Spring break saved

Gord Reid, Toban Staff

In a rare victory by students, UMSU President David Gratzer managed to salvage the mid-term break.

In an appeal to Senate during its November 15 special executive meeting, Gratzer convinced Senate members that either canceling the break or extending the academic year would be detrimental to many students.

Administration and faculty members alike are dealing with the issue of resolving damage done by the recent UMFA strike. There has been much concern since the continuation of classes with how the lost instruction time would be recovered.

One of the options entertained to make up the 17 lost teaching days was to cancel the February mid-term break, often called "spring break" or "reading week," has come to be a welcome respite in the schedule of most students at the university.

Traditionally, the mid-term break has been a chance for students to catch up on assignments, study for upcoming exams and enjoy a break from the mental and physical strain of being a full-time student. A number of students, in addition to academic pursuits, use the break to vacation or to visit out-of-town relatives.

"I found [canceling the break] to be a very undesirable option," said Gratzer. "Many students require spring break in order to catch up with class work, to write essays, to work on major projects."

"A number of students have vocalized their distress with the possibility of losing the break. Reasons for their objections vary: some students have placed deposits on vacations while others need the time from classes to work full-time.

Gratzer also lobbied the Senate to not extend the school year further into the summer.

"Then there was the option of extending the school year a few days," Gratzer stated. "That would be very detrimental to some students."

"There are students who really need every dollar they can earn over the summer to pay their tuition," he continued.

Gratzer cited the rush for summer jobs after the completion of summer finals as a reason for his stance. "The longer the academic year runs, the fewer jobs there will be available," Gratzer explained.

"Students coming home [from other schools] would get the best jobs."

This article first ran in The Manitoban, Vol. 83, No. 15 (November 22, 1995). It pains me to read this article; it's repetitive, poorly researched and treats the intended audience like idiots. I'm sure that university students (the primary readership of the Toban) know what students do during reading week. Maybe I should have asked a few for my article.