Cashing in on Immobility

Like many undergraduates, Quezada has opted to spend tomorrow working for Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) Catering Services.

"It bothers me a little to be catering someone else's Thanksgiving dinner when I could be having one of my own," she said.

However, Quezada said the prospect of earning more than $8 an hour serving pie is an adequate comfort.

According to Nancy S. Lindholm '93, assistant manager of HSA Catering, Quezada is one of about 50 students who are cashing in on their holiday immobility this year. Lindholm said that the catering jobs, which involve preparation, serving, clean-up and healthy tips at family dinners are "a nice alternative for people who are going to be around, to work in a family atmosphere."

Although the prospect of watching from the kitchen as someone else's family and friends celebrate, Lindholm said that "most people are realistic about it."

"The families are really nice and relaxed," she said.

Champagne, Turkey and Conversation

Other Cambridge-bound students are spending their holiday working with public service programs. Sandy Shah of Little Brothers, a service group which provides meals for elderly people in the Boston area, said about 150 students each year participate in the organization's Thanksgiving Day program.

Students involved in the program bring champagne, turkey and conversation to the homes of house-ridden people. "We've become a very popular thing for people to do who don't have anywhere to go during Thanksgiving," Shah said. "We've had very positive response."

Michael J. Middleton '87, Harvard director of community service programs for first-year students, touts community service as a rewarding and beneficial alternative to the traditional self-indulgent activities for which Thanksgiving is known.

"Thanksgiving's a tough time for a lot of people, like the poor or homeless," Middleton said. "The problems they face during the rest of the year, like isolation, are just intensified. Even for first-years [who stay at Harvard during Thanksgiving] it doesn't live up to the expectations people have of it."

Middleton, who himself volunteers at the Haven for Hunger soup kitchen in Peabody, said many students jump at the chance to "share a little of themselves with someone else."

Consumers and Servers

Still, there are many at Harvard who prefer consuming food to serving it. The 250 Ivy League students participating in the seventh annual Pachanga celebration and forum, a four-day round of workshops, dinners and dances, will be doing a lot of that this weeekend.