebrated where he is from and is excited because this is his first Thanksgiving.Other international swimmers are joining their teammates for the celebrations as well.LSU junior swimmer Kannon Betzen said a few of her international teammates are going to her mother’s house in Dallas for the holiday.”There’s three other people on the team from Dallas, and we’re taking four international students,” Betzon said. “It’s going to be fun.”—-Contact Amos Morale at [email protected]