Catherine Zeta-Jones gossips with Brad Pitt on your right as George Bush discusses ideology with Martin Luther King Jr. on your left. From across the table, Mick Jagger _ or rather, Sir Mick Jagger _ pauses from eyeing an Olsen twin and asks you to please pass the cranberry relish.
| Students' Ultimate Turkey Day Companions | |
| Famous Actors | 6% |
| Famous Musicians | 6% |
| Famous Authors | 2% |
| Historical Figures | 12% |
| Friends | 4% |
| Family | 54% |
| Boyfriend/Girlfriend | 3% |
| Other | 13% |
Celebrities and historical figures galore: the ideal Thanksgiving dinner company?
Not according to the University undergraduate population. Given the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving dinner with any one person _ living, dead, famous, or infamous _ 54 percent of students, surveyed in an unscientific paper survey conducted in Dewick over the past week, would opt to dine with family.
"Thanksgiving is such a family-oriented holiday," Priya Sharma said. "Thanksgiving is the ultimate family holiday," agreed senior Meagan Rock. The pair provided a glimpse of how most Tufts student feel.
Many of them live hundreds of miles _ even oceans _ away from their families and so this sentiment may be even stronger for them. For these students, the appeal of sharing the traditional holiday meal with family members outshines the appeal of sharing it with celebrities or historical figures.
Given the choice, freshman Sonam Hajela would spend Turkey Day dinner with "[her] family in India because [she] never sees them." Likewise, junior Shuhatra Allen would elect to spend the big meal with her "entire family, because we never see each other."
14 percent of surveyed students were more attracted to fame than family, electing to spend Turkey Day with a famous actor, musician, author, or sports figure. Sophomore Nina Soares would spend the holiday dinner with Michael Jordan, who she considers "an intense athlete and phenomenal sports figure."
Freshman Craig Convissar would choose to dine with Lucille Ball because "she'd someone that [he] admire[s] a lot." And junior Alison Tedford chose Bob Dylan. Why? "Because he's Bob Dylan," Tedford said.
Others would like to share the stuffing with famous individuals for more unusual reasons. Freshman Telly Kousakis chose actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, explaining that he'd "love to see her bite into a nice juicy thigh."
Senior Robert Kim would like to share the meal with the Rolling Stones: "There'd be a fun after-dinner party," he said. And freshman Chris Lintz would spend the holiday with Gary Coleman. "He's cute, and he wouldn't eat much," Lintz said.
12 percent of surveyed students would like to spend Thanksgiving with a historical figure. Senior Emilio Comotti would choose "Leonardo da Vinci, because he is the man and he is Italian." Freshman Rob Spies said that he would like to mash the potatoes with Mother Teresa. "She embodies the ideals of Thanksgiving in her philosophy of self-sacrifice, generosity, and sense of community," he said. Other students cited Jesus Christ, Phillip II of Spain, and Einstein as individuals with whom they'd like to spend Thanksgiving.
Seven percent of surveyed students would choose to spend the holiday dinner with either friends, girlfriends, or boyfriends. "There's no one else I'd rather be with," said freshman Cory Levitt, who would choose to spend Thanksgiving dinner with his girlfriend. Freshman Yen Jin would prefer to spend the meal with her friends from high school: "I miss them and wish we had good times like [in] the old days," Jin said.
Nostalgia is also a factor in many students' desire to spend Thanksgiving with family members. One sophomore said that she would choose to spend the holiday with her late grandfather. "I would like to tell him about the things I've done since he's been gone... it would be nice to have one more Thanksgiving with him," she said.
Junior Claire Johnson would also choose to spend Thanksgiving with a late family member. "I'd like to spend Thanksgiving with my great grandmother on my dad's side," Johnson said. "She was a young child during the time of slavery."
Given the choice, freshman Adrienne Poon would opt to spend the big day with a grandfather she never met. "He passed away before I was born, so I never got a chance to meet him," Poon said. "I'd like to see what he's like in person, because I've heard so many stories about him."
Freshman Anjuli Singh summed up the feelings of most University students: "I'd want to spend [Thanksgiving] with family," she said. "You appreciate them more when you're not with them day to day."
