Three bowls of stuffing, a mountain of mashed potatoes, a green-bean casserole and a 20-pound turkey. It sounds like an ordinary Thanksgiving dinner, but those gathered for the feast were peers and friends, not relatives.

Tara Sclafani (junior-education and English) received a round of applause and a chorus of "I love you's" as she placed the final dish on the counter for about 20 friends to devour.

She started cooking at 7 a.m. and continued throughout the day between her classes.

Sclafani said she cooked Thanksgiving dinner for friends last year when she and her roommates got a free turkey from Giant Food Store, 225 Northland Center.

"We shopped so much that we got a free turkey," Sclafani said. "That's how it started last year, then it all just came together."

She added this year's dinner was better than ever.

"I think I'm more pleased this year than last year," Sclafani said. "This year I decided to double everything."

She said Thanksgiving dinner with friends is more fun than with family.

"I think there's more interaction," Sclafani said. "It's just more exciting."

Not far from Sclafani's Beaver Hill apartment, the smell of seasoned sweet potatoes and turkey filled the second-floor hallway of University Terrace apartments as close friends gathered for their third annual Thanksgiving dinner.

Joseph Bevacqua (junior-supply chain management) said he and his friends first served the meal their freshman year.

Jason Pawell (junior-civil engineering) said it has become somewhat of a tradition.

"I consider these guys my second family," Pawell said. "It's hard to get together during break, so we do [Thanksgiving dinner] before break."

The dinners started out as a way to please their lady friends, he said, and now it has turned into a feast.

Kyle Elkin (junior-toxicology) said he likes the idea of having a separate Thanksgiving dinner with just friends.

"You get to enjoy a quality meal with all your friends," Elkin said. "It's a good time from the cooking until the cleaning."

Andrew Wantland (junior-actuarial science) said he enjoyed the supermarket trip to purchase the food.

"We all went shopping together the night before," he said. "It's something fun, everyone gets a chance to get together."

David Felice, fire inspector for Centre Region Code Administration, said people should take a careful approach to cooking during Thanksgiving.

Felice said he suggests keeping baking soda in case of grease fires and making sure a fire extinguisher is near, too. He said there are common mistakes that people make all the time.

"Be mindful that when you have an oven or kitchen unit in 'on' position; be sure to turn it off when you're done," Felice said.

Felice also cautions against the use of turkey fryers.

"You definitely don't want to use those inside," Felice said. "Follow the manufacturer's advice."

Some students who cannot partake in such Thanksgiving festivities back at home must spend it with friends staying on campus during break.

Kathy Krinks, assistant director of housing, said Penn State dormitories and dining halls will shut down during the holiday, but some can request to stay.

"We hang notices in Residence Halls... if [students] need housing over that period," Krinks said.

Krinks also said housing services currently has about 18 requests to stay and those students will temporarily move to Runkel Hall in North Halls.