November is here, and that means that the Thanksgiving holiday is approaching. COVID-19 has impacted the usual Thanksgiving plans for some students at Florida A&M University, but they are still preparing for the holiday and looking forward to it.
Ashlei Norton, a sophomore public relations student at FAMU, will not be taking part in the usual plans that she has for Thanksgiving because of the pandemic. She currently resides in Tallahassee with her family and plans to spend the holiday at home.
“Before COVID hit, my family and I would go to Pensacola where my mom is from and have Thanksgiving there, but it kind of looks like that’s not happening because my family is quarantining,” Norton said.
Norton was looking forward to the food at her usual Thanksgiving gathering. However, her family plans to have dinner on a smaller scale to celebrate Thanksgiving with just her immediate family.
Jamia Wideman, a sophomore biology student at FAMU, is looking forward to spending time with family for the holiday. She is currently living at home with family in Orlando and like Norton, she also looks forward to the food.
“This year I am most looking forward to the fellowship and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. Any reason to be surrounded by loved ones, I am there,” Wideman said.
Her family plans to have dinner at their house, but it will have to be smaller than normal because of the rules in her city.
“On the news, they said the police will be looking for people hosting more than 20 guests, and they’ll suffer some kind of consequence,” Wideman said.
Because of this, her family dinner that usually consists of over 20 guests will have fewer people. Her family is planning to have about ten people over to celebrate the holiday.
Some students who are living in Tallahassee away from family are looking forward to spending the holiday with friends instead. Amiya Bowers, a sophomore psychology student at FAMU, is an example of this.
“COVID-19 has drastically impacted my Thanksgiving plans as I will not be gathering with my family in Atlanta like we do every year,” Bowers said. “My family decided that it is best to take this time off so that we can celebrate together on Christmas.”
Instead, Bowers plans to cook with her best friend, and they will celebrate the holiday together.
Overall, the plans that students at FAMU have this year for Thanksgiving vary, and most plans have been impacted by the pandemic. However, some Rattlers are still looking forward to the holiday and have made adjustments to their plans.