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For many international students and scholars, the Thanksgiving holiday can be a time of missing home and family, which may be far away. To help bring the community together, the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) hosted a Friendsgiving event to make everyone feel at home.

About 130 international students, scholars, faculty, and staff came to the OISS Friendsgiving event on Thursday, Nov. 20 from 5-7 p.m. at Lamberton Hall during International Education Week (IEW).

Linnan Tartaglia, International Student Advisor, said the event is held every year on Thursday during IEW to bring the community together and help international students far from home feel welcomed. 

“We want to send the message that we really care about this community,” Tartaglia said. “We try our best.”

The event was open to anyone who signed up and offered a place for people to sit together, share gratitude, meet new friends, and try traditional Thanksgiving food. 

Sixteen to seventeen tables filled the room, each with conversation starters, and food was prepared for around 150 attendees. Tartaglia noted that more student scholars brought spouses and children this year.

The menu featured classic American Thanksgiving dishes like cranberry sauce and turkey. For many attendees, it was their first experience with the holiday. Tartaglia said the event gives students “the opportunity to try authentic American Thanksgiving food” where they usually “don't have that opportunity” to try otherwise.

Third-year PhD student Husamettin Taysi from Turkey said he loves the annual tradition, noting that turkey isn't commonly eaten in his home country. 

"We have a chance to eat something different," he said.

Other students came for the community. Betty Yu '29, who participates in ROTC and signs up for many campus activities, attended his first American Thanksgiving. Yu lived in China most of his life and moved between tables throughout the evening, meeting new people.

“We never celebrated Thanksgiving before, and I thought it'd be cool to celebrate with other people,” he said. “It's good to really get myself out there and do whatever I can as a freshman.”

Yu suggested OISS could help undergraduate students connect by hosting more events specifically for freshmen, which he said would make it easier for new international students to build friendships and adjust to campus culture.

A group of graduate students getting their PhDs, Ruiqian Su, Brian Wang, and Xiaoyi Qu, attend events like Friendsgiving as a break from constant lab work. 

Qu recalled his first year as a PhD student, when he would go to this event and would pick a random table and meet new people. Wang said he attends events to “change the environment” and get “fresh air” from his work.

They also didn't forget the free food Friendsgiving offered.

Graduate students learned about the event through the The Weekly Buzz, a weekly newsletter emailed to Lehigh graduate students with event information.

Beyond Friendsgiving, Tartaglia runs two additional programs that support international students.

The Thanksgiving Host Program matches students with faculty and staff who invite them to their homes for Thanksgiving. This year, 10 hosts will welcome 35 students and scholars.

“Five or six hosts come and sign up every year,” Tartaglia said. “It's kind of their tradition to celebrate with international students.”

The Family Friendship Program pairs international students with Lehigh faculty and staff to build relationships throughout the academic year. The program encourages hosts to engage with students at least once a month, offering opportunities to share traditions, holidays, and meals.

Through Friendsgiving and year-round programs, OISS continues working to help international students feel welcomed and supported at Lehigh.