A feast including mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and tacos were just a few of the food choices available to graduate students who gathered in room 241 of the Engineering Hall on Thursday, Nov. 22.  

The College of Engineering Graduate Student Association (GSA) hosted its annual Thanksgiving Potluck that saw 12 students gather with food, music, and festivities. 

“The first time it happened was 2022,” said Camila Vardar, a fourth-year Biomedical Engineering PhD student and the association’s current president. “A lot of people show up and bring their own dishes.” 

As suggested by those in attendance, events like these have allowed engineering graduate students to create connections with one another each year. Casey Barrett, a second-year Chemical Engineering PhD student, and GSA’s vice president, noted her appreciation for the opportunity to meet other students who she may not regularly see on a daily basis. 

“I just kind of like meeting everyone, seeing what everyone brings,” said Barrett. “It’s also great meeting people outside of the department because I feel you can be very stuck in your own lab and your own department.”

In addition to being a time for building relationships, Ian Nielsen, a PhD student in the final year of studying electrical and computer engineering, could not help but mention how the magnitude of this event compares to others in the past.

“It’s a lot of food,” said Nielsen, when discussing his favorite part about the Thanksgiving Potluck. “I’ve been to other GSA [events] but this is probably one of the most successful ones I have seen.” 

Most attendees had a positive experience, with enjoyable conversations and the presence of additional desserts served alongside main dishes like pumpkin cookies, matcha cake, and more. 

“I have not been to this before, but I just like getting to meet other graduate students since we are very separated,” said Kayla Bensley, a second-year material science engineering PhD student. 

These relatable thoughts continued to be a common theme for other members at the potluck, such as Mohamad Keblawi, a fourth-year biomedical engineering PhD student who serves as GSA’s secretary. 

“We don’t get to do a lot of stuff outside the lab so this is nice,” said Keblawi, who was responsible for bringing mashed potatoes to this year’s Thanksgiving Potluck. “I’ve been to all of the previous Friendsgivings [and] I try to come to them and bring some food.”

Keblawi made sure to mention that the College of Engineering GSA holds a monthly happy hour, similar to the Thanksgiving Potluck, where GSA students bring food to a brewery. 

After all, togetherness was in full effect as Keblawi said, “I just really like Thanksgiving to begin with.”

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