Northeastern helping students celebrate Thanksgiving by Greg St. Martin November 22, 2011 Share Facebook LinkedIn Twitter istockphoto. More than 300 students plan to chow down on turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie in the Stetson East Dining Hall on Thanksgiving. The holiday feast — sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs — is part of a series of programs designed for students who will remain on campus for Thanksgiving recess. Students studying abroad or on international co-op may also take part in Thanksgiving with a Northeastern flair. The Office of Alumni Relations, for example, will sponsor a Thanksgiving dinner students and alumni in London. “We are excited to partner with our colleagues in NUin, study abroad and co-op to host the fourth-annual UK Thanksgiving Dinner. On Thursday, more than 40 alumni, students and friends will gather to celebrate the holiday with one another. It is just another great example of the strong bond that Huskies have with each other and with Northeastern,” said Jack Moynihan, vice president of alumni relations and The Northeastern Fund. Local holiday programming through Student Affairs includes a shopping trip to the Wrentham Outlet Mall; $5 tickets to the New England Aquarium and free screenings of “Super 8” and “The Hangover Part II” at AfterHours. Tamu Schwoeffermann, an administrative assistant for housing and residential life, will accompany students on the Black Friday outing to Wrentham. “Offering these programs is very important, especially for first-year international students,” he said. Schwoeffermann, SSH ’09, routinely remained on campus for Thanksgiving. As the Portland, Ore., native recalled, “Having something to do with other students who hung around campus was great.” For the third consecutive year, the International Student and Scholar Institute will offer a Thanksgiving Host Program, which connects faculty and staff to international students interested in experiencing a true Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, David Hautanen Jr., the director of international recruitment and strategic enrollment initiatives, hosted three Chinese students in his Dorchester home. The students, who indulged in sweet potatoes and green bean casserole, helped carve the turkey and taught Hautanen and his family some new card games. “It was great,” Hautanen said. “They were very interested in learning about being part of this tradition.“ “At the end of the day, all people like to eat and have a good time,” he added. “Even though we come from different places and different backgrounds, we are fundamentally the same.”