Third annual harvest dinner offers hospitality to international students

Organized by the Spiritual Care and Learning Centre, the harvest dinner stems from a long-standing tradition of welcoming international students

This year's harvest dinner on campus was held during reading week on Oct. 17, 2024 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at The Buttery in Alumni Hall. Students who attended the dinner enjoyed an evening of food, conversation, and friendship.

This dinner was primarily organized by the Spiritual Care and Learning Centre, one of the services of the Student Success Center, along with the McMaster Chaplaincy Centre. It was supported by the International and Exchange Student Experience office. The SCLC was founded in 2021 to provide accessible and comprehensive spiritual care.

Andy Crowell, the SCLC director, explained that the harvest dinner evolved from an annual thanksgiving dinner that the ecumenical chaplaincy held for nearly thirty years. “The heart behind it is to provide hospitality for any students, but particularly identifying international students. The heart behind it was to provide a little hospitality at a time when Canadians are celebrating in a traditional way,” said Crowell.

The ecumenical chaplaincy falls under the umbrella of groups supported by the SCLC. Crowell noted that he advocated for the SCLC to help host the dinner to sustain the tradition without relying on volunteer support. “The original dinner through the ecumenical chaplaincy would involve at least 50 volunteers … That kind of organization, you can imagine, was wide and arduous,” said Crowell.

The dinner is held during reading week to provide a social opportunity for international students. “A lot of students go to their homes … [but] many are still on campus, most of whom are international students,” added Crowell.

Crowell also spoke to the decision to rename the event.  “Thanksgiving is a perfectly appropriate word for a human expression of something, but it has a connotation at that time of year,” said Crowell.

Elder Katherine Knott, who works with the SCLC, was invited to speak at the dinner to honor the significance of this change. The harvest dinner included traditional thanksgiving and Indigenous dishes. “The repositioning is sought to try and decolonize a little bit out of the Canadian, sort of Euro-thanksgiving concept to one that is no less grateful,” said Crowell.

The evening began with opening remarks from Crowell, Knott, ecumenical chaplain Marlice Simon and dean of students Sean Van Koughnett. Each table had a host who facilitated icebreakers and friendship bracelet making. Door prizes were given out throughout the event and winners were encouraged to introduce themselves.

Crowell shared that the event was at full capacity, with over 100 students attending. Many students stayed and continued their conversations after the event officially ended.

Speaking about what he hoped students would take away from the event, Crowell said, “If they’ve not had many points of contact with other students to help build a small sense of community, they could and did find it that night."

The harvest dinner provided an opportunity for students to find community and express gratitude. To connect with the SCLC and their programs and services, you can visit their website or drop in to their office, located in room 212 of MUSC.