By: Margaret Kelly ’24
You can tell it’s the week before Thanksgiving break on a college campus when everyone starts getting real sick of the cafeteria, yearning for that overflowing plate of home-cooked food you know is just around the corner. With exams and presentations running us down for weeks, I know we’re all ready for a well-deserved break. Luckily for us, this grim last week had a bright spot, satiating our craving for a delicious meal, another smash event by the Honors College and Seidenberg School of Computer Science: Pacegiving!
Held on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, this year’s Pacegiving celebration was certainly one for the books. The event spanned two hours, and they were filled to the brim with fun, laughter, conversation, and enough food to keep you dreaming about the spread for days. We even got to enjoy the new Seidenberg Design space on the 9th floor of the freshly-unveiled 15 Beekman building; with lofty ceilings and dozens of tables, Honors and Seidenberg pulled out all the stops to make this a memorable event.
The space was adorned with cheerful Thanksgiving-themed décor, complete with turkeys, balloons, and a charming chart where students could express their gratitude this holiday season. The decorations really set the mood; the cheery additions were so thoughtfully placed by the Honors Advisory Board members in preparation for the event.
Pacegiving has reigned as a staple in Honors culture for almost a decade, with celebrations originating around 2015. While the design of Pacegiving has changed over the years (it used to be a potluck!), the joy and sense of community that sprout from this gathering has not changed one bit. “Pacegiving has always had a special place in my heart because it is something I brought over from my time working at Pace High School,” Jackie Kopel, Associate Dean of Honors, said about the tradition. “I am glad our friends at Seidenberg agreed to partner with us… [to] enjoy watching the communities come together with each other. It’s a blending of families, schools, and cultures.”
Even before the event started, students were anxiously awaiting the clock striking 5:00 so they could pile their plates high. Since I had the pleasure of working the check-in desk that evening, I got to chat and catch up with all my peers who attended the event. It’s so nice to feel that sense of community strengthening as Honors students get together! To get your food at Pacegiving, you had to either bring a non-perishable food donation or a monetary donation of any amount. As students kept arriving, so did the donations! “Pacegiving is important to me because it gives us all a chance to give back,” Heebah Khan (’24) said regarding the long-standing Honors tradition. “As everyone gets into the holiday season mindset it can be easy to forget how lucky we all are, but Pacegiving gives us an opportunity to donate and give back, which is, to me, the most important part of the holiday season.” The Honors and Seidenberg students stepped up to the plate (no pun intended) and brought in over 130 food donations in exchange for their turn at the buffet tables.
The food was a smash hit, with our gracious hosts ensuring there was something there for everyone. The menu this year was as wonderfully varied as usual. Steaming and fresh, there were classic Thanksgiving dishes, such as turkey and stuffing, various Italian options, some delicious Indian food, and to top it all off, some tantalizing desserts. The incredible food was provided by Chartwells; we’re so grateful for their hard work and for Honors and Seidenberg for blessing us with such an extensive selection! The line of students waiting for a plate began to wrap around the room, and that’s how I knew Pacegiving was truly in full swing.
As everyone settled in with their food, members of Honors Advisory Board worked hard to keep the event on track, taking some pictures and continuing to check in the flowing stream of guests — of course stopping to mingle and celebrate with their friends and peers. Students were abuzz with the fulfilling feeling of eating a satisfying meal and relaxing happily with their friends after a long and hard semester thus far.
“My favorite part of Pacegiving was getting to eat with Honors students,” said Bianca Mazur (’26). “It felt like we were all a big family eating Thanksgiving [dinner] together.” It sure did feel like a family affair, with students hugging and laughing, celebrating being together and having a nice recess from the relentless flow of work we’ve all been caught under.
The Honors staff also joined in on the fun, with all of the advisors eating and celebrating along with the rest of our Honors family. Honors’ newest advisor, Emma Klainberg-Orlick, got to join us for her very first Pacegiving! “My favorite part of Pacegiving was seeing so many students coming together at a busy… time of the semester,” Klainberg-Orlick told me. She really enjoyed how Honors and Seidenberg students took “the time to enjoy a meal in each other’s company and to give back to the Pace community.” We’re so happy Emma could join us to celebrate!
This year’s Pacegiving was certainly one to remember. With the fun decorations, delicious food, and joyous atmosphere of community, there was nothing but fun to be had on the evening of Pacegiving. Thank you to everyone on Honors Advisory Board and to the Honors and Seidenberg staff for hosting such a fun, classic event. If you missed Pacegiving this year, be sure to keep on the lookout for it next year! This isn’t an event you want to miss.