This is a cross-published piece with Mustang News, more information can be found here.
The sounds of clattering pans, opening oven doors and students weaving around one another filled the communal spaces of Sequoia Hall on Nov. 9. What started as a simple idea between roommates quickly evolved into a full dorm-wide Friendsgiving — one that brought together over 70 students
The event came together in just six days. Construction management freshman Ines Juric said the organizing team acted quickly, creating a system to coordinate ingredients, volunteers and donations.
“We created a spreadsheet with all the food and all the ingredients,” Juric said. “Then a poster with a QR code so people could RSVP, and then a GoFundMe. And we raised about $800.”
Juric is originally from Australia, and said that while she doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving back home, creating this experience in college was special.
That money funded everything from disposable trays to utensils to the massive grocery trip that would feed dozens of freshmen. Graphic communications freshman Christine DeNicola said the grocery run alone demonstrated how large the event had become.
“We went to Costco and got probably the biggest Costco haul they saw that day,” DeNicola said.
As items piled up — turkeys, vegetables, baking supplies and desserts — students realized one kitchen wouldn’t be enough. Different floors and buildings became satellite preparation areas. DeNicola said while the scale was intimidating, the process brought a sense of comfort that many students didn’t expect.
“There are so many of us who have missed cooking at home, so it was really fun to actually get out the whisk and bake everything from scratch,” she said. “Everyone pitched in, and seeing it all come together made it feel really special.”
Throughout the day, students rotated between ovens, timers and tasks. Some groups prepared entrees, others handled sides or desserts, while another group focused on setup. Agricultural communications freshman Kingsley Frank described the day as fast-paced and chaotic in the best way.
“Me, Sydney, Luke, Diego… we were cooking since like 7 a.m. yesterday,” Frank said. “And we’ve been running around to different dorms, putting food in different ovens.”
Mechanical engineering freshman Teague Shepard said they anticipated a large turnout but still ended up with far more attendees than they expected.
“We had over 70… and way more showed up,” Shepard said. “And I’m just happy that we had more than enough food for everyone.”
Organizers said the event worked because responsibilities were intentionally divided, with different people handling fundraising, shopping, cooking or coordinating delivery. From chopping vegetables to transporting trays, a shared schedule listed every task so no single student was overwhelmed.
Students hope future freshman communities will attempt something similar.
“There are so many college experiences that I’ll hold near and dear to my heart,” DeNicola said. “But it’s truly things like this that I will remember forever. Don’t ever think anything is too big to put on. We did not have the money; we are all broke college kids, but we put out a GoFundMe, and we were like, why not try? And we ended up raising close to $800, and we were able to put this all together with the help of everyone.”
In Sequoia’s common kitchen, the noise didn’t really die down. Organizers said it felt like the first time the residence hall truly moved as one group. What began as a quick idea ultimately showed them how a community can easily come into being when people make space for one another.
