Thanksgiving is a time for turkey, Black Friday sales and students returning home from college. Any other year, these would be ordinary events, but in 2020, nothing is so simple.
Due to the increasing cases of COVID-19 on college campuses across the country, many students have had no choice but to alter their plans to celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday.
Throughout the week of November 12, leading up to the holiday, coronavirus infection rates broke national records. Over 153,000 new cases on that Thursday broke records in the US for the highest one-day infection total, according to data by John Hopkins University.
Accordingly, the Centers for Disease Control released their recommendations for Thanksgiving 2020, which were to postpone travel if possible and to celebrate with those already in one’s household.
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“COVID-19 definitely changed my Thanksgiving plans. I wasn’t sure if I’d go home or not, but testing positive made the decision for me,” said ASU student Gannon Hanevold. Hanevold is living in an off-campus apartment in downtown Phoenix and is remaining there for the holiday.
Also staying in Arizona is Olivia Jacobs, an education major in Tempe.
“I definitely think it’s risky and a little dumb to travel to another state right now, especially if you’re in college because you’re so close to other people who might not be social distancing,” Jacobs said.
If it is not possible to adhere to these guidelines, the CDC advocated for the public to bring their own food and utensils to a gathering, to wear a mask when not eating, and to host outdoors if possible, among other precautions.
“I’m going to have dinner with my family because they’re close and it’s just going to be six of us, but I really don’t think Thanksgiving is that important or necessary,” Jacobs also said.
Similarly, Brooke Dixon, another Tempe student, is planning on bringing her close friends who can’t return home or decided to stay at school for the holiday to her family’s celebration, only 30 minutes away from campus.
To avoid busy airports, other student’s families are coming to see them.
“It’s going to be a little dicey because I’m just getting over coronavirus. But, it should be a nice way to spend time with them, which is important right now, given everything,” said Michael Bosque, a downtown student living at the off-campus apartment complex, Roosevelt Point.
However, for many of ASU’s out of state students, traveling by plane is a necessity. As it is for Michael Donohue, a second-year student living on ASU’s downtown campus.
“I’m returning home to Minnesota, leaving the Wednesday before Thanksgiving,” Donohue said. “My family is really looking forward to seeing me and with the surge in COVID here, I’m definitely ready to go back.”
Local airports are also increasing their safety measures in preparation for a busy holiday season.
“Travelers will notice enhanced cleaning protocols, hand sanitizer, plexiglass barriers at customer service counters, reconfigured seating at various restaurants, and new handrail cleaning technology,” Gregory E. Roybal, the public information officer for Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport said.
Shealyn Cooke, a nursing student living downtown, was slightly frightened of the prospect of returning to her home state of Colorado, and eventually elected to spend Thanksgiving with her in-state relatives instead.
“Normally, I feel like I would want to travel home but now it’s a lot harder and a lot more dangerous to go to the airport, so I feel like that’s not an option anymore,” Cooke said.
Following the holidays, some students are concerned about a potential increase of cases at ASU and hope to see an increase in precautions afterward.
“I’d want them to encourage those that go home for the holidays to stay until the spring,” said Hanevold.
Reflecting a similar sentiment, Bosque said, “I think that, for example, if I’m a Cronkite student and I go home out of state for the holidays, when I come back I have to take a mandatory COVID-19 test. Then I have to prove that I’m negative before I’m cleared to enter any building on campus.”
On Nov. 10, ASU released their latest schoolwide Novel Coronavirus update for the holiday.
This included details on airline discounts for students, tips for flying, reminders for spring class registration and a statement reading, “We look forward to seeing you back at ASU in the spring ready to take on the academic challenges of a new semester.”
Contact the reporter at samackie@asu.edu.
