By Gabriel Ruiz – Stangsgiving is Morningside University’s annual event where students, staff, and faculty join for a Thanksgiving meal. It provides the campus at large with an opportunity to come together and share a meal as well as look back on the year as we move forward into the holiday season.
Students were eager to give light hearted anecdotes such as “I love Stangsgiving, best meal of the year. I love me some turkey and mashed potatoes”; “This Stangsgiving is heat. I am eating this Stangsgiving up”; and “You know it’s really fantastic, and I love pie.” Another student commented on the inclusive nature of the event: “I really like Stangsgiving. I love that it’s not just the students but also the faculty and the community that are invited, too.”
Behind the scenes, the event is spearheaded by Sodexo general manager, Nick Gun. Katie Sullivan, the operations manager and key figure in organizing the event, sported some especially festive attire in the form of a turkey costume. In an interview, Sullivan shed some light on preparation for the event: “It’s a lot of talking over the different pieces with the staff, and since it’s not an everyday setup, it’s walking them through what it’s going to look like and the expectations for how busy it is and preparing my staff for the day.” As attendees ate, Sullivan reflected on the day’s success: “We just love to see everybody out and have a community feel for the day. It’s nice for everybody to come out and enjoy a holiday meal with us.”
Morningside President Dr. Albert Mosley commented on the significance of the tradition, stating:
As I speak to students, faculty, and staff about what word comes to mind when they think of Morningside, I frequently hear words like ‘home’ and ‘family.’ Stangsgiving truly embodies this sentiment. This tradition underscores the strong spirit of community present here, bringing us together in gratitude and fellowship over a holiday meal before many of us depart campus to enjoy the holidays with our own families. It is a reminder of the enduring and meaningful bonds we create with one another as Morningsiders and an opportunity to spend time in gratitude for those connections.
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