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In the last few weeks of the semester, many Syracuse University students traveled home for Thanksgiving break. There’s nothing better for tired and burnt out college students than a home-cooked meal, lots of sleep and a week spent relaxing with family and friends before finals.

But some SU students do not have the luxury of visiting home during short breaks. Whether due to travel expenses, current travel restrictions or long distances, many students opt to or have no choice but to stay in Syracuse.

With SU’s hustle and bustle taking a temporary pause for break, students who stay on campus are left to experience quiet residence halls and empty streets, resulting in a feeling of isolation, which can present multiple challenges for students.

During Thanksgiving break this year, only one of SU’s five dining halls remained open throughout the week. Grace Kim, a freshman at SU, had circumstances that required her to stay on campus for the first few days of break. During her time on campus, she felt that having one dining hall open limited her food options.

“I tried to avoid the dining hall as much as possible and mainly ate whatever snacks I had in my dorm room. The food options in the dining hall were also very limited, so it didn’t feel like it would be worth the effort,” she said.

Luckily, Kim is a resident of DellPlain Hall, so her walk to the Shaw Dining Hall was only about five minutes. But students who live in the West Campus area have a longer distance to travel. The walk from Brockway Hall, for example, to Shaw Hall is about 17 minutes, according to Google Maps.

Trekking 17 minutes for three meals a day is an unreasonable task for students, especially during the cold winter months. Additionally, students may not feel comfortable making a long walk by themselves, especially at dinnertime when the sun has already set.

Staying on campus for a break can also be a very lonely experience, resulting in negative effects on students’ mental health. Witnessing campus in a quiet state can be disorienting. Seeing friends travel home only exacerbates the isolating feeling for students that are unable to do the same.

About 30% of college students experience low-level homesickness and roughly 69% of first-year college students experience severe homesickness, according to HAP Balanced Living. It doesn’t help that there are little to no opportunities and resources available for remaining students to participate in over break.

“Because there were barely any students on campus with little to do outside, I mainly spent my time in my dorm,” Kim said. “The silence didn’t help. It was hard to find any other resources or alternatives to how I can spend my break here.”

Approximately 10% of SU’s undergraduate students, or 14% of SU’s total population, are international students. Being an international student at SU poses travel barriers with visiting home during short breaks.

SU junior Xinyu Wu is an international student, and her home is far to travel to for the week-long Thanksgiving break. Though Wu is now a junior who lives off campus, she said she remembers the challenges from her time living in resident halls during breaks.

SU needs to do more to support students who stay on campus for breaks. Acknowledging SU’s student body as a diverse population with different levels of accessibility to travel is the first step in helping these students feel seen and supported.

Accommodations need to be made to liven the student experience during Thanksgiving break. No student deserves to feel forgotten or lonely during the holidays. More residence hall initiatives should be planned for students to create a sense of community and lessen feelings of loneliness or boredom.

SU has started this process with its Annual International Thanksgiving Celebration, which aims to introduce international students to Thanksgiving, SU’s website says. The event, however, takes place at the beginning of the break, before most students who are planning to leave have left. SU should, in addition, have celebrations and other events over the break to foster a sense of community for students who aren’t returning home.

Additionally, at least one other dining hall should stay open during break. SU could consider choosing Ernie Davis Dining Hall to stay open throughout the week, since it is a larger facility with a more central location on campus. Additionally, having a dining hall open on the other side of main campus would aid the students who would otherwise walk 17 minutes across campus for meals.

Breaks from school are crucial to overall student success. Thanksgiving break is a pivotal point in the semester, giving students the ability to clear their heads before workloads begin to increase. All SU students deserve an equally refreshing week of relaxation, no matter where their break is spent.

Creating a more stimulating and comfortable environment for students who stay on campus will not only make students feel more welcomed on campus, but it can be the necessary push to inspire these students to finish the semester strong.

Cara Steves is a freshman magazine, news and digital journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on November 29, 2021 at 9:20 pm