University Ministry will have a Thanksgiving dinner prepared for students, faculty, staff and their families who stay on campus. Some students will also cook their own Thanksgiving meals for others who are staying with them.,”Students staying on campus for Thanksgiving are few and far between, but the pickings aren't slim.

University Ministry will have a Thanksgiving dinner prepared for students, faculty, staff and their families who stay on campus. Some students will also cook their own Thanksgiving meals for others who are staying with them.

Jim McMahon, assistant vice president and dean of the Office of Residence Life, said residence halls will stay open over the holiday. He said fewer than 100 students stayed in the dorms last Thanksgiving break.

"When students do stay, we ask them to turn in their ID when they come in the building so we know where everybody is," McMahon said.

Schroeder dining hall will be open for brunch and dinner each day during the break. Guests may check visitors in during the day, but may not have overnight guests, McMahon said.

Ellen Blonski, administrative assistant for University Ministry, said its annual Thanksgiving dinner will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Thursday in Schroeder dining hall.

Blonski said the Rev. William H. McEvoy, a former chaplain in the School of Dentistry and theology professor, started the dinner in the 1950s in the basement of the Dental School. Now the feast is a collaborative effort between University Ministry, Residence Life and Sodexho, Blonski said.

Blonski said the meal is usually attended by international students, Department of Public Safety officers, Facilities Services staff and any family members or guests.

Volunteers from Marquette who will be staying on campus serve the food, which will include fish and rice in addition to the usually Thanksgiving fare, Blonski said.

Lynsey Zlotnik, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, said she will have dinner with her sister, who lives in Waukesha, on Thursday. She said her parents moved from Wisconsin to Massachusetts recently, so it's too expensive to go home for just a few days.

Chris DeMatteo, a first-year law student, said he is staying on campus over the break because his finals start Dec. 4 and he needs to study. He said this will be his first Thanksgiving away from his family, who live in New Haven, Conn.

"It's not a big deal at all, I'll see my family at Christmas," DeMatteo said. "I'm looking forward to getting a good mix of work and rest."

DeMatteo and two of his roommates plan on having their own Thanksgiving dinner, and DeMatteo said he has invited some other students from the East Coast who will be staying in Milwaukee.

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