Sarah Sollinger, Staff Writer–
At 4:55 p.m. on Nov. 14, exactly two weeks before Thanksgiving, a line began to form outside of Huffman dining hall. Students anxious to get in the door milled about, counting down the minutes until the clock struck five. A line outside of Huffman is practically unheard of, almost like a Denison day with no buzzards in the sky, a year without fire alarms in Shorney, or no line at 1 p.m. for the mailroom. But this Thursday was different.
Because if you were to talk to Liza Roach, a senior at Denison, who was standing in the line forming at 4:55 p.m., she would tell you:
“Today is the best day of the year. It is Huffman friendsgiving.”
The dining halls at Denison University have been hosting special Thanksgiving-themed dinners for many years, long before the current seniors were first-years. Decked out with autumn-themed tablecloths and napkins, seasonal decorations, and Thanksgiving staples, this particular dinner is a long-anticipated event. It is lovingly called friendsgiving, in honor of the tables of friends soon to gather and enjoy each other’s company.
Walking through the double glass doors of Huffman, stalks of wheat tall enough to reach the ceiling, hay bales, and pumpkins lined the entryway. White linen tablecloths covered the normally gray, stained plastic tables in the main dining room. Rolled maroon napkins, typically saved for special occasions, replaced the typical fork-and-knife dispensers scattered around the dining room. In the middle, a fall-themed, candlelit centerpiece sat surrounded by a gold table runner. With the lights dimmed and gold streamers strung along the ceiling, the mood was set for a fancy evening of dining.
The exceptional quality is so well known that it is not uncommon to see diners from Granville slip into the red vinyl booths. Kids run around the dining room of Huffman alongside the typical 20-something crowd.
One such family would be the Mills. Tammy Mills brought her two daughters and son to Huffman on Thursday to enjoy the great food for the second year in a row.
“My husband found friendsgiving by accident last year, and now we have made it into a little tradition. The kids love it,” said Mills.
Mills and Roach are not alone, and Huffman friendsgiving is a celebrated campus-wide event. Izzy Arguelles, a sophomore at Denison, is one of the many Huffman Friendsgiving fanatics.
“I love how much people look forward to it,” said Arguelles. “It makes it more fun. And the ambiance is just awesome.”
This year, Denison Hospitality set out a bracelet-making table with plenty of beads and string for students to use in friendship bracelets. Last year they had themed placemats inviting students to reflect on what they are most grateful for.
Along with families and groups of friends, it is not uncommon to see sports teams and members of Greek organizations jammed into much-too-small tables.
Katie Houpt, a junior on the women’s basketball team, loves nothing more than a team dinner in Huffman.
“It gives us an opportunity to bond off the court,” said Houpt. “We eat dinner together all the time, it means more at tables with cloth tablecloths.”
Photo: Huffman dining hall’s festive desserts bar featured sweet potato pie slices, bread pudding and individual pecan pies.