Many students visit family over Thanksgiving break because the campus closes, but most foreign exchange students said they plan to explore other parts of the U.S.
The caf will be closed Nov. 22-23, but it will reopen on Nov. 24. Not all exchange students recognize Thanksgiving as a holiday, but many said they plan to go off campus during the break.
Some exchange students will see their families without going home.
“My parents are going to visit me from Germany,” said Sarah Müden, business administration junior from Germany. “We’ll go together to California and visit Los Angeles.”
Damien Lamine, mass communications junior from Belgium, said he plans to visit his family that lives in the U.S.
“Part of my family is American. They live in Indianapolis,” Lamine said. “I planned to visit them for Thanksgiving break because I don’t have the opportunity to see them often. I’m really excited about it because I know how important Thanksgiving is for the Americans, and I’ve never had the chance to celebrate one properly.”
Some exchange students will go on trips with other OCU students.
“I am going to stay with my roommate and her family who are living close to Denver,” said Kira KoRi, psychology senior from Germany. “I am really excited experiencing a real American Thanksgiving.”
Sally Sun, political science senior from Taiwan, said she plans to travel to Texas to celebrate Thanksgiving before her exchange program ends.
“I will go to San Antonio on Thanksgiving with another exchange student who is from the same school of mine in Taiwan,” Sun said. “We will drive there and go to the wild life ranch, a special zoo there. And we will walk around Austin and go shopping in outlet in San Marcos.”
Sun said she is excited to travel but not to end her time in the U.S.
“I love the people here. They are so friendly, it was over my expectation,” she said. “I like the way the professors teach us. It is a lot different than the way in Taiwan. We don’t talk in class and instead just listen to lecture. The courses here always keep me thinking critically and encourage me to speak in class, which I am not used to originally. I will miss the people and life here.”
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