Due to the economic crisis during the past few months, many college students are having a harder time finding affordable plane tickets for flights home for the holidays.
Despite the most recent decline in the price of oil, the cost of plane tickets has been largely unaffected, leaving some students with the difficult decision of whether to visit home during Thanksgiving break.
While most students will still return home for Thanksgiving, more students this year will be staying on campus or with relatives and friends living nearby due to the high cost of plane tickets.
For students living on the east or west coast, it may not be worthwhile to go back home for only a few days.
“Expensive plane tickets are not worth going home for four days,” senior Kevin Lu, who will be staying in his dorm over Thanksgiving break, said.
According to Tim Lempfert, associate director of residential life, around 220 students are reported to be staying on the South 40 over Thanksgiving. Last year, somewhere around 190 students reported their decision to stay in the dorms.
Lempfert said that the number is not representative of every student’s Thanksgiving plan since the surveys, given out by residential advisers and residential college directors, were informal and voluntary.
“Knowing the current overall economy, I would not be surprised if people stayed [in the dorms] for that reason,” Lempfert said.
Another factor contributing to the slight increase in students staying on campus for break is that Thanksgiving this year comes very late in the month. Consequently, there are relatively fewer days between Thanksgiving break and winter break.
“Thanksgiving break is too close to winter break. For us students who live far away from Wash. U., it is unreasonable to go back home. It costs too much to be worthwhile,” Will Lukach, a sophomore from San Francisco, said.
Lempfert also pointed out that Thanksgiving Day is not celebrated by all students.
“For me, [the break] is an opportunity for me to spend time with my family, though others may have different views,” he said.
Since housing during Thanksgiving break is already included in the total room price, students choosing to stay will not incur any additional costs. During the break, the business school will be hosting a basketball tournament, and Dining Services will be preparing a Thanksgiving meal for students in Bear’s Den.
