As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, excitement is rising for USC students wanting to ditch the stress of school and enjoy their unique versions of traditions that they created with friends and family.
For some people, cooking a Thanksgiving feast for an entire family can be stressful. But for students like Kailyn Bryant, whose a freshman majoring in philosophy, politics, and law, her family tradition includes a friendly cooking competition.
Kailyn Bryant: There’s a lot of chefs in my family, so they kind of like, are competitive when it comes to food. So Iike, if it’s a big Thanksgiving, then everybody would try to make the best macaroni or the best, like ham or turkey. So I guess kind of just, well me, I’m not ever in the kitchen. But like, taste testing is like one of my favorite things because I just judge, like, oh, that’s not okay. But, you know, I just keep it pushing, but overall, it’s fun to be with my family.”
For some USC students, traveling back home is not an option for the short break, so they will have to start traditions with their friends.
Pratham Aggarwal, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, is looking forward to spending time with friends from school since he is unable to return home to his family in India.
Pratham Aggarwal: I think just being around someone’s family, because I do miss my family a lot as well. So I think like being around, like that whole vibe of being with the family is something that I’m looking forward to more than the food.
However, students like Sophomore, computational neuroscience major Zenmarah Duriusseau says that she likes to enjoy her family traditions without acknowledging the Thanksgiving holiday.
Zenmarah Duriusseau: I don’t really like Thanksgiving just because like the real meaning behind it. It’s just really just horrible. But I mean, it’s kind of like a national cookout holiday for me, I guess. So my family, parts of them are Creole, so we don’t really do like the traditional, like Turkey and like all that stuff. So we’ll have like jambalaya and like gumbo and just like a little like different types of food like that.
As for me, I’m looking forward to eating all of my families New Orleans styled dishes and setting up the Christmas tree with hot chocolate and Christmas music blaring in the background.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Monique Davis.