This past Sunday one could not escape the smells of thanksgiving. The StepUP community came together as a family to throw their annual thanksgiving dinner serving over 80 pounds of turkey feeding nearly 80 students, friends, and alumni. As you can see pictured on the right it was a sit down all you can eat buffet with soft jazz music playing in the background.
This is my second year in StepUP and decided to take on this thanksgiving event as a project for my project management class. I was very excited to start organizing this event but time flew by and I entered this past weekend feeling unprepared and worrisome. I of course had forgot where I was.
I was in StepUP, a place where everyone is always looking out for others and are always lending a hand. My fellow StepUP students kept asking how they could be of service and they really wanted to help, they were consistent. One student would get done with one dish and then help another struggling with a dish. It was incredible to see so many students helping in any way they could.
For dinner the community whipped up a huge variety of dishes. We had a vegetarian option, sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, pigs in a blanket, and a delicious brussels sprout casserole. The flat we had the event in was packed filling every available chair. There was such a high level of energy as students started lining up to eat and continued throughout the meal.
My favorite part of the meal was the cleanup. Another detail of the project I was worried about beforehand. I was worried people would fill their stomachs and then need to nap, but that was not the case. When it was time for cleanup everyone jumped onto their feet and got to work. We had the entire flat cleaned in less than half an hour.
This community is incredible and I love them all. This event was a success because of the people that attended because they are the ones that made it possible, did the cooking, and even cleaned up the mess. I am so proud of this community and so grateful to be a part of it. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
-Blake Halvorson