Something for Which to be Thankful

Thanksgiving has rolled around once more, bringing with it a variety of sensations for the Columbia student: the stress of travel, the last stretch of coursework before the end of the term, the sudden realization that the semester has flown by, the change in weather, and the opportunity for a good meal. While the holiday enables us to celebrate with family and friends and take a break from the classroom, it also brings with it the chance—perhaps the obligation—for reflection. We live in a city that provides us with great opportunities but also puts us in close proximity to great hardship, and as we dig into our turkeys, it behooves us to consider how we might help our neighbors.

Volunteering on Thanksgiving Day in Morningside Heights is an especially noble way to give back to our community. One example of the Thanksgiving spirit is the General Studies Student Council's "Great Thanksgiving Give-Back," a Thanksgiving Day opportunity for students to participate at Citymeals-on-Wheels and Broadway Community Inc. For those of us who will be at home or otherwise occupied on Thanksgiving, there are plenty of opportunities to preserve the holiday's appreciative spirit year-round. For example, Riverside Church, located between 120th and 122nd St. on Riverside Dr., welcomes volunteers to staff its food pantry and safe shower space.

Campus groups under the umbrella of Community Impact also offer students a chance to feed and house the homeless, even with just a small donation of their time. Indeed, Project for the Homeless goes as far as placing student volunteers in homeless shelters overnight, so that they can remain open. Naturally, staying overnight in a homeless shelter is one of the more dramatic ways to give back. However, such a deed casts the meaning of Thanksgiving in sharp relief. Alternatively, a more spontaneous act of kindness could involve giving a warm cup of coffee or simply tossing a few coins to the homeless individuals we pass every day.

Though we may be students at a "global university," we should not ignore the suffering of those in our own backyard. Many homeless individuals in our neighborhood—familiar to students by sight if not by name—rarely receive any overt acknowledgement from members of our community. Though the majority of Columbia students may be on the track to success, they would do well to remember those who are not so lucky by providing a meal, their time, a wave, and whatever other support they have to give. This holiday, we should give thanks by giving back.