Thanksgiving comes early for international students

Nearly 100 international students filled Farnsworth Pavilion for a traditional Thanksgiving feast featuring green bean casserole, turkey with all the trimmings, pumpkin pie and more Nov. 15 at the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) Thanksgiving luncheon. The annual banquet is one of the most anticipated events of International Education Week, celebrated by the OISS each year in November.

“I really like the foods, although I really don’t know what they are,” said Jones College sophomore Yanyu Zhong, polishing off a plate of green bean casserole topped with fried onion rings.

Photo by Jeff Fitlow

Khushboo Soni, a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Scholar in material science and nanoengineering who hails from India, was similarly impressed with the cornucopia she encountered. “This is my first time seeing this and I just love it,” Soni said.

Adria Baker, executive director of the OISS, introduced the meal by welcoming the students. “If you asked anybody in the Office of International Students and Scholars, they would say that they’re thankful for you,” she said.