No Fowl Play This Thanksgiving

By Brigette Agyei, Eddie Gajda, Matthew Kissel, Sydney Nocerino and Skye Saunders

Jordan Moore, a full-time CTS employee, shows his excitement for the upcoming holiday. (Photo by: Skye Saunders)

Every year families come together and celebrate Thanksgiving with wacky family traditions, football, and copious amounts of delicious food. Here at Purchase College, people come from all backgrounds with their own unique way of spending the holiday.

Food is the main topic of discussion for Thanksgiving, and many families don’t always stick to the basics like turkey and stuffing. Azriel Herbert, a drawing and painting major, comes from a Caribbean and American family where the food has its own sense of flavor.

“The table ranges from oxtail to saltfish, johnny cakes, and breadfruit,” Herbert says.

Senior Gina Pizzolo says, “It’s a big ordeal in my house.”

Pizzolo used to be a pastry chef, and she cooks the desserts, but her family enjoys the lasagna just a little bit more. Lasagna is the main dish that is cooked for every Thanksgiving, and 15 family members come over and celebrate. The 15 family members are usually in the kitchen to help prepare four courses. Pizzolo’s family plans the menu a month in advance.

Julia Bellantoni, a junior and sociology major, says her Thanksgiving family traditions include playing board games around the kitchen table, and the games change every year.

Whether it’s turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, or different types of pies, each family has their own customs and traditions.

For Jordan Moore, a full time employee at CTS, Thanksgiving is all about food and family.

“I show up at my house, and my mom and dad has almost everything cooked already,” said Moore.

For some, food takes a backseat for another Thanksgiving tradition.

“We’re all big football fans so that’s pretty much the only tradition that we have,” said freshman Gabriel Motolinia.