The University’s annual Cafsgiving dinner was held on Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. in the Bostwick Marketplace. Cafsgiving is an early Thanksgiving dinner for students before the week-long break. The highly anticipated event brings in students of all class years, making it difficult to get a table. Many students lined up for up to an hour before the event in order to get a table and get their food right as Cafsgiving opened.

“Waiting with all of my friends for Cafsgiving to open was actually a lot of fun since we were all so excited to get our meals. Cafsgiving is definitely one of the best meals from Bostwick so we were all looking forward to the event for weeks leading up to it,” Charlotte Simon ’22 said.

Cafsgiving offers Thanksgiving staples like turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and ham. There was also an extensive dessert table with pumpkin, pecan, apple and chocolate-peanut butter pies. Vegetarian options were also available at the event.

“I thought all of the food was so good and it made me even more excited for Thanksgiving. It was awesome to be able to have an early Thanksgiving with all of my friends,” Sarah Stukalin ’22 said.

Dining Services prepares months in advance for the event, according to General Manager of Resident Dining Jay Breeding. “We place orders for the turkeys at the end of the summer in order to guarantee delivery in time to have them all dressed and ready to go for the big day, and prep work starts about a week in advance as some of the durable items arrive,” Breeding said. “The days before Cafsgiving are a logistical challenge as 2400lbs of turkey are brined and made ready to roast and slice, 700 lbs of potatoes are cut and racks of stuffing are mixed and panned up.  All of this activity happens alongside everyday meal preparation and any catering events that are taking place.”

The event is particularly special for first-years. It is a night of unity as the whole class eats in the cafeteria, and it marks the near completion of their first semester of college. “The food was delicious. I was impressed by the hard work the Botswick staff put into the event,” Nick Pirone ’23 said.

Nevertheless, many upperclassmen also return to Botswick for Cafsgiving. “Even though I don’t have any caf swipes, I love coming back to Botswick for Cafsgiving. I get my money’s worth by going up for seconds and thirds!” Jessica Luis ’21 said.

“At the end of the day, it’s a lot of work, but it’s a true labor of love as we want every Cafsgiving to be memorable,” Breeding said.