Jean Georges
Features Writer

Thanksgiving is a time to reconnect with family members and old friends and enjoy some tasty food.
Thanksgiving is a time to reconnect with family members and old friends and enjoy some tasty food.

With Thanksgiving break just around the corner, it’s that time of year when students are looking forward to taking a break from both classes and studying. Some will head home to see family or friends and enjoy a traditional holiday feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Other students will stay on campus during the break and take advantage of some quiet time without the normal hustle and bustle of campus activity.

Alex Blessing, a junior majoring in speech communication at MU, hasn’t been home since August and is ready for the trip back to Holland, Pa., a town located in Bucks County. “I’m excited to go home. The first thing I’m going to do when I get there is curl up in bed with my cat and watch TV. I need to catch up on “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Vampire Diaries,” she said. “On Thanksgiving I’ll get to eat real food. I like turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing… but I hate cranberry sauce.”

Blessing plans to spend the full break back home, enjoying just hanging out. “My family watches football on Thanksgiving. That’s a tradition in our home,” she said. “I’m also big on Pinterest recipes and would like to experiment with baking during the break.”

Blessing’s friend Olivia Miller, a senior also majoring in speech communication, has a three-hour drive back home to James Creek, Pa. a town near Raystown Lake, but welcomes the drive. “I’m looking forward to a break from school, “said Miller. “My favorite Thanksgiving food has to be stuffing. After Thanksgiving meal with my family, I like to go Black Friday shopping with my friends.”

Miller says she’ll use the break period to catch up on some school work and will also work part time at Westminster Woods, a senior care living facility a short drive from her house. “I’ve worked there for four years during the summer and during school breaks,” she said.

Thanksgiving break will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at the end of classes. Classes will resume on Monday, Dec. 1. For those students remaining on campus, there will be changes to housing rules and dining hall availability during the break, as well as some other important information to be aware of.

The residence halls will be open, but students are asked to refrain from having visitors to their rooms. This is a University policy that has been enacted in response to limited supervision in the residence halls, due to fewer RAs available on campus. Residence hall kitchens will be open during the break from 7 p.m. – midnight.

Campus dining facilities will also undergo a change in operation schedule. North Side Bistro will close after lunch on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and will not reopen until Monday, Dec. 1. The Upper Deck will close after dinner that same day and will not reopen until Nov. 30. Other dining facilities will operate on a normal schedule on Nov. 25, but some will reduce their hours by two to five hours, depending on the business.

Wednesday, Nov. 26, the Cove will be the only University-run eatery open on campus for food. Its hours will be 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. All dining facilities will be closed on Thanksgiving Day; Friday, Nov. 28; and Saturday, Nov. 29. Only the Upper Deck and the Anchor will reopen on Sunday, Nov. 30.

The full dining schedule will resume on Monday, Dec. 1. It’s important for students to check their email inboxes for campus dining facility changes during the break.

Other closures on Thanksgiving Day will include the library. Millersville restaurants, including the Sugar Bowl, all pizza shops, Subway and George St. Café will also be closed. The only restaurant open on Thanksgiving Day is Jack’s Family Restaurant at 15 S. Prince St. Its hours will be 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. There will be no bus service on Thanksgiving Day.

Students who require help obtaining food are urged to visit the Campus Cupboard in the back of the A-frame Church located at 121 N. George St. Campus Cupboard is operated by Campus Ministries, who receive donations of food they make available to MU students who need it. The Cupboard has expanded its hours this semester.

“The Cupboard will be open three days a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Fridays 2-5 p.m. “ said Pastor Ed Weber, who oversees the operation. “It will not be open on Thanksgiving or on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but will be open the Tuesday before. The Cupboard provides staples such as peanut butter, bread, milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, pasta and canned goods. “

For those students who are remaining on campus and would like a Thanksgiving meal, the Grace United Methodist Church, located at 163 W. Frederick St., will serve the community on Thursday, Nov. 28 from noon – 2 p.m. Reservations are requested, but not required.

If you’re interested in participating in physical activity on campus during the break, there is the 42nd annual Millersville Turkey Trot, a 5K run held on Thanksgiving morning at the Penn Manor High School West Gym, 100 E. Cottage Avenue. Cash prizes to race winners will be awarded for Overall Male and Female – $100, Second Overall Male and Female – $75 and Third Overall Male and Female – $50. For more information about the Millersville Turkey Trot, please go to http://www.millersvilleturkeytrot.com/index.html