By Michelle Siegel

Though going home for Thanksgiving break is a tradition many students at the University of Maryland may take for granted, in reality, a sizeable number of Terps do not share this privilege.

Students who hail from out of state — especially international students — may stay in the DMV area because it is too expensive to travel, especially for a break that only lasts a few days. For other students, such as those who have aged out of the foster care system or are estranged from their families, this university is the only place they can call home. Left to their own devices, these Terps could be passing the time alone, just waiting for their friends to come back to campus.

It was with this possibility in mind that Kathryn Hopps — the program director for experiential learning in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and a co-advisor for the International Student Union — instituted the Be Our Guest program at this university.

Be Our Guest, also known as Sharing Our Thanksgiving Table, matches registered guests to registered hosts (all faculty, alumni and staff), who then invite their assigned guests for Thanksgiving dinner.

Be Our Guest has earned positive feedback from the students who participated in previous years, such as Sachi Agrawal, a 23-year-old UMD alumna from India. Having seen Thanksgiving celebrations on American TV shows she watched while growing up, Agrawal said that she was grateful to have the chance to experience the festivities firsthand in 2018.

“The moment I entered the [host’s] house, I could feel the festive energy,” said Agrawal, who graduated in 2019 with her Master of Science in telecommunications engineering. “I was a part of their small family, and everyone was so welcoming. We played Thanksgiving-themed games, talked about our heritage, and other guests shared their Thanksgiving traditions and family stories. The dinner table showed the lengths the family went to have something for everyone. It was a great feast.”

Be Our Guest is no less appreciated by the hosts, as indicated by Jóhanna Kristín Birnir. Birnir, a professor in the department of Government and Politics, hosted with her husband in 2017 and 2018.

“We have met students and post-docs from all over the world and from all different departments in the university,” Birnir said. “We have hosted repeat guests. We have hosted carnivores and vegetarians, and all have found something new and interesting to try at our table. There has always been great conversation and a lot of sharing of traditions from all over the world. We thoroughly enjoy our open Thanksgivings.”

Be Our Guest is not a university-wide program — individual schools and offices decide whether or not to host it among their students, faculty, alumni and staff. The schools that facilitated Be Our Guest this year include the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Office of Undergraduate Studies.

Hopps first established Be Our Guest at the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences in 2017, modelling it after a similar program at Northwestern University. She also helped the School of Public Health coordinate the program for its own students that same year.

In 2018, the program was facilitated by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the College of Arts and Humanities.

As for what inspired Hopps to bring Be Our Guest to this university, she said that she remembered asking herself, “Well, what can I do as a member of the university community to try to make international students feel more welcome?”

Noting that the population of international students has declined both nationwide and at this university, Hopps added, “I hope that all the international students who come here feel that the university community wants them to be here and we are a welcoming place for international students.”

Featured photo courtesy of Jóhanna Kristín Birnir.