By Chelsea Tirrell, Columnist
Struck with anxiety, I contemplated skipping my Wednesday classes to get a head start on the traffic ahead of me on my journey back home to Rhode Island. I thought back to my first year, when Wednesday evening classes were cancelled in light of the Thanksgiving holiday, and wondered about where that act of kindness went. But what about the other holidays, like Columbus Day and Veterans Day? Do our American heroes not also deserve a day of praise?
I understand how it works–we need a particular number of class days to remain an accredited university. And for that, I see why there’s a need to keep class in session on holidays that seem rather “pointless.” But there are students with family members that have served or are currently serving in a war. Plus, Columbus and America’s early history is worth celebrating. Is it really fair that they should to skip class and risk falling behind if they want to celebrate in their ancestors’ legends with their families?
Because we have time out of the fall semester for the Jewish holidays, we’re not able to get these other holidays off as well. Hofstra has to pick and choose when to cut classes and when to keep them running. And ultimately, it’s the majority that dictates the results.
As of 2007, Hofstra University was the twentieth college/university with the largest Jewish population according to Hillel.org. With a number that high, it makes sense to appeal to that clump of students and not a small population with veteran family members.
However, that’s not to say Hofstra leaves these holidays unnoticed. Even though Hofstra doesn’t cancel classes on these special holidays, there are often memorial ceremonies or celebratory sessions to honor those family members who were brave enough to serve our country in any which way.
A one day holiday every once in a while would feel like a week-long break amidst packed semesters, and I would like to argue for the holidays that seemingly go unnoticed. It’d be great to thrown on red, white and blue and celebrate our country as a necessary stress relief, but you have to pick your battles.
Arguments can be supported for and against what holidays should be celebrated closely and from afar. But accreditations are accreditations and that’s something we as students can’t change… Or can we? Future lawyers–it’s your time to shine.