Thanksgiving is around the corner, and we all know what that means! Plenty of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and basically any other home cooked dish you can think of to be thankful for; but let's not forget that we have lots to be thankful for at our second home, as well.

1. We have a great sense of community.

Our Pirate fam will always be something to be thankful for, from the student body, to the professors, department heads, administrators, and especially GDS .

2. A beautiful campus.

Not only are we lucky enough to have a small campus, which makes walking to an 8 a.m. a little easier, but there's always something pretty to look at: from the chapel, to the Green, to the garden by Xavier, and pretty much every building on campus.

3. Dunkin' Donuts to get most of us by.

Who needs Starbucks? And why isn't the Dunkin' near my house open 24 hours a day?!

4. The town of South Orange.

Complete with yet another Dunkin', a Starbucks, a diner, a variety of good restaurants including the must-try Grid Iron Waffle Shop, and the very convenient South Orange train station, allowing for easy access to New York City!

5. Our kitchen away from home, the caf.

Every once in a while, Gourmet Dining Services blesses us and gifts us with chicken tenders or mac n' cheese. Then there's always Miss Virginia and her breakfast sandwiches, the daily dish at the Feature Station, and everyone's favorite Tex Mex station, where the quesadilla options are endless, with a side of french fries.

6. And when we're sick of the caf, there's always the Cove.

Maybe we've used all of our meal swipes for the week, or we really just want sushi that's labelled correctly, but the cove is definitely worthy of our thanks.

7. Basketball Season.

Showing some school spirit at the basketball games is fun and easy because there's always someone selling their season ticket so they can make back $100 by the end of the season. GO PIRATES!

8. Campus events and activities.

When we're not watching Netflix or going to class, there are other things to keep us entertained. Whether it's attending an SAB event, like the Nate Ruess concert, joining a club or organization, or even taking part in Greek life, the Pirate life can get pretty busy.

9. The rec center.

Shout out to the gym for keeping the freshman 15 out of the question... Although it's probably going to get pretty crowded next week when we begin to feel guilty about the extra slice of pie we had with dessert.

10. And last but certainly not least, our families.

How would we stock our fridges without them? Who would we call when we were feeling stressed, or let us know how our pets are doing at home? Where would we be without the support of our families? And where do you think those care packages are coming from?! I know I owe all of my successes to my family, so thank you, Mom and Dad.