Fall Break

No classes!
Monday, November 25 – Friday, November 29.
ELC office is open Monday – Wednesday.
The university is closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 in observance of Thanksgiving.

Final Reception: TALENT SHOW

Monday, December 9
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
WCP Student Activity Center – Ballroom (WCP 2.410/2.412)
Winners of the Spring 2025 scholarships will be announced!
Dinner will be served.
Each semester, our final reception features a talent show.
- Past shows have included:
  - songs- Karaoke style or musical instruments!
  - dances
  - martial arts demonstrations
  - poems in many languages
  - international fashion shows
We also have a RAFFLE and put together a slideshow of your photos from throughout the semester. Please share your pictures here to add them to the show!
When you’ve decided what you’ll perform, send Jack an email so that we can add you to the program and coordinate your audio and video needs.
The deadline to let Jack know if you will be performing is Monday, December 2 by 5:00 pm.
We can’t wait to hear what you have planned!

Continuing Student Applications

For Spring 2025
Application available online HERE
We would love to see you again!

Thanksgiving Dinner

In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Turkey, a Thanksgiving staple so ubiquitous it has become synonymous with the holiday, may or may not have been on offer when the Pilgrims hosted the inaugural feast in 1621. Today, however, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat the bird—whether roasted, baked or deep-fried—on Thanksgiving, according to the National Turkey Federation. Other traditional foods include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, according to History.com.

Kerbey Lane

Kerbey Lane’s Thanksgiving Plates are just $19.99 per person, and include brussels sprouts, cornbread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes with gravy, turkey with gravy, cranberry sauce, and a biscuit, while supplies last. These plates are available for dine-in or takeout and will be available at participating Kerbey Lane locations–South, Northwest, University, Southwest, Round Rock, and Mueller. All of these locations will be open from 7 am to 3 pm on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, and no reservations or advance orders are being taken.

Hyde Park:

Dine-in: Traditional Turkey Plate and Vegetarian Plate
Open Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28
11 am – 7 pm
Central Location on 4206 Duval St.

HEB:

Leave Thanksgiving to HEB so you can have a stress-free and mess-free holiday! Order a Holiday Meal, available for curbside pick-up (available through November 28) or home delivery (available through November 27) the week of Thanksgiving. Packaged in a convenient carrier box, this complete meal is simple to prepare! After reheating the natural turkey in the oven, do the same for the four side dishes — all at once at the same temperature and for the same amount of time. The gravy can be reheated on the stovetop (recommended) or in the microwave. Save lots of time and effort this season with this pre-prepared turkey dinner.

Thanksgiving Activities

The feast is the center of attention during the Thanksgiving holiday, but there are a few other ways American’s also like to celebrate! Parades are a popular community activity. These often feature local students, bands, dancing groups, and floats decorated for the occasion. Volunteering is another common Thanksgiving Day activity. Communities often hold food drives, fundraisers, and host free dinners for the less fortunate.

Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy’s, Inc.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade:

A true American tradition. The 98th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on television nationwide on Thursday, November 28 from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm in all time zones on NBC. The parade will also be live on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock (you can sign up for an account). Take a look online at the many giant balloons, floats, entertainers, marching bands, and more that are joining the celebration.

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot:

It’s the 34th Annual ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. This is one of Austin’s most beloved Thanksgiving traditions! The event will feature a 5-mile run, 1-mile walk, and Kids-K. 100% of the raffle ticket revenue will benefit Caritas of Austin, a non-profit that works to prevent and end homelessness in the Austin community.

Thursday, November 28
9:30 am for the main event
The Long Center, 701 W Riverside Dr.
Registration fees range $15 – $45; includes an iconic Turkey Trot long-sleeved T-shirt!
Register online HERE

Operation Turkey:

Operation Turkey is 100% volunteer organization that works together to ensure everyone receives a warm meal on Thanksgiving Day. Each year they prepare, package, and deliver meals to the homeless and less fortunate in just 4 hours.

Watch the video below to learn how you can help!

Step 1: Sign up!

First, you will need to fill out the volunteer intake form and give them some details including your preferred location and station (what you’d like to do for us). They have a database of over 50k volunteers!

Step 2: Check your email!

Once you are in our volunteer database, you will receive a small number of emails throughout the year notifying you of upcoming Operation Turkey events. The number of emails you receive will increase in October and November, leading up to Thanksgiving Day. To ensure you are receiving important volunteer information, add volunteers@operationturkey.com to your contacts, and check your spam folder.

Step 3: Show up!

Once you have registered as a volunteer, all you have to do is show up!
Here are some general tips for Thanksgiving Day volunteers:
- - Please plan to show up at 8:00 a.m. wearing comfortable clothing and closed-toed shoes for walking safety.
  - You are always able to select what you would like to do. Cooking, cleaning, plating, packaging, or delivering; there is always a job to be done. Any time and help you can offer Operation Turkey is greatly appreciated.
  - Kids are welcome and encouraged to come out with parents or guardians. They also have special programs that enlist the help of the younger members of your family. They will get to share the great Operation Turkey experience with you, and it will help open their young eyes to the importance of giving back to their communities.
Read these FAQs (frequently asked questions) for more information.

Operation Turkey 2024 Austin Events:

Turkey Tailgate:

Wednesday, November 27
6:00 am – 8:00 pm
Dave & Buster’s Austin, 9333 Research Blvd Service Rd #A600
This is the event where they smoke turkeys and make preparations for the meals served on Thanksgiving Day. They will also be accepting donations for care packages during this time. Make sure you are registered to volunteer so you receive the informational emails when details of the event are available.

Operation Turkey: Downtown

Thursday, November 28
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Juliet Italian Kitchen- Barton Springs, 1500 Barton Springs Rd.
This is the big event where they prepare, package, and deliver meals to the homeless and less fortunate. Please register to volunteer on the website to ensure you get the informational emails with details of volunteering.

Operation Turkey: Northwest

Thursday, November 28
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Juliet Italian Kitchen, 10000 Research Blvd Building C
This is the big event where they prepare, package, and deliver meals to the homeless and less fortunate. Please register to volunteer on the website to ensure you get the informational emails with details of volunteering.