With Thanksgiving around the corner students on campus find other ways to get together with close family members an ocean away. “Thanksgiving is family oriented, so I felt kind of lost, but the second time I had good friends who became part of my family,” said Evan Hauser, a junior studying pre-professional biology from California. “Freshman year was the first time away from my home. I was able to have friends to suffer with. I went to the school’s turkey dinner, but I didn’t get as much food as I would like, being a growing boy.” For those who feel lost being away from their family, a common word of advice is Skype and friends. Alyx Stuehler, a sophomore studying psychology from Oregon said, “I’d suggest you Skype your family and enjoy the beach. Skype them on the beach, make them jealous.” The YSA wards in Laie host a meal with turkey and mashed potatoes and other Thanksgiving staples on the Thursday holiday, often in conjunction with BYU-Hawaii’s food services. Stuehler spent her first Thanksgiving away from home with friends, and experienced the spirit of aloha. “We had a Thanksgiving lunch on the beach with my ward. Later, we went to get pizza, but it was closed. There was a huge group of people having a family Thanksgiving at Papa Ole’s and they invited us to their feast and we got so much free food.” Chad Naho’olewa, a senior in marketing from Texas, said, ”Get together with a bunch of friends. Friends are family, here.” Naho’olewa said that he has extended family on the island, who he visits for the holidays. “I spend time with aunts, uncles and cousins. I’m never lonely. It’s really nice, actually. I always gain a couple pounds around the holidays.” Thanksgiving weekend is also a good time to travel to another Hawaiian Island. Whether you go with friends or by yourself, the four-day weekend provides an excellent opportunity to get off the island and have a memorable experience, with flights being less than an hour long. Christina Roberts, a senior in biology from North Carolina, said, “My ward had Thanksgiving lunch. I always had a lot of fun at ward activities, because you make a lot of good friends there. If you can’t spend time with your family, at least spend time with people you care about, because they are your family here.”
Writer: Samone Isom ~ Multimedia Journalist
