Clark Dining Hall was the site of NC State Dining’s inaugural family-style Thanksgiving lunch on November 28, 2019. The event was held for students who could not go home during the holiday to meet other students and enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
In the past, NC State Dining employees noticed that students stuck on campus during the holiday tend to eat by themselves. For this year’s Thanksgiving lunch, tables were combined and food was served in bowls on the table. Students sat together and passed the food around to share with one another. Almost 80 students enjoyed the feast.
Keith Smith, director of board operations for NC State, said the idea behind the lunch was to make sure students remaining on campus during the break did not have to experience the holidays alone.
“The university has students from all over the nation and world,” he said. “We created a family-style meal to allow others who might not have experienced a traditional American Thanksgiving to have one.”
In addition to the dinner, NC State Dining gave each student a “take-home plate” to eat later.
“A big part of any Thanksgiving tradition is the leftovers,” Keith said. “Most families eat their leftovers while watching a football game. I wanted to make sure students who cannot go home, have a chance to do the same with their friends.”