On Nov. 21 at 8:30 p.m. resident living hosted the Gift of Giving, a pre-thanksgiving event that allowed residents of The Quad and the University Village Apartments (UVA) to give back to the community.

The event gave students the opportunity to enjoy a non traditional Thanksgiving-style meal of chicken, pasta, salad, refreshments and various foods while hanging out with their fellow classmates. The Gift of Giving encouraged residents to donate non-perishables that will be given to students and people in the community in need.

Marissa Ait Ouhanni, the Resident Assistant from The Quad who coordinated the event, said the Gift of Giving is “extremely important because of what we can do for others.” She said,“while people tend to focus on donating to far-away places, our cities and communities are often forgotten.”

Resident at The Quad, Sydney Althof said, “the event was a great way to bring people together and help out the community.” She said she was thankful that she was able to help by giving away canned food, especially as a college student. Althof said the Gift of Giving reminded her about what Thanksgiving was really about- being thankful while giving to others.

Student, Alec Frank, said that the Gift of Giving was “a good reminder of how some families are unfortunate during the holidays.”

Some students said the good food, music and company made them feel at home and welcome. Residents took a break from the usual stress of school to celebrate this pre-Thanksgiving. This event gave students time to relax and have fun, but also opened the door to a new holiday tradition.

Ouhanni said that she was excited about The Gift of Giving and “hopes this inspires others as well.”  She said she hopes that this can spark a change in the way we celebrate Thanksgiving- by giving to others and doing what we can for them.