By Sammi Carpenter
Staff Writer

Thanksgiving break is coming up, which means Hutchinson Community College students are heading home. While the majority of the dorm students are leaving, some students do not have the option to.

International students or students who live states away do not have the luxury of going home due to distance and money, and so they have to stay at the dorms, with a friend, or someone else in town. During the break, which lasts from Nov. 22-26, the cafeteria is going to be closed, and so students are going to have to find another way to find food.

Those who stay in the dorms are charged $9 a day during breaks.

“I am from Indonesia, so going home is not really an option for me. With the cafeteria being closed I am probably going to have a lot of instant ramen because it’s really cheap,” sophomore Evan Darmanto said. “My boss told me that on Thanksgiving day I could go over to his place which is nice.”

HutchCC has people from all over the world coming to study and/or play sports here. For international students, Thanksgiving break is not long enough to go home and see their families.

“I am staying in the dorms during the break, because I am from South Africa and going home for less than a week does not make sense. The caf being closed sucks because we have to fend for ourselves. I am probably just going to go to my friend’s house to eat,” sophomore Marco Anderson said. “Over break, I am mainly going to catch up on sleep. I am also going to play a bit of golf here and there, but I am definitely going to take advantage of my time to sleep.”

The cafeteria closing causes problems for students who do not have money nor transportation to go eat places. HutchCC has a food pantry in Rimmer for students, but it is not enough for a full meal which is why students have to look outside of the college.

“I am not really sure of where I am going to stay yet, either in the dorms or with friends,” freshman Matti Zeh from Germany said. “If I am staying at the dorms I am probably going to order a lot of food or have my friends take us somewhere to eat because I do not have a car. I do not really understand why the cafeteria is closed during break if the college knew some students were going to stay.”

Christmas break is not too far behind Thanksgiving break which gives students a chance to go home again. Some international students might not have the opportunity to go home again due to money and if the cafeteria is closed that puts students into a jam with break being a month long.

Views: 420

Share this story: