We asked Northeastern students: ‘What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?’
Northeastern Global News caught up with several students before the Thanksgiving break.
It’s a day to visit family and friends and a nice break before the final weeks of the semester.
But, above all, Thanksgiving is an opportunity for reflection and gratitude surrounded by delicious food and great company.
The traditional harvest feast has roots in the English settlers of Virginia and New England in the early 17th century.
In 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation for “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.” Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day in 1863 to be held on the last Thursday in November.
The tradition continued on that day until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day up a week in 1939, in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. In 1941, Congress passed a resolution and Roosevelt signed it into law, establishing Thanksgiving Day as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November, to take effect the following year.
The Thanksgiving holiday is also celebrated in other countries such as Canada and Liberia.
Northeastern Global News caught up with several students to ask them what they are thankful for before the Thanksgiving break.
- Declan Connolly, third-year finance major, Connecticut
- “I’m thankful for my family. I’m actually hosting Thanksgiving this year in my apartment in Boston. I’m super thankful that they can come to make the trip.”
- Emily Minkler, fourth-year chemical engineering major, New Jersey
- “I’m thankful for the community I built at Northeastern. I am part of the rugby team, and I love it.”
- Darnelle Felisier, fourth-year bioengineering and computer science major, Boston
- “I am grateful that my classes went well. … I thank God every day that I’m able to continue going to school.”
- Victoria Simmons, fifth-year bioengineering major, Maryland
- “I’m graduating this semester, and I’m really excited to start this new chapter. I’m thankful for all my friends, my family, and everybody who’s made my Northeastern experience the way it has been for the last couple of years.”
- Luke Currier, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Massachusetts
- “I’m so thankful that I’m back at Northeastern visiting friends before going home to see my family.”
- Chitra Pahuja, a first-year graduate student getting her master’s degree in data analytics engineering, India
- “This will be my first year celebrating Thanksgiving in Boston, so I’m really excited. We don’t have Thanksgiving in India. It will be my first experience.”
- Ariam Tecleberhan, first-year nursing major, Massachusetts
- “I’m thankful for the clubs at Northeastern. I’m a part of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association and some health clubs. They’ve been very welcoming. That’s especially nice as a first-year since it’s a city campus and it’s so big.”
- James Lewis, fourth-year computer science major, New Jersey
- “I’ll get to see a bunch of my friends who went off to different states who I don’t get to see a lot in person. It’s nice to be able to connect with people I don’t often get to see in real life.”
- Thomas De Carreras, second-year economics major, Spain
- “First and foremost, my family for just being there and supporting me through everything, even through the hardest times.”
- Lily Donnelly, second-year criminal justice major, Massachusetts
- “Seeing family. I’m really close with my family.”
- Alex Whitwell, first-year international business student, Texas
- “Being able to come to this school, meet new people and further my education.”
- Julia Puccio, third-year business administration major, Massachusetts
- “I’m thankful for family, good health and being surrounded by such awesome people.”
