Most University students look forward toThanksgiving Break and eagerly anticipate a turkey dinner with their families. For other students, however, home is too far away to make to make the trip.
International students are particularly alienated from this holiday, not only because of the distance, but because Thanksgiving is often not a part of their culture. For these students, the holiday break can be a lonely stay in on-Grounds housing, especially this year with the break spanning an entire week.
To alleviate some of this isolation, several thoughtful professors invite students to attend Thanksgiving dinner in their homes.
Economics Prof. Ken Elzinga has been practicing this tradition for nearly 30 years. Elzinga began inviting students into his home in Keswick when he noticed how many of his ECON 201 students were staying in Charlottesville over the holidays.
"It's a joy to entertain students," Elzinga said. "They're fun!"
Since then, Elzinga has invited students to Pavilion IV on the Lawn where he lived for several years, as well as to his current residence.
"We have lots of students in and out of our home," Elzinga said.
Many of Elzinga's guests are international students who are unfamiliar with the Thanksgiving holiday.
"I give a very brief history lesson," Elzinga said. "And I usually read one of the psalms we think the Pilgrims read."
Elzinga said most of the international students he hosts are interested in learning about the holiday because "they know it's a very important occasion because school is off."
First-year College student Lance Kaiser will spend his first Thanksgiving with the Elzinga family this year rather than returning to his home in New Zealand.
"This is my first time to have Thanksgiving, so I don't know much about it," Kaiser said, adding that he has not seen his family in nine months and will not be returning home for the rest of the year.
Although Kaiser is not intimidated by any of the traditional Thanksgiving faire, Elzinga said, "I'm sure every year we've introduced students to turkey." From Elzinga's experience, the most unusual dish for foreign students to try for the first time is pumpkin pie, as the flavor and texture are especially unfamiliar to them.
Kaiser said he has enjoyed experiencing American holidays for the first time.
"I'm just excited because this will be my first Thanksgiving, and a few days ago I had my first Halloween," Kaiser said, "It was great -- I dressed up like a samurai."
While there are many cultural differences for international students who visit the Elzinga home, Elzinga said the only awkward situation is when some students are "uneasy at being served by a professor. ... They often feel they should be serving me."
He added they have "almost physically been shocked" when he gets up to refill their water glasses.
Yet Kaiser is not one of these students -- on the contrary, he seems to be comfortable with the idea of visiting a professor in his home.
"No, I'm not intimidated at all," he said. "I really appreciate him inviting me."
Kaiser may appreciate the invitation even more when he finds out what lies in store for him in the Elzinga house.
In this day of political correctness, Elzinga said he was almost ashamed to say that his wife prepares the entire meal for the group, which has ranged from eight to 20 guests.
"I help wash the dishes though," Elzinga said.
On the day before Thanksgiving, Elzinga's wife and another woman from their church spend the entire day cooking. Elzinga said his wife puts so much time and effort into the preparation not just out of Southern hospitality, but also because "it's a complicated meal to cook because you want [the students] to experience the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner."
Often there are so many guests that the Elzingas have to rent extra tables and dinnerware, although Elzinga said, "To be candid, it's nice to be able to sit around one big table." When there are too many students to sit together, Mr. and Mrs. Elzinga will each sit at a different table and switch seats before dessert in order to speak with all of their guests.
It seems such individual attention leaves a lasting impression on Elzinga's guests. Elzinga has found that he and his wife have kept in touch with some of the students who have visited his home.
First-year Darden student Christopher Hunter, for example, has remained friends with Elzinga since taking several of his undergraduate classes. Although Hunter was living in Northern Virginia the year he spent Thanksgiving with the Elzinga family, he did not have time to return to his hometown of Memphis, Tenn., for Thanksgiving.
"I have remained close to the Elzingas over the years, and I was very excited when they invited me to spend Thanksgiving with them in Pavilion IV," Hunter said.
Hunter added that a memorable part of the experience was watching some of the international students celebrate their first Thanksgiving.
"I could not help but think then, as I do today, that people like Professor Elzinga are a huge part of what makes the U.Va. experience wonderful and unique," Hunter said. "That Thanksgiving confirmed what I always had known -- Professor Elzinga displays concern for his students, both current and former, inside and outside of the classroom."
While several other professors, including Engineering Prof. John Bean and Economics Prof. Ed Burton, also invite their students to Thanksgiving dinner, the practice is not as widespread at the University as Elzinga would like.
"I'm sorry there's not more of it," Elzinga said, although he added he is glad American students often invite their international friends to their own homes during holiday breaks.
These traditions not only provide many students with an alternative to spending the holiday in on-Grounds housing but also reinforce the spirit of Thanksgiving as well as the University's ideal of the "Academical Village."
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