This year's abbreviated Thanksgiving Break, shortened from a full week to three days off from classes, has led to complaints from University students. While some students claim the break is not long enough, others have said the reasons for shortening the break have proven ineffective as some classes have been canceled at the last minute.
Fourth-year Commerce student Brett Baucum, who resides in Houston, Texas, said the altered break schedule is unfair to out-of-state students. He noted that these students often have to dedicate a full day to traveling each way, essentially reducing the five-day vacation to three days to spend with family and friends.
Baucum also expressed frustration about the mixed message professors are sending, as some professors decided to schedule tests and paper due dates on the two days before break, while others chose to cancel class altogether.
"It's a little irritating because I have three classes and only one that I actually have to go to," Baucum said. "My other classes have been canceled, so otherwise I'd be out of here."
Second-year College student Ian Campbell, an in-state student, however, is not concerned by the shortened Thanksgiving Break.
"It seemed kind of long last year," Campbell said.
International students are placed in a difficult situation, according to third-year College student Catalina Cecchi, whose family lives abroad.
"It has always been a problem to find people to go with over Thanksgiving because it's a family holiday," Cecchi said. "Unless you are with a group of people it is very sad ... I can't go home because there is no reason to go for such a short time."
Others said the Thanksgiving holiday hardly qualified as a break for students who do choose to make a long trip home.
"It's not really a vacation because by the time you get there, you already have to start heading back," said out-of-state student Megan Van Syckle, a third-year Commerce student. "It's especially bad because of when the Tech game is this year," she added, referring to Saturday's home football game against Virginia Tech.
Fellow third-year Commerce student Sam Hayes echoed a similar sentiment.
"If the school went out of the way to shorten break, then they don't want professors canceling class, which is what is happening," Hayes said.
Vice President for Student Affairs Pat Lampkin did not return multiple calls for comment.
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