Thanksgiving isn’t just about a week off of exams, papers and classes — the break also allows CSU students to ditch the turkey for weird traditions and activities.

Some CSU students take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday and step out of their comfort zones.

“Every Thanksgiving break since I’ve been at CSU I go back home to upstate New York to catch up with family and friends,” senior Will Reuteman said. “The Wednesday before Thanksgiving a bunch of my high school friends get together and we like to have a real good time, sometimes too good a time…”

For the past four years, Reuteman and friends have run in the 5K Turkey Trot.

Every Thanksgiving, Mia Senz and her family road-trip to Utah for backwoods camping. Close to Green River, Utah, the Senz family joins college friends while appreciating what the great outdoors has to offer.

“One of the traditions that we have are the fireworks,” Senz said. “Picture this: you have a bunch of men that still act like children, give them an area where there is no one around and ask them, ‘Wanna blow something up?’”

Over the years, the Senz family camping group made a rock oven that can hold up to four or five turkeys. Roasting over an open fire, family, friends and children of all age gather around catching up during this annual tradition in Utah.

Reflecting on the good times Senz has experienced during her family’s outdoor adventures, within the past 19 years she has only missed three Thanksgivings in Utah.

“This is a very big tradition in my family,” Senz said. “It is important to me because every year, I get to look forward to seeing my friends. I don’t see them for an entire year, so it’s good to catch up over a dinner of thanks.”