Photo courtesy of Kelsey Prima

Today at noon, for example, the Department of Family Science in the School of Public Health is hosting a graduate student meal, coordinated by Tanner Kilpatrick, assistant clinical professor and the department's director of graduate studies.

"After two years of virtual and canceled events, it is important to reunite in person for personal connections," said Kilpatrick, who has also invited several students to his home for dinner on Thursday. "The weight of the semester is really heavy around this time, so the hope is that having this time together will be relaxing going into the holiday break."

In Athletics, Maryland Made’s Worldwide Terps program hosted its inaugural Thanksgiving meal for international students last night, a catered dinner with traditional items as well as Maryland crab cakes. And last week, Education Abroad organized its annual potluck, featuring spanakopita from Greece, potato and egg omelets from Spain, shrimp and spring onion pancakes from Korea and more. Though a mishap kept them from providing a turkey main course this year, Kelsey Prima, program manager for academic exchanges and systems, made chocolate cupcakes that look like turkeys to keep the spirit of the holiday alive.

"Our international students get a chance to reconnect again, and we get to share our American traditions—like deep frying turkey!" said Prima.