Thanksgiving at UMF
Genevieve Feeney
Contributing Writer
As the holidays approach, it is time for the students at UMF to take a much-needed break from classes and have some time off. During this time, many students will return to their homes. But, of course, there are always some students who stay on campus in UMF’s resident halls for either Thanksgiving or winter break. For these students staying on campus, the University wants to ensure they feel included in the holiday festivities.
Director of Student Life Brian Ufford wants to ensure students staying on campus feel like UMF is their home for this holiday season:
“There will be a Thanksgiving dinner through Sodexo. They will provide pickup meals for students to bring back to their rooms to eat. Last year we did a pie thing, but not this year. Other than that I am not sure if there are any Thanksgiving crafting ideas taking place. The student center will be open so students can access all our resources such as laundry card money or pool,” Ufford said.
As well as providing food and activities, UMF wants to ensure that students who need to stay in the resident halls can do so without breaking their bank accounts.
“Many schools charge people to stay for breaks. We do not here. You just do a housing application and can stay in your rooms,” Ufford said.
It is known that the residence halls will be open for students, and the dining hall will provide food if the student chooses to sign up for it. But, who will be on campus with these students?
“We have three or four CAs who will stay and work the breaks. We have the halls open, we have to have some staff. Whenever we close for a break we have three entities 24/7 365, facilities and management, campus police, and student life. There will always be a presence on campus for people who may find themselves in crisis and we have posted help and support numbers,” Ufford said.
UMF staff wants to ensure students are provided for and feel safe as if UMF is their home. The University strives to provide as many resources for students staying on campus over breaks and hopes all students and staff have a happy and safe holiday season.
