We all suspected that the unwelcome appearance of Hurricane Katrina would eventually bring about unwelcome extra class days. After more than a week of missed classes, it is understandable that we should expect the loss of a few prescheduled holidays, but we are still disgruntled.Many of us decided that we wouldn’t mention making up days and hope that no one ever addressed the issue. Ignoring a problem didn’t work when we were children. Of course it wouldn’t work now.

As we are sure most have already heard, the administration has decided to take away the fall break scheduled for Oct. 13-14. Bad choice.

Fall break is the much-needed relaxation period that follows the high-stress midterm time, which is increased this year due to the storm.

It is not only a break for students, who have spent the previous week or more behind a stack of books, but also for the instructors, who will spend the break behind a stack of exams and term papers.

Other holidays would be better suited to use at this time. The first that comes to mind is Thanksgiving holiday, which is an entire week. The first two days of the Thanksgiving holidays could have been cut, allowing for three days off to spend with friends and family.

Second, the administration could have easily taken advantage of the dead day that was irresponsibly scheduled on the Friday before final exams (totally missing the point of a dead day, which is to have time to study). We anticipate a minority of the campus to actually use a Friday without classes to study.

Finally, we must bring up the confusing wording used in the faculty E-mail explaining the cancellation of fall break.

Several instructors across campus have not been able to decipher it. The E-mail states: “Thursday, October 13, 2005, is to be utilized as a make-up day for those classes that meet on Tuesdays only, as well as for Tuesday night classes. This is being done since we missed two Tuesday class days as a result of our closures.”

Besides Tuesday night classes, what other classes meet only on Tuesday? And, what about classes that meet on Thursday? Were they just ignored in this entire process? Some Tuesday and Thursday teachers understand the E-mail to mean canceling classes while others are still having class.

Several professors have already stated they will be taking fall break despite the words of the administration. (Apparently suggesting that their classes should do so also.)

With the apparent lack of thought that went into the cancellation and the confusion surrounding the E-mail, we cannot really blame them. We can, however, encourage others to follow their lead.

If a professor or student believes that without the brief reprieve of Fall Break the remainder of the semester will be hellish or otherwise unbearable, we encourage that person to act in their best interest, whether that action is University-sanctioned or not.