The majority of Iowa State students will be with their families next week, but there are some students who won’t be able to go home for Thanksgiving break.

Many international students don’t have the means or the time to travel around the world to spend a week with their families, and some of them choose other options, such as traveling with friends or roommates.

Janelle Campbell, freshman in computer engineering from Trinidad, is one of those students. She’s heading to Chicago with her roommate over break.

Campbell said although Trinidad is too far for her to go home for Thanksgiving break, she wants to go home during semester break. “It’s too expensive to go home for such a short time,” she said.

Juan Carlos Melendez-Hernandez, sophomore in computer engineering from Hatillo, Puerto Rico, said it’s not worth the hassle to go home for a week. He’ll stay in Ames over break.

“Break is just a week, and after we come back here [to school], it’s only two weeks until I go home for Christmas,” he said.

During semester break, only Fisher-Nickell, Linden, Storms and Westgate halls will offer continuous services, but the residence halls are trying something new for Thanksgiving break.

“The residence department has opened up all dorms as continuous houses for Thanksgiving and spring breaks this year,” said Nicci Port, Westgate hall director.

Port said that although there aren’t any special programs for the students staying in the residence halls over Thanksgiving break, they are working on plans for semester break.

The residence halls will provide all services to students over break except food service, said Creighton Gaynor, hall director for Fisher-Nickell, Barton, Lyon and Freeman halls.

“We do have RAs who will be on duty and will be around, and there will be hall directors and they will be around,” he said.

Gaynor said students sign a list if they plan on staying in the dorms over break.

The list then is given to the residence department so officials know who plans on staying. “The lists let us know who will be here so we can provide service for them,” he said.

He said DPS officers will check on the areas where students will be staying over break.

Komei Arai, senior in computer science from Japan, said staying in Ames over breaks seems to be easier for off-campus students.

Arai said most of his friends who live off campus plan on staying in town over Thanksgiving break. “I am staying because I have homework and a project I have to work on,” he said.

And although Thanksgiving is an American holiday, International Education Services will arrange Thanksgiving dinner visits.

“We are asking community members if they would like to host a student for Thanksgiving dinner or for any other day of the week,” said Jane Peterson, program coordinator for International Education Services.