When Derek Ortiz set extra plates on his parents’ kitchen table in Utah County this month, it wasn’t just for cousins and siblings. It was for friends from summer camp and classmates from as far away as Latin America and Hawaii.

“The main point was to have them have somewhere to go if they couldn’t go home this weekend,” Ortiz said. At one Friendsgiving, his family cooked the main dishes and friends brought sides. At another, a tight-knit group from a BYU summer program cranked up music, sang karaoke and stayed late just talking.

“In that one, it just felt like a really good reunion,” he said. “We’re all in school going through finals and everything, and seeing each other just helped us relax a lot.”

For Ortiz, the night was about more than turkey and pie. It was a way to tell friends —

See Full Page