With Thanksgiving Break this week, students are making their exit plan or paying up for an extended stay visit. 

Since Thanksgiving is not widely celebrated in other countries, 163 international students at A-State will remain on campus, travel or make other arrangements off campus. 

Fumiya Inaba, a sophomore business major from Kumamoto, Japan, said he will be spending his Thanksgiving break on campus. 

“I don’t know what I’m doing for the break yet,” Inaba said. “I’m probably going to stay here and just hang out.” 

Junior mechanical engineering major Jesus Cortes from Queretaro, Mexico said he would also be staying here on campus.

“I’m just going to take advantage of the free week by finishing all of my projects and homework,” Cortes said. 

Other international students like Jonas Schuld, a junior business administration major from Düsseldorf, Germany are taking this time to travel across the United States.

“My friends, who are also exchange students, and I are going to Las Vegas,” said Schuld. “We are also going to the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles.”

Chelsea Diaz, a  senior business administration major from Acapulco, Mexico will also be traveling. 

“Some friends and I are planning a trip to New Orleans,” said Diaz. “We will also have a Thanksgiving dinner with some friends.”

Andrea Iorio, a junior criminology major from Paris will be spending Thanksgiving with family.

“It’s not at all a popular holiday in France,” Iorio said. “I happen to have family in the U.S., so I will celebrate Thanksgiving with them.”

A major problem for international students over the break will be transportation. 

“I do not have a car,” Schuld said. “I have never used public transport here either. I always have to find friends who have a car or use Uber to get around town.”

Iorio, Inaba, Gonzalez, Diaz and Cortes all said they do not have a car. 

International Student Services has been working on a few different events for international students staying on campus over the break.

“The International Program and some of the churches nearby have been planning different activities for international students in case any are staying,” said Andrea Gonzalez, a senior economics major from Mexico City.

Erica Jennings, the Student Success Specialist with the International Program said that the International Program relies on community outreach to support those who remain on campus. 

“We have a lot of host families and families around the (Jonesboro) community that will try and invite them over for a Friendsgiving or try and show a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but mostly they just kind of hang out,” Jennings said. “If we don’t have the community reaching out, they really don’t have a lot to do.”

Categories: Life