Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the Multicultural Center plans to celebrate with students staying on campus for the holiday.

The Thanksgiving meal will take place Thursday, Nov. 23 in the Multicultural Center, on the second floor of the Student Union. Staff said an official time has not been set yet, but will most likely occur in the late afternoon or early evening.

“We identified that typically international students are staying, and we believe this number will be around 100 to 200 students,” said Brooke Jackson, multicultural success advisor for Latinx students.

The Multicultural Center is not the only organization helping to host the Thanksgiving meal, Jackson said. She credits the joint efforts of SDSU photographer Emily Weber, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Doug Wermedal, the Office of International Affairs and Jay Molock from the Multicultural Center office.

Area businesses like Pizza Ranch, Perkins and the Brookings Bakery are partnering with the school to provide food and supplies, Jackson said.

Molly Jung, a second year graphic design student, thinks the Thanksgiving event is a good idea, especially since some people are not able to go home.

“I’m not too fond of the real meaning behind it, from a historical standpoint, however, I do like the mass amounts of food served,” Jung said.

Penny Vilayphone, a senior early childhood education major, said that she and her family celebrate Thanksgiving yearly. A tradition they have is to spend time with family and friends and eat traditional foods including turkey, ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.

“I think the event is a good idea as it allows those who are in town to experience Thanksgiving with others and enjoy some food for the holidays,” Vilayphone said. “I wouldn’t mind attending because I am open to experiencing new things and meeting new people.”

For Paul Mayaka Kerauma, a senior in mechanical engineering major, Thanksgiving is a relatively new holiday since he is from Kenya and didn’t celebrate it before moving to the United States.

“I think the event is a good idea as nothing brings people together like free food,” Kerauma said. “Finding food at regular times during the Holiday hours can be a bit difficult and it would be a nice opportunity to meet people or strengthen relationships with existing friends.”

Kerauma mentioned that he doesn’t have trouble with Thanksgiving, as it’s a time to celebrate with each other, but when he talked with his fellow classmates, he doesn’t like that some gatherings with families turn into a time of criticism or even ridicule by family members.

“For the five years that I have been in the U.S., my family and I have always gathered together just like a nuclear family and enjoyed a meal together,” Kerauma said.

The Newman Center is also sponsoring a Thanksgiving meal for students on Thursday.