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Arts & Sciences Students, Faculty and Staff Kick Off The Holiday Season With Food And Fellowship

This Thanksgiving, Aggieland became home for over 100 students, faculty and staff from the College of Arts and Sciences as they gathered for the "If You Can't Be Home, Be Here" lunch. For those who joined, it was a chance to celebrate the season together, create memories, build community and strengthen the bonds that make Aggieland feel like home.

November 26, 2024 By Kat Martin

Kat Martin
Social Media Strategist
979-862-2476
Group of attendees gather around the merchendise table, examining materials on a table. One individual is wearing a hijab.
A group of students gather around the swag table at the "If You Can't Be Home, Be Here" ArtSci Thanksgiving Luncheon. | Image: Chris Jarvis, Arts & Sciences Marketing & Communications

They say “there’s no place like home for the holidays,” but Aggieland is a close second. 

Students, faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Sciences gathered on November 26 in the Memorial Student Center’s Bethancourt Ballroom to kick off the start of the holiday season with the “If You Can’t Be Home, Be Here” Thanksgiving lunch.

The event served as the latest installation in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Be Here. marketing campaign and aimed to provide an immersive experience and promote community among students, faculty and staff within the college, giving a traditional Thanksgiving meal to those who couldn’t travel home for the holiday. 

Two individuals conversing over a meal at a dining table, with coffee cups and food plates visible.
Economics Department Head Dennis Jansen talks with a student over a traditional Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 26. | Image: Chris Jarvis, Arts & Sciences Marketing & Communication

Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Mark J. Zoran addressed the over 100 students, faculty and staff members with a message of unity, gratitude and fond memories of Thanksgivings past.

“Thanksgiving is the time of year where we should pause and take time to be grateful and remember how fortunate we are to be part of the Texas A&M University community, to be part of our large world family – its humanity, its great works and knowledge and our diverse traditions.”

“I sat with a group of people from the chemistry department,” said Matt Alwood, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. “The college is so big and this was a great opportunity to meet and relate to others outside of my department who I may not have met otherwise."

For more photos, visit the gallery.

Be Here.

Be Here is a comprehensive multi-year campaign highlighting the students, faculty, staff, former students and donors in the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University and their significant contributions to their college, campus and community as well as our state, nation and world. To learn more, visit https://artsci.tamu.edu/be-here.