Cal Poly Pomona students unable to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday were still able to celebrate the holiday with a few organizations on campus.
Four events acknowledging the holiday occurred on campus in the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. The Pride Center hosted its holiday dinner Nov. 18, the International Christian Fellowship hosted a Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 22, the Native American Student Center hosted its Harvest Day dinner Nov. 26 and CPP Dining Services provided complete Thanksgiving dinners to students for $85.
Pride Center’s Holiday Dinner
The Pride Center’s holiday dinner welcomed all students to a night of friendliness and fun. The event was held in the Bronco Student Center (BSC) Games Room from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 18. The center posted on Instagram to advertise the event to the campus community. The post stated the event offered free food, karaoke and games.
The Pride Center is a safe space for students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. People in this community are sometimes not accepted by their families and need a welcoming and supporting environment during the holidays like Thanksgiving.
“The holiday dinner is an event for people to come together and socialize that possibly do not have that same affirming environment at home for the holidays,” said Bri Serrano, coordinator of the Pride Center.
The International Christian Fellowship Thanksgiving Dinner
The International Christian Fellowship at CPP also welcomed all students to its Thanksgiving party Nov. 22.
“Our focus as an organization is to serve international (or) immigrant students on campus. So, we host various holiday events as sort of a cultural exchange and community-building event,” said Matthew Quan, the worship leader for the International Christian Fellowship.
The Fellowship posted an invitation to the party on the CPP Reddit page Nov. 21. The post described the food served at dinner, followed by a list of activities that included a time of worship and an open mic night.
Rather than hold the dinner on campus, the International Christian Fellowship and guests met at Foothill Vineyard Church at 100 E. Foothill Blvd. in San Dimas. This year’s turnout was lower than normal, with 20 people attending, according to Quan.
The Native American Student Center’s Harvest Day Celebration
The Native American Student Center, as the last event of Native American Heritage Month, held “Harvest Day: Reconstructing Thanksgiving.”
The event was held to redefine what Thanksgiving means due to its history of imperialism and genocide, according to the event’s host Kyle Brown, a social justice leader at the center.
Joanne Guintu | The Poly Post
The event served a traditional Native American meal using resources local to California. Following dinner was a panel of speakers from various tribes and then dance performances by the Torress Martinez Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, K-12 students.
The event was held Nov. 26 from 5-8 p.m. in the BSC, Ursa Major, as advertised on the center’s Instagram.
Brown stated the event received a larger turnout than expected and thanked the team at the Native American Student Center and Associated Students, Inc. for helping put on the event.
CPP Dining Services Thanksgiving Dinner
CPP Dining Services offered full turkey dinners to students for the holiday. The dinners included a turkey, one quart of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, one pint of cranberry sauce, two pies and one dozen dinner rolls for $85, according to the online order form.
Students who ordered by Nov. 22 were able to pick up the dinner Nov. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Los Olivos Dining Hall.
Students who did not want the full dinner could have ordered individual items at individual prices.