Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

We too would like to echo Will Frye’s astonishment at the “ridiculous” requirements that we, the faculty, exact on our students as it pertains to test taking and academic assignments. It’s asinine to expect any student to abandon four hours of the most overly hyped sporting event on our planet to prepare for an exam, especially when there are only 48 hours available to study over a weekend. Not even that. Tossing out 16 hours for sleep, two hours to scarf down breakfast and/or lunch and/or dinner, plus the four-hour football fest, the window of opportunity dwindles to a measly 26 hours. A professor can not reasonably expect a student to begin preparing for an exam sooner than 24 to 48 hours prior to the exam. So, we would like to call on our colleagues to look hard at their syllabi, and deeply in their hearts, and creatively look for ways to overcome this injustice.

Fellow faculty, we have prepared for your convenience a list of upcoming prominent events that warrant the rescheduling of any academic assignments that might interfere with our students’ ability to enjoy and participate in them to the fullest extent possible. Note, we have sadly allowed Groundhog’s Day to pass without due observation.

February
10-26 Winter Olympics 2006 (Note: On the 24th both the curling finals and the figure skating gala will take place.)
28 Mardi Gras

March
1 Ash Wednesday
6 Pulaski Day and Orthodox Lent Begins
14 Purim
15 Holi
16 St. Urho’s Day
17 St. Patrick’s Day
26 Mother’s Day, UK
(Note: March Madness is taking place, full blown and out of control, on basketball courts all across the nation. Please be sensitive to your student’s heightened sense of emotional need during this important time. It is sandwiched between the Super Bowl and Olympics on the USSI: Undergraduate Student Scale of Importance.)

April
1 April Fool’s Day
9 Palm Sunday
12 Passover
13 Maundy Thursday
14 Good Friday
16 Easter

Also, be aware that students will be celebrating birthdays, first-day-we-met and other prominent anniversaries, as well as requiring quality time with self, friends and family.

We are sure there are oversights on this list. Please feel free to supplement it as you deem necessary.

Submitted sincerely and respectfully,
Happy Holidays!
Professors Ryan and Glover