Remember an old cheer during high school that went something like this?
Two-Four-Six-Eight! Who Do We Appreciate? ____________ ! ______________! (Fill in the name of your favorite team)
What better time to chant this cheer than at Thanksgiving time this year! While we are reminded of giving thanks and finding appreciation for the people in our lives during this annual holiday in the U.S., it can often be a time of family discord, tension or despair for families that are feuding, for people who are alone or away from their loved ones . Although only one day in a year of 365 days, it can be a time when college students who are alone and unable to travel home contemplate suicide.
When I was doing my undergraduate studies, I was fortunate to have received a scholarship to study and live in Spain. Since Thanksgiving is a North American holiday, it was just another normal day in Spain, so there was no turkey, no football, nothing special: just a regular day of school. While I welcomed my new cross-cultural experience, I found myself very homesick on that Thanksgiving Day. I really missed my extended family back home and could think of nothing else than being there with them. It was a very difficult day for me and really the only day that I felt true homesickness.
While I was not depressed, feelings like I experienced in the middle of a new life experience away from home can be dangerous for a vulnerable college student who is already feeling alone and out of place with his or her surroundings. Add to that the stress of college life and the end-of-the-semester blues, and you have a potential crisis. Research on the college life experience shows that the first semester can take its toll and that Thanksgiving time (right before the end of the semester with exams and papers due), can be a very difficult time for college students. Research also shows that homesickness is a condition that is often worse in youth. Thus, this population is particularly vulnerable.
So I write this column today, some days before Thanksgiving, and ask that you consider contacting your local college or university to see if they have a program for students who are left behind this Thanksgiving Day for families to invite them into their homes. If they have a program, why not consider volunteering to host a few? (There's almost always more than enough food to share!) If they don't have a program, you could suggest that you volunteer anyway, and see if they could find some! You may find that the students are those whose homes are on the other side of the country, but I would bet that the majority will probably be international students, who have no idea of the meaning of our national holiday, and would appreciate the invitation to learn about our culture and customs by being invited into your home.
It may seem strange but I assure you if you call the "international office" or "student services' office," you will probably get some leads about inviting students into your home. You can even teach them the cheer! Did you know that cheerleading is a U.S. thing? If you're worried about topics of conversation, you've already got two: Thanksgiving and cheerleading! And you'll surely learn about their countries and cultures in return.
So go ahead and appreciate a student who is lonely! I'm sure they'll appreciate you back! Soon they'll be cheering, Two-Four-Six-Eight: Who Do I Appreciate? You! You! You!
Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!
Barbara A. Clark has been a professional in higher education for over 25 years. She holds a Master's degree in Counseling from the University of Iowa and completed all course requirements for a Ph.D in International Comparative Education before several life-changing events interrupted her studies. It was during the interruption that Barbara discovered her passion for service to the world through love and intention. She is passionate about her new journey as "The Spirited Strider," serving the world in love, one step at a time. Barbara is a writer, educator, speaker, counselor and coach, specializing in the law of attraction and EFT techniques, and is an accomplished cross-cultural trainer.
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