Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Northeastern New York organize Thanksgiving feast with international flair



"We are continuing with Peace Corps' goal of building friendships," Thornhill, a resident of Glenville, said about the event. "We want these international students to have a good image of America. This is a great way to show them another piece of our culture." "This is a great initiative on the part of RPI and Peace Corps to feed people from outside of the United States. And, on my part, it's a great opportunity to meet people who served in different countries around the world," said Adith Venkiteshwaran, an RPI chemical engineering doctorate student who attended the seventh annual Thanksgiving dinner for international students at RPI's student union building.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Northeastern New York organize Thanksgiving feast with international flair

Thanksgiving feast with international flair

By: Danielle Sanzone, The Record

11/25/2007

Caption: Diane Peapus serves Suelynn Lee, 9, during the annual 'free giving dinner'" hosted by former members of the Peace Corps at RPI. Tom Killips -- The Record

TROY - People from all corners of the world gathered Saturday for a traditionally American Thanksgiving dinner.

"This is a great initiative on the part of RPI and Peace Corps to feed people from outside of the United States. And, on my part, it's a great opportunity to meet people who served in different countries around the world," said Adith Venkiteshwaran, an RPI chemical engineering doctorate student who attended the seventh annual Thanksgiving dinner for international students at RPI's student union building.

"I've been coming to this ever since I started at RPI four years ago," he continued. "And, it's such a great program, I expect to come here for as long as I am studying in the area."

Venkiteshwaran, a native of India, was one of about 66 international students who attended Saturday's post-holiday feast, which included traditional Thanksgiving fare and some foods from around Africa.

The recent meal was organized by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Northeastern New York, an organization which is made up of former Peace Corps volunteers.

Forty years after Harry Thornhill went to Liberia with Peace Corps, he and his wife, are still active with the international organization through this local chapter.

"We are continuing with Peace Corps' goal of building friendships," Thornhill, a resident of Glenville, said about the event. "We want these international students to have a good image of America. This is a great way to show them another piece of our culture."

Along with the dozens of international students and their families, the event also attracted about 20 former members of Peace Corps.

"The event went beautifully," said Augusta Fields, president of the local chapter of the Peace Corps organization. She served in southern Africa in 1988. "We had a diverse group of people which is wonderful."

People who attended this event were from such countries as China, Greece and India.

"A lot of international students have no place to go during the Thanksgiving break so they spend all their time in the labs doing work," said Jane Havis with the college's International Services for Students and Scholars. "This dinner lets them have fun and talk with people from many different cultures while also learning about our tradition of Thanksgiving."

The feast included the traditional fare of turkeys, stuffing, salads and pies and dishes with an international flair, including an African brown nut stew. Gould Orchards donated several items for the meal, officials said.

"It's interesting to meet people and hear how other people from around the world live and think, because, in the end, you realize that we are all amazingly alike," said Thornhill.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: November, 2007; Local Groups; Thanksgiving; Service; Peace Corps Liberia; Directory of Liberia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Liberia RPCVs; New York

When this story was posted in December 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

---

Dodd vows to filibuster Surveillance Act Senator Chris Dodd vowed to filibuster the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped this administration violate the civil liberties of Americans. "It is time to say: No more. No more trampling on our Constitution. No more excusing those who violate the rule of law. These are fundamental, basic, eternal principles. They have been around, some of them, for as long as the Magna Carta. They are enduring. What they are not is temporary. And what we do not do in a time where our country is at risk is abandon them."

---

---

November 12, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Chris Dodd's service began with Peace Corps 9 Nov Matthew McCue called back to Iraq from Peace Corps 9 Nov Tschetter Visits Turkmenistan 9 Nov Lara Weber writes: Oprah Winfrey's stumble 9 Nov Heather Thompson works with P Diddy 7 Nov Karen Hughes' public diplomacy came to nothing 4 Nov James Rupert writes: Musharraf seizes power 3 Nov Martin Puryear is Man of Mysteries 2 Nov Sarah Chayes says Taliban score major victory 1 Nov John Sullivan runs Sudan Divestment Task Force. 30 Oct Tom Bissell writes: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro 28 Oct Chris Shays to seek 12th term 25 Oct Helen Dudley can't stop giving 25 Oct Joseph Acaba named to STS-119 Shuttle Crew 22 Oct Vince Floriani in USA Today's All-USA Teacher Team 22 Oct Kelly J. Morris writes "The Bight of Benin" 20 Oct Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 19 Oct Peace Corps returning to Liberia 18 Oct David Peckham started Village Bicycle Project 16 Oct Alberto Ibarguen announces grant for "Project Impunity" 15 Oct Campbell Memorial Park boosts ecotourism 15 Oct Bowers Family keep daughter's dream alive 15 Oct

---

What is the greatest threat facing us now? "People will say it's terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No. Can they knock down a building? Yes. Can they kill somebody? Yes. But can they change us? No. Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing? I would approach this differently, in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there - ones that we can take advantage of?" Read more.

---

Senator Dodd's Peace Corps Hearings Read PCOL's executive summary of Senator Chris Dodd's hearings on July 25 on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act and why Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter does not believe the bill would contribute to an improved Peace Corps while four other RPCV witnesses do. Highlights of the hearings included Dodd's questioning of Tschetter on political meetings at Peace Corps Headquarters and the Inspector General's testimony on the re-opening of the Walter Poirier III investigation.

---

Paul Theroux: Peace Corps Writer Paul Theroux began by writing about the life he knew in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His first first three novels are set in Africa and two of his later novels recast his Peace Corps tour as fiction. Read about how Theroux involved himself with rebel politicians, was expelled from Malawi, and how the Peace Corps tried to ruin him financially in John Coyne's analysis and appreciation of one of the greatest American writers of his generation (who also happens to be an RPCV).

---

Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania.

---

Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences .

---

He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

Read the stories and leave your comments.