NDSU Hosts Third Annual “Friendsgiving”

The university says they started the tradition after noting that many students and faculty were unable to return home for the holidays.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – North Dakota State University hosted its own culinary event on November 26 to provide hearty meals.

They refer to theirs as a “Friendsgiving”, and it’s been held at the NDSU Memorial Union for the past three years.

University staff says over 350 people pre-registered for a spot.

They say it’s a really important community-building event, especially for students and faculty that can’t get home for the holidays.

“It’s really just about community, and I think getting together, especially this time of year when the semester – it’s in the grind, this is kind of the hard part right before finals,” said NDSU president David Cook. “Having a chance to take a deep breath and appreciate what’s really important, which is family, is really important to everybody.”

“One thing that we notice each year is people getting out their phones and taking down numbers – so I love that we’re growing their community, too,” added Cook’s wife, Kate “That’s really important to us.”

The Cooks added that it was likely the first time many international students and faculty had the chance to try Thanksgiving classics like turkey.