Students Ready to Wind Down

The Student Life section of Utah State Today highlights work written by a talented student journalist at Utah State University. Each week, the editor selects a story that has been published in The Utah Statesman or the Hard News Cafe' for inclusion in Utah State Today.


Students Ready to Wind Down

By: Lindsay Anderson in The USU Statesman, Oct. 17, 2007. Section: Campus News

 

After nine weeks of school, USU students get ready for Fall Break, a time to recuperate before midterms.

 

"Fall Break is fairly new," ASUSU President Peter McChesney said. "This is the second year."

 

McChesney said two years ago, student leaders felt the student appeal was that fall semester is a long stretch of classes, whereas spring semester has Spring Break, so it's broken up.

 

"If other universities have a break, why don't we do it here?" McChesney said.

 

The resolution went through Executive Council and then was taken to administration. McChesney said USU's administration considers students very seriously when resolutions like that get passed through. After the Faculty Senate passed the resolution, barely, Fall Break became a reality.

 

"I think just from talking to students, I can't recall a student not being excited for it," McChesney said. "I think the type of students who like to go out on the weekend and do fun things love it, and those students who are studious may take the opportunity just to catch up on work. From all the different aspects of the student body, I've heard positive things."

 

Christie Bagley, a senior majoring in music composition, said, "It's nice actually to get a break, because sometimes when you are right in the middle of school, you get so caught up in it all, you don't know which way is up. It's nice to have that extra day in the weekend so you can get caught up and think about something other than school. I like it."

 

This year, students at the University of Utah got one week for Fall Break, while Brigham Young University has no break between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

 

Talk of change has been limited, McChesney said. He said breaks make things hard for teachers.

 

"The academic calendar is so rigid. The professors have their classes, they have to stick to their curriculum, and even a small break makes scheduling things like this difficult.

 

"As far as the teachers' opinion on it, when it was taken to Faculty Senate, the vote was very much split and only passed possibly by one vote, if I understand correctly. So that should represent the teachers' opinion on it."

 

Scheduling issues don't just stop with teachers.

 

"This week we have a home football game scheduled, and obviously with a break that's a problem because, of course, for a home game they want a lot of student support there, but a lot of students go home on long weekends," McChesney said. "Being that this is the second year of Fall Break, I think it's got a few teeny problems, like the scheduled football game. I think the calendaring committee will discuss schedule changes after this particular year."

 

McChesney said there has been some talk among student leaders about trying to arrange a longer Fall Break, but that possibility is not currently on the radar.

 

"I am sure maybe after this year, or a few years, they will try to work out ways to get a longer Fall Break," he said. "At this point in time, I understand things will stay this way. We do have to keep reissuing Fall Break, because it's not a permanent thing. It is voted on yearly, but if things continue to go the way they do, I don't think the one-day Fall Break will be too much of a disruption to have permanently. Most students are pleased to have a break."