Kelli Uhlberg describes the newly instated Fall Break as a blessing.

‘It has really helped me. Since traveling alone takes at least a day, I felt that I had no time to spend with my family and friends back home,’ said Uhlberg, a sophomore fashion major from Denver. ‘But now I have a lot more time that I can allocate toward them.’

This year’s break will be different for students and faculty. In previous years, students have had time off from Wednesday to Sunday during the Thanksgiving week, but this year the last day of classes is Friday, Nov. 18, and classes will not resume until the Monday after Thanksgiving.

The reason for Fall Break is because of the expanding geographic diversity of Syracuse University’s student body, as more than a quarter of the Class of 2015 is from outside the Northeast. University officials wanted to extend the holiday to allow more time for travel.

‘We’ve always had a break around Thanksgiving time, but one of the things we’re increasingly aware of is that students are coming from longer distances,’ said Thomas Wolfe, senior vice president and dean of student affairs. ‘Extended time would allow them to have easier access to travel, afford less extended flights, and not have to go around and come back after going a long distance.’

The added vacation time calls for increased luggage for students, who are preparing to spend a longer time at home.

‘I’m just going to New York City, but I plan on bringing two suitcases,’ said Yan Ling, a freshman economics major. ‘I’ve been shopping a lot and plan on bringing gifts home for family and friends, and also will need to bring extra clothes for the break.’

The extended break is also a result of a change in the university policy regarding religious observances. To increase the length of the break, classes are now held on Eid al-Fitr, Yom Kippur and Good Friday. During the first few weeks of the semester, students observing these holidays had the opportunity to notify the university of days they would be absent due to religious observance.

Tiffany Steinwert, dean of Hendricks Chapel, said a positive outcome of the revised religious observance policy is the heightened awareness of different religious practices and customs among students and faculty.

‘We have seen many more students this year from traditions beyond the Abrahamic faith traditions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) request an absence,’ Steinwert said. ‘Far from restricting religious observance, the new policy has expanded and encouraged observance among students across many different religious traditions.’

The extension has been well received, and Wolfe said he hopes it has a positive effect on students. The break was extended to enhance academic performance by giving students a chance to rest and prepare for finals week, which will take place two weeks after their return to campus.

‘Besides spending time with family, students can rest and catch up on work without having to worry about balancing class times,’ Wolfe said. ‘When they come back, it’ll be close to finals, so we want them to renew themselves and be well prepared.’

Emily Magram, a sophomore political science major, said she expects to have a less hectic time traveling home to San Antonio due to the extended break, something she is happy about.

‘Last year, I flew home,’ Magram said. ‘Not only will this year’s travels be much cheaper, they will be far less tedious. I won’t have to worry about delays or flight cancellations.’

meltagou@syr.edu

kfluttma@syr.edu 

Published on November 16, 2011 at 12:00 pm