Today, President Bush will select the national Thanksgiving turkey — it’s tradition for the feathered creature to receive a pardon from the president. The bird will most likely live out its days roaming Disney World after a first-class flight to Orlando. There it will have its grand debut as the Grand Marshall of the Thanksgiving Day parade, according to the White House Web site.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation. The ceremony began in 1947 when a holiday bird was presented to President Truman, according to the Web site. However, presidents have been receiving turkeys since the Lincoln administration, though the formation of the official ceremony was not until later.
The honorary turkey for this year’s festivities will come from Dubois, Ind. The bird was raised under the supervision of the National Turkey Federation Chairman Ted Seger, according to the Web site. The bird was fed and raised under normal conditions except for the fact that it was exposed to more human interaction so it would be prepared for the spotlight on its big day.
The Cafe hosted their annual Thanksgiving Dinner last night as students prepared to leave for the Thanksgiving break, allowing diners to return to a more traditional Thanksgiving.
Replete with candied butternut squash salad, the menu included traditional favorites such as honey oven-roasted smoked turkey, as well as more innovative dishes like cranberry Dijon sautéed green beans.
In addition to the delectable fare, the dinner was memorable because faculty and staff members carved the turkey and served students. According to General Manager Steve Rall, the featured staff was Don Sims, Danny Paschall, Greg Vaughan, Chris Grace, Carolyn White, Brian Shook, Ed Alvarez, Wes Wilmer, Rachel Clark and Adam Morris. Dinner began at 4:30 p.m. and lasted until 7 p.m. A different pair of staff members served every half hour.
As a psychologist, Dr. Chris Grace said he has some insight into bird’s brains. In an interview before the dinner, he admitted to knowing how the birds’ “fowl little minds work,” and acknowledged that this task of serving dinner would be dangerous.
“For those colleagues, family and students who worry about me undertaking such a task, I have sought two demands from the Cafe: That I be provided a sharp knife and that the turkey be unarmed. Given this, my eventual victory over the fowl beast is all but assured,” Grace said.
“Everyone’s invited,” said Café Manager Ana Ramos. “We can serve about 2,000 people, and everyone is encouraged to bring their families.”
It is inevitable that there were many mouths to feed, but Ramos wasn’t worried.
“We will try to do our best to serve,” she said. The president was invited as well, but unfortunately, he was unable to make it.
The dinner was a wonderful opportunity to receive physical nourishment from favorite professors and to express gratitude for all that God has done this year.
“All of us want to celebrate and give thanks to God,” Ramos said.
