SJU dining hosts Thanksgiving

CSB+SJU community members came together for the annual Thanksgiving dinner hosted by SJU Culinary Services in Guild Hall on Wednesday.

This annual event was open to all CSB+SJU students and served buffet-style. The menu included roast turkey, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, buttered corn, stuffing, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, plant-based chicken and gravy and pumpkin pies.

This year, the Thanksgiving dinner hosted special guests, including President Brian Bruess and his wife Carol Bruess.

SJU Culinary Services Director Tony Finnestad said he believes that the Thanksgiving dinner, despite evolving over time, has always managed to maintain its sense of community and hospitality, making it a cherished tradition.

“It is one of those things that when people who have been here for years talk about, they get really excited,” Finnestad said.

Thanksgiving holds a special place in Finnestad’s heart, as it is his favorite holiday for the simple reason that it provides an opportunity for his extended family to come together to celebrate.

“It’s the one time of year where I get to see all of my family in one place. Over Christmas so many people are scattered…and doing other things, so we don’t get to do all that,” Finnestad said.

Finnestad eagerly anticipated witnessing and experiencing Thanksgiving dinner at CSB+SJU for the first time. As someone who has previously prepared meals for up to 115 people in his family during Thanksgiving, he said he finds it particularly exciting to oversee a dinner for over 1,000 people.

Despite the immense amount of work and preparation involved, Finnestad emphasized that the staff at SJU are well-equipped to handle cooking for such large numbers, saying that it’s just another day in the life for them. He said he finds it special how they embrace the task of providing students with food and hospitality, viewing it as a profound act of love and care.

“I think food is one of the easiest and most important ways to show someone that you love them and care about them. There’s a lot of care and attention and a lot of work that goes into this,” Finnestad said.

Erin Martin, CSB senior and captain of the cross country team, also holds the annual Thanksgiving dinner in high regard. For her, the best part of Thanksgiving is being able to enjoy quality time with her teammates.

“I am very fortunate because they are more than my teammates; they are my friends and family on campus,” Martin said.

Martin said the CSB+SJU cross country teams consider events like the Thanksgiving dinner important opportunities to get to know each other beyond their athletic abilities.

“We have a lot of teammate dinners together after practice, so it’s similar in that regard, but it’s special because we get dressed up and there’s a sort of hype that builds up,” Martin said. “I think being able to find that time outside of practice…is really important because we learn about each other as people.”

In addition to the dinner, the cross country team also has a Thanksgiving tradition of their own called the “turkey mile.” After the dinner, team members have the option to race a mile on the track. Martin said this unique tradition adds to the excitement and camaraderie of the event.

SJU senior and swim and dive captain Rafael Rios said that the CSB+SJU swim and dive teams also attend together and the dinner serves as an important bonding experience for his team.

“It’s strongly encouraged that the whole team attends together, and everyone shows up,” Rios said. “We try to mix everyone up at the table — freshmen with seniors, juniors with sophmores. It makes it easier for us to get to know each other as a team.”

Looking ahead, Finnestad said students can expect more elaborate Thanksgiving dinners in the future. He said that despite the extra work and effort that may be involved, the culinary staff hopes to return to the “old Thanksgiving” where students are seated in both the refectory and Great Hall.

Finnestad said that this dinner provides a rare opportunity for a group of this size to come together and celebrate, making it an experience not to be missed.

“I think you get a true sense of the Benedictine values, the hospitality and love that comes with that,” Finnestad said. “You will also see on display the care and attention to detail that the staff puts into something together.”