Below is important dining and housing information for Thanksgiving Break!

HOUSING:

You may remain on-campus during the break. Please inform your RA or your GA that you will be staying. If you need assistance during the break please call (717) 871-4363.

DINING:

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

• Upper Deck:
  • Breakfast 7:30AM-9:30AM
  • Lunch 11:00AM-1:30PM
  • Dinner 4:30PM-7:30PM
• Galley 7AM-9PM
• Anchor 9AM-4PM
• The Cove 7AM-6PM
• Cyber Cafe 7:30AM-6PM
• Starbucks 7:30AM-5PM
• Juice Bar 10AM-7PM
• Marauder Express 8:30AM-1:30PM
• University Grille 11AM-1:30PM

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

• The Cove 7AM-2PM

Thursday – Saturday NO CAMPUS DINING

• Thanksgiving Dinner (Thursday) at Immerse International – Free

Sunday, November 27, 2016

• Anchor 11AM-6PM
• Upper Deck 4:30PM-7:30PM
• Galley 5PM-11PM

Monday, November 28th, 2016

REGULAR DINING HOURS

In the past few weeks, you may have heard or seen advertisements for Black Friday sales, along with countless premature Christmas ads, and you may be wondering what Black Friday is. If your home country does celebrate Black Friday, you may not know that the holiday started as a result of Thanksgiving. For those who are celebrating Black Friday for the first time ever, or just in America, this year it is this Friday, November 25.

In recent years, it is becoming more popular for stores to start their Black Friday deals the night of Thanksgiving. Park City mall, for example, will be open from 6pm-midnight on Thursday night and the stores will be promoting their best deals during this time. Traditionally, on Friday morning, stores open early around 6 am, and the deals are better the earlier you go. It is not uncommon for stores to advertise great deals like 50% the entire store, buy one get one free items, gift with purchase, and much more! This makes Black Friday a great time to get most, if not all, of your Christmas shopping done!

It is important to note that things can get crazy on Black Friday. People push and can be aggressive, so it is best not to shop alone, and to be patient with other shoppers. If crowds and fast paced shopping is not your scene, there is a solution; Cyber Monday! Cyber Monday is the Monday immediately after Black Friday, or November 28 this year. Cyber Monday is when stores continue all of their great Black Friday deals online. That means that you get to enjoy the savings and get your Christmas shopping done, without having to leave your home!

So, whether you want to jump into the exciting and fast paced atmosphere of the mall early Friday morning, or stay in bed and get your shopping done Monday, take advantage of these once a year deals this weekend! Christmas will be here before we know it!

Whether you’re spending Thanksgiving with an American friend’s family, going to the Immerse dinner, or whatever else you may have planned, it is important that you are prepared for the bountiful feast you are about to experience. While everyone has their own Thanksgiving traditions, there are certain foods that you are guaranteed to see on the table, no matter where you go.

• No one really knows why we eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Some say it’s because that is what the early colonial pilgrims hunted; others say it is because turkeys are uniquely American. Whatever the reason, you can bet your main meal on Thanksgiving will be turkey. Some people also offer other meat, like ham and chicken or even vegetarian options. However, turkey sales in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving sky rocket!
• A traditional mix of bread, broth, onions, carrots, celery, and any other twist people like to add, studding is a delicious way to eat soggy, cooked bread. Although it sounds and looks questionable, stuffing is everyone’s favorite side dish on Thanksgiving.
• CRANBERRY SAUCE. Sometimes it comes from a can, and sometimes it is homemade, but all the times it is delicious. Cranberry sauce is simply boiled cranberries with added sugar and cooked into a jelly-like texture. Some people love it, and some people don’t, so try some for yourself to decide!
• MASHED POTATOES. No Thanksgiving is complete without mashed potatoes. Depending on tradition, these potatoes can be prepared and seasoned in many different ways, all very delectable though. Melt some butter on them, add some gravy, and you have the perfect side dish.
• APPLE, PECAN OR PUMPKIN PIE. If you can’t choose your favorite kind of pie, try all of them! More commonly, you will find pumpkin pie; however apple pie is all an all-around American tradition. The dessert options on thanksgiving are truly endless!
• BREAD/ROLLS. To add to the tradition of overloading on carbs on Thanksgiving, it is likely you will find some kind of rolls or baked bread on your plate. Perfect as a pre-turkey appetizer, or for soaking up all leftover gravy on your plate, you can never have too much bread.

As you enjoy the next few days off for Thanksgiving break, you may be wondering what the break is even for. While you’re not going to argue against no classes for half a week, you might be curious as to what Thanksgiving really is.

Thanksgiving is a unique holiday, celebrated only in the United States. America was settled by English Pilgrims who fled from Europe in search of a better life with no monarchy. Upon arriving in Massachusetts in 1620, the Pilgrims established the village of Plymouth. It was only after a very brutal winter that the surviving pilgrims met Squanto, a Native American who taught them how to grow corn, catch fish, avoid poisonous plants, and much more.

The following November, a year after they arrived in America, the Pilgrims had a successful first harvest of corn. To show his gratitude, Plymouth governor William Bradford invited a group of Native American’s to join in a fest. This feast, that lasted 3 days long, consisted of deer and various fowl (birds), according to written records. While no one knows the exact menu of this unofficial first Thanksgiving, it is assumed that most of the meal was prepared with traditional Native American spices and cooking methods.

It was not until two years later, in 1623, that the Pilgrims celebrated their second Thanksgiving feast after a long drought had threatened their corn harvest. Thanksgiving then become a tradition in New England settlements, through to the American Revolution when George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation. This thanksgiving was to express gratitude for the end f the war on independence.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Since then, Americans have celebrated the holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year. Today, Thanksgiving is a day to spend time with family and those you are thankful for, eat a delicious abundance of food (check out the article on traditional American thanksgiving food), watch some American football, and enjoy the start to the holiday season!