Last November was the first time Taufiq Hanafi, a University graduate student from Indonesia, spent Thanksgiving in the United States. He went to a friend’s house and marveled at all the food, most of which he had never tried.
“It was weird for me, but it tasted good,” he said. “It’s a nice way to get in touch with the culture of the country where you’re studying.”
This year, Hanafi is once again spending Thanksgiving at an American friend’s house, a common activity among international students, most of whom live too far away from Oregon to go home for a weekend.
According to a 2005 study by the Office of International Programs, 63 percent of the University’s nearly 1,200 international students come from East Asia, with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China among the most represented countries.
While residence halls will remain open Thursday through Sunday, the rest of the University’s campus will be closed, including dining facilities.
Grab ‘n’ Go Marketplace, Barnhart Dining and Carson Dining will remain open until 8 p.m. tonight. All three, in addition to DUX Bistro, will reopen Sunday at 4:30 p.m. All dining venues will resume normal hours of operation Monday.
“It’s already feeling a little vacant. People come and go a lot this week,” said Sheri Donahoe, associate director of resident life for University Housing. “There’s not enough students to warrant all the labor of having our staff stay.”
For international students who will remain on campus this weekend, Donahoe said they can stock up on food by cashing out their meal points in advance at places like Hammy’s Deli, DUX Bistro and Grab ‘n’ Go Marketplace. She also pointed out that some of the residence halls have kitchenettes.
Like Hanafi, Yusuke Shioya, a University sophomore from a Tokyo suburb, spent last Thanksgiving with an American friend’s family in Salem.
Shioya, who is double majoring in political science and international studies, said that while it was nice to see a happy family reunion over a lot of good food, Thanksgiving is an American holiday.
“I didn’t have that culture so it’s not so special for me,” he said.
Shioya had a good time at his first Thanksgiving, but this year, he’s going to stay in Eugene for a low-key few days.
“This weekend, I think I’m just going to hang out with my friends that are living here,” he said. “The same as a normal weekend.”
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