2008 Woodie Awards
International students celebrate U.S. holidays
Courtney Johnson
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: Features
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UST is host to many foreign-exchange and international students. On holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, the dorms are closed to everyone. So what do these temporarily homeless students do during American holidays?
Some go back home, including senior communication major Marc Perello, who is from Tarragona, Spain. "We do not celebrate Thanksgiving; it's not a holiday in Spain," Perello said. "For the holidays, I'll go back to Spain and spend Christmas with my family in Tarragona, visit some friends in the city I'm currently living in, Barcelona, and go to the Catalan/French Pyrenees for New Year's Eve before returning to Houston for the spring semester."
Others stay with friends. Sophomore marketing major Jad El Masri, who is from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, experienced his first Thanksgiving this year. "I'm not used to the whole Thanksgiving tradition, but I'm looking forward to eating a really big meal and watching football along with [my friend's] family," he said prior to Thanksgiving break. "It'll be a really good story to go home and tell my parents that I experienced an important American tradition."
Some students even stay with their coach. With the addition of UST's men's soccer team, the University has recruited additional foreign students. As a result, Head Men's Soccer Coach Aaron Champenoy offered to let foreign players celebrate Thanksgiving with him and his family. "I really just wanted to give the boys a safe, loving place to stay over the holidays," Champenoy said.
Freshman Jeuel Ventura from London, England was excited about his stay with Champenoy over the Thanksgiving break. "I'm flattered that he offered to let me stay with him," Ventura said. "He made such an effort to bring me to the U.S., and now he's doing everything in his power to keep me happy. He really is a great guy."
Some go back home, including senior communication major Marc Perello, who is from Tarragona, Spain. "We do not celebrate Thanksgiving; it's not a holiday in Spain," Perello said. "For the holidays, I'll go back to Spain and spend Christmas with my family in Tarragona, visit some friends in the city I'm currently living in, Barcelona, and go to the Catalan/French Pyrenees for New Year's Eve before returning to Houston for the spring semester."
Others stay with friends. Sophomore marketing major Jad El Masri, who is from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, experienced his first Thanksgiving this year. "I'm not used to the whole Thanksgiving tradition, but I'm looking forward to eating a really big meal and watching football along with [my friend's] family," he said prior to Thanksgiving break. "It'll be a really good story to go home and tell my parents that I experienced an important American tradition."
Some students even stay with their coach. With the addition of UST's men's soccer team, the University has recruited additional foreign students. As a result, Head Men's Soccer Coach Aaron Champenoy offered to let foreign players celebrate Thanksgiving with him and his family. "I really just wanted to give the boys a safe, loving place to stay over the holidays," Champenoy said.
Freshman Jeuel Ventura from London, England was excited about his stay with Champenoy over the Thanksgiving break. "I'm flattered that he offered to let me stay with him," Ventura said. "He made such an effort to bring me to the U.S., and now he's doing everything in his power to keep me happy. He really is a great guy."