As the majority of students prepare their bus tickets, check over their boarding passes and fill up the gas tanks of their family cars, Ithaca College prepares to close down campus for Thanksgiving break. The college’s classrooms will go dark, and with them, any major presence of a student body for the week. Despite most students returning home for the interim, some students are here to stay.
The remaining students will find there is very little to do on campus once the break begins. With Dining Services and academic buildings closed, the minuscule numbers of students and staff result in a low amount of entertaining and community-bonding events.
Sophomore Carissa Parlade, who is staying on campus over break for the second time, said the atmosphere is very quiet and dull for an international student braving the week.
“If I’m not in [my dorm] I’m walking down to the commons and the rest of Ithaca,” Parlade said. “There’s just very little going on on campus in general.”
Activities across campus are few and far between for those spending their break on campus. On IC Engage, only one event is advertised for those wanting company or an activity to do: volunteer work for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. The work lasts from 1–3 p.m. Nov. 25. Alongside the volunteer work, Student Governance Council and the Residential Hall Association are organizing a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, November 27th.
First-year international student Danill Lazuka said he is disappointed by the lack of activities. Lazuka said he makes it a habit to find activities around campus during regular hours to keep himself from being bored, such as club meetings and Emerson Suites events.
“There’s about 20 international students in my class,” Lazuka said. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the administration to create some activities for us to do.”
Fortunately for the students who need something to do, the local area — across not just Ithaca, but Tompkins County as a whole — provides the cavalcade of fun activities that would save an otherwise dreary week. Here are the most notable festive Thanksgiving events set to run through the holiday week.
Right off in the downtown area, the Press Bay backlot is hosting its annual Holiday Food Market on Nov. 26 from 3–7 p.m. Located on the corner of Green and Geneva Street, local vendors set up tents everywhere across the block. Live music and cold-weather specialties, like hot chocolate and other warming drinks, will be available for purchase as Ithaca residents are encouraged to come out and see what’s to offer.
The Taughannock Falls Inn is hosting its own Thanksgiving dinner, with an open invite to any community member and a dinner bill at the end of the night. A family-style event with over 300 guests at a time, Taughannock has established the Thanksgiving tradition as an annual gathering ever since the lands of Taughannock State Park were bought by the state in 1925.
Stephenie Monroe, the inn’s event coordinator, spoke about how important the dinner is for everyone living in the Ithaca area, especially college students who cannot make their way home for the holidays. Monroe said the once private home has now become a local cultural beacon with a robust online presence, drawing in a constant rotation of students who either come as guests or stay as part-time employees.
“Spreading that community-oriented vibe to other people might give others that warm-welcome dining experience that the holidays bring,” Monroe said.
Some other events are set to kick off this weekend that, while not directly connected to Thanksgiving, still bind the community together in the spirit of the holiday. Cornell University is set to hold several of its semester concerts. Cornell’s wind symphony, orchestra, and chorale ensemble will be performing separately across the weekend Nov. 22-24. The wind and orchestra sections will kick off at 7:30 p.m on their respective days, while the chorus will take to the stage at 3 p.m for an afternoon matinee.
Events such as these point to one common message: Thanksgiving is a time meant to be spent together. Whether that time is with loved ones or the connected members of one’s community, a student’s situation is the deciding factor. Ithaca makes sure that from formal dinners to open-air markets, nobody will be alone for the holidays.
Monroe said she makes sure of this by always welcoming students who come and go through the area. Monroe said the most important factor in helping students decide how they want to spend the holidays is getting the information out there.
“These students are coming into a community with locals that have a lot of hard-won and well-worn traditions,” Monroe said. “Students are always left asking, ‘Where do we start?’ For us to be proactive, we’re going to continue to share information and keep college kids in the loop.”
