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"I'm thankful just knowing my home is safe. Everyone's safe."Steven Olivier, freshman marine engineering technology major .

Family, friends, food, thanks

After a turbulent semester, Aggies from College Station and Galveston celebrate Thanksgiving in unique ways.

By: Clair Lavender

Posted: 11/26/08

When looking back on Thanksgiving, the holiday is normally associated with food, family and turkeys. This year, Aggies fill their feathers with new things to be thankful for, and old and new traditions to add to their Thanksgiving celebrations.

Senior education major Amanda Bruns said she is looking forward to "family, freedom and food." Bruns plans on making the three-hour drive home to San Antonio and said there will be a new tradition this year: "The Bruns Family Dessert Championship." The contest will take place at her aunt's house, and all of the grandchildren will bring their best dessert to the table. Her uncle will be the dessert judge and will award the winner $50.

"I'm going to either make bread pudding or a cobbler," Bruns said.

With tragedies like Hurricane Ike, some Galveston students find themselves more thankful this year. Freshman marine engineering technology major Steven Olivier is in the Corps and plans to go to San Antonio to be with family for Thanksgiving.

"[I'm thankful] just knowing my home is safe," he said. "Everyone's safe."

Part of the spirit company in the Corps, Olivier said he will be marching Congress Avenue with the Corps in Austin on Friday.

Zachary Baize is a freshman Galveston student in the Corps studying marine transportation.

"My family is in Indiana, so I'm staying here," said Baize.

Baize, still hopeful for a productive and restful weekend, is thankful "that everyone from Galveston made it out of the storm safely, and the campus survived unharmed."

Junior agricultural economics major Matt Murch will be spending his Thanksgiving with family in Corpus Christi.

"Thanksgiving is going to be a great time to sit down and stuff myself silly with the people I love most," Murch said.

On Friday, the Murch family will head out to a ranch in Pettus, Texas for deer and hog hunting.

"I'm thankful that I'm graduating and getting married in less than two months," said senior animal science major Danielle Theriot.

In Houston, the Theriots usually spend Thanksgiving eating a big lunch and looking through the Thanksgiving Day sales paper "possibly making a Christmas wish list," said Theriot.

Alfredo Ribota, a sophomore Spanish major, will be making the six-hour drive to Laredo to spend Thanksgiving with his family.

"We have a Mexican style Thanksgiving," Ribota said.

With a traditional turkey-centered meal, Ribota said the family will enjoy a meal followed by a "cachanga" or fiesta.

"My mom makes way too much food, and we usually invite all the neighbors, friends, comadres and compadres to join us," he said.

Full of food, drinks, and games, Thanksgiving night is like no other in the Ribota house. The next day, the leftover turkey is always used to create Mexican dishes.

"We will make mole, which is like a brown broth that makes the turkey juicy, and we eat it with rice," Ribota said.

This year, Ribota said he is thankful that he has God in his life and will be praying for blessings on all of his friends.

"My dad always makes a turkey gumbo for the Friday after Thanksgiving," said sophomore education major Amelia Fontana. "It's tradition."

Turkey Gumbo is made of pretty much everything but the sink," Fontana said.

Thrown over rice and served with bread, the gumbo includes onions, garlic, lots of seasoning, bell peppers, turkey and anything else her dad feels like adding to the pot. This year, the Fontana's are visiting family in Louisiana for Thanksgiving and staying in country Cajun cabins.

"We help cook and then eat," Fontana said. "Then clean up and play games, take naps, walks, talk and catch up with family."

Fontana said she is especially thankful for "my family and the amazing friends that I have here at A&M."