International students among in-season athletes still have a place to call home during intersession and Thanksgiving break.

Students may stay on campus during the intersession, but no meals will be offered, no visitors allowed and there is a $200 fee required upfront. Sometimes this fee can we waived with approval from Deb Gibson, director of housing.

She said this plan is a great idea because the international students are the one’s who will benefit from it the most.

“International students will reap the benefits of being able to stay on campus because they have the least places to go,” Gibson said.

She said students who stay on campus will not be allowed to have visitors because the shortage of student assistants.

“We have to make sure that everyone stays safe,” she said. “And with the limited amount of staff this is will be difficult if the students have visitors.

Gibson said she wishes they had the luxury of clumping all of the students together in one building.

“We will also not be able to offer meals because at this point we never know how many students will be staying over the intersession,” she said. “Until we steady out, [Sodexho Campus Services] will not be able to provide meals.”

Diony Paillant, senior CIS major, said having the opportunity to stay on campus is a great idea but he strongly disagrees with the fee.

“I think it is ridiculous. Students should be allowed to stay on campus for free definitely if meals aren’t offered,” Paillant said.

Paillant was a staff assistant for the residence halls but now he is living with his host family who he will be spending Thanksgiving with.

He will return home to Haiti to spend Christmas with his biological family.

Yermek Zhakipzhanov, freshman graphic design major, will also be spending the holidays with his host family.

“I would like to go back home to Kazakhstan to be with my family, but it is way too expensive,” Zhakipzhanov said.

Dwayne Mactavious, freshman graphic design major, said a few of the international students are going to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas for Thanksgiving.

“It’s about 12 of us going, and I think we are going to have a lot of fun,” Mactavious said.

Three international students came up with the idea to have some of the international students get together for Thanksgiving.

“I wouldn’t mind staying on campus, but we have found some activities to do during the break,” Mactavious said.

He said staying on campus works but in other ways there is a problem.

“Not being allowed to have visitors over the break seems a little lonely to me,” Mactavious said. “But for now, I have nothing to worry about because I will be going back to the Islands for Christmas.

Gibson said the giving students the opportunity to stay on campus has worked out pretty good.

“I am impressed with the way my staff has reacted and the physical plant’s staff,” she said.

Gibson said this was truly the right thing to do.