The Humanities and Communication (HCOM) department at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) held their virtual friendsgiving event for students and faculty in the department to take a break from writing and grading essays and exams on Nov. 12.
Estella Porras, a professor and HCOM adviser at CSUMB, helped coordinate the event for people in the department to be able to wind down and get to connect with each other online through games and icebreakers.
Everyone started with basic light introductions of names and fun facts about themselves, and then went into a game of “would you rather” to see what people would pick given two options which would reveal more about that person.
Then, after some rounds of BINGO and a thanksgiving themed “20 questions” where students could win prizes, Porras had everyone share what they are thankful for in the semester so far.
With this being the first semester back in-person after going into lock down for over a year, many were thankful to be back on campus or even to step foot on a college campus for the first time for those who started coming to CSUMB during quarantine.
Others were thankful for the opportunities they’ve been given to make new friends and connections within the community that have given them the support to succeed. Through this support, they have been able to make tremendous growth into their adult lives.
“I’m thankful for the kindness and the soft spots I’ve seen in people,” Porras said when closing out the meeting and thanking everyone for making the event successful.