First-year international students and members of the University community will come together for Syracuse University’s 37th Annual International Thanksgiving Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 18. Approximately 500 members of the University community are expected to take part in the annual tradition this year. The celebration is sponsored by the Chancellor’s House and the Center for International Services.
Started by the University in the 1980s by the late Rev. T.E. Koshy, the celebration is intended to introduce new international students to the American Thanksgiving experience. Last year’s dinner was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic; this year’s attendees will gather in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium for the celebration, as the tradition has been in previous years.
Students top pumpkin pie with whipped cream during the 2019 International Thanksgiving Celebration.
The meal, provided by Food Services, is served family-style and will include traditional Thanksgiving fare such as turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Table hosts—faculty, staff and community members—will engage attendees in conversation and answer questions about the history and traditions of Thanksgiving.
“The International Thanksgiving Dinner has been a meaningful and rewarding experience for the Syracuse University community,” says Dr. Ruth Chen, professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, who will co-host the celebration with Center for International Services Director Juan Tavares. “As a former international student myself, I can appreciate the opportunity the new international students have to learn about an American tradition by sharing a truly American holiday in a welcoming and supportive environment.”
“I have fond memories of my first Thanksgiving dinner experience when I was invited to Chicago to visit my friend’s parents,” says Tavares. “The wonderful experience was not so much about the food but about the reasons to celebrate, counting the blessings upon us, sharing with the family and learning about the initial reasons that brought together colonists and Indigenous people as they generously shared their fruitful harvest. The SU tradition of 37 years hosting this dinner is a testament of our commitment to bring people of different cultures together and kindly share together a meal and fellowship.”
Invitations to the celebration have been sent to first-year international students. For questions or more information, contact Kelley Champa at 315.443.4439 or kachampa@syr.edu.
