Boston College Dining Services holds a Thanksgiving dinner every year for students who remain on campus. But this year, with students staying on campus for the break, it is preparing for a larger crowd than usual.
“We are unsure of the number of students that will remain on campus for Thanksgiving, but are excited to provide them with a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all of the fixin’s,” said Director of Dining Services Beth Emery.
BC gave students the option to stay in Massachusetts for the Thanksgiving holiday this year or return home to another state and finish the semester remotely. Some students, such as Gleni Garnett, CSON ’23, decided to stay on campus through the end of the semester.
“I just think it is easier to focus while I’m here and in the school mindset,” Garnett said. “Also, when I’m at home there’s family, there are pets. And when I’m home, I pretty much always have to work at my job. I think it’s easier to just stay here.”
For those who are staying on campus, their Thanksgiving meal will look a little different than it does at home. Garnett said she plans to spend Thanksgiving dinner on campus with her friends, likely inside her dorm.
“I think for Thanksgiving we will probably have some sort of Friendsgiving,” Garnett said. “I know that some of my roommates live in Massachusetts and they said their parents were thinking about dropping stuff off for us, but we’ll probably just have something small here.”
Connaught Burke, a Massachusetts resident and CSOM ’23, predicts that students who plan to return to campus after the break will not eat their Thanksgiving meals in the dining halls.
“I think most people will stay off campus for the actual Thanksgiving day and visit friends or family or go out with their parents in Massachusetts,” Burke said. “… I haven’t heard of anybody staying on campus for the actual Thanksgiving dinner.”
Even though Garnett does not plan to eat her Thanksgiving dinner in the dining hall, she said it is not because of the quality of food and that BC Dining food is not as bad as people say it is.
“I know people complain about the food here but I honestly think it’s quite good,” Garnett said.
Emery said that Dining Services in McElroy will tentatively be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, and will reopen for Thanksgiving dinner later that evening.
“This year, we will provide service for Thanksgiving and the weekend at McElroy so that we are able to accomodate a larger number of students,” Emery said.
Emery also said that Dining Services will decorate McElroy dining hall for students remaining on campus for the Thanksgiving holiday.
“We will have seating available in the dining room and will have linen tablecloths and fall decor to make this as festive as possible,” Emery said.
As for the dinner being served, Dining Services will be providing a traditional turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, and more, Emery said. They will also offer seafood scampi, vegan, and vegetarian options, Emery said, but they have not yet finalized the complete menu.
For dessert, BC Dining will serve pumpkin pie, apple pie, and specialty-themed cookies.
Emery also said that BC Dining Services will offer a Thanksgiving edition of their summer initiative, “Curbside for a Cause,” which will offer students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to buy a Thanksgiving meal that feeds four people. For each meal sold, BC Dining Services will donate meals for four people to local families in need.
The Thanksgiving “Curbside for a Cause” will likely be offered through the GET Mobile app, Emery said, and purchasers can pick up their meals inside McElroy or by car in front of the College Road entrance to the building.
Featured Image by Madeleine Romance / Heights Editor
