Spring breaks structured same way as fall
Ed Cotter
Issue date: 4/1/09 Section: News
Everyone likes a good break from school. For most of the Mount students who live in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or the D.C. area, the drive is not that far and not that expensive. But one must remember that the Mount also draws from other far away places to which students must fly.
Fares can get very expensive at this time of year especially if the break occurs twice during second semester. Easter break only lasts five days. Two of those days will be spent traveling. Of course, alternatives are open where students can try to convince a friend to take them in, or attend one of the Mount's service trips.
"I don't like having a spring break in February", senior Rickeena Free said on the earliness of the break dubbed as "spring break."
"I think we just ought to combine both Spring and Easter breaks and have break for a month," sophomore Janaeyah Reed said.
"At the previous seminary I worked at, we have two weeks off for Holy Week," Deacon Peter Sharpe said. "I liked it that way better because I am a seminarian and usually working."
"I wish we had a shorter spring break," Deacon Keith Carroll said. "And a longer Easter break."
However, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the "inconvenience" of the break.
"Breaks for both semesters are similarly structured," Vice President Dr. David Rehm said.
If one pays attention, the breaks of first and second semester are structured almost exactly the same. There is a week long fall break in October, followed by a four to five day Thanksgiving break, and finally a long Christmas break. In the spring there is a week long spring break in February and March followed by a four to five day Easter break. So it is merely a well-structured pattern.
To go straight through in either semester to Thanksgiving or to Easter," Rehm said, "is too hard on students and faculty alike. Everyone runs out of gas. Some time off in the middle of the semester is helpful."
Even some of the students who live far away seem to appreciate the second break.
"Living in Florida, tickets are usually expensive around Easter break, but I take advantage of it because I don't get much other opportunity to go home and see my family," sophomore Emily Bolchoz said. "But I never go home on spring break because I have a tennis trip. I like the Easter break to divide up the final two months of school."
"I like to fly home to Long Island for breaks because I can usually get cheap flights on Southwest that let me fly home for about the cost it takes to drive. A one hour flight is much better than a six-hour drive," senior Mike Sorrentino said. "I like having the Spring and Easter breaks spaced apart because it breaks up the semester, and gives me a couple chances to go home and hang out with friends and family that I don't see while at the Mount. It also makes it easier for me to sign up for the spring break service trips since I can fly home at least over Easter instead."
Fares can get very expensive at this time of year especially if the break occurs twice during second semester. Easter break only lasts five days. Two of those days will be spent traveling. Of course, alternatives are open where students can try to convince a friend to take them in, or attend one of the Mount's service trips.
"I don't like having a spring break in February", senior Rickeena Free said on the earliness of the break dubbed as "spring break."
"I think we just ought to combine both Spring and Easter breaks and have break for a month," sophomore Janaeyah Reed said.
"At the previous seminary I worked at, we have two weeks off for Holy Week," Deacon Peter Sharpe said. "I liked it that way better because I am a seminarian and usually working."
"I wish we had a shorter spring break," Deacon Keith Carroll said. "And a longer Easter break."
However, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the "inconvenience" of the break.
"Breaks for both semesters are similarly structured," Vice President Dr. David Rehm said.
If one pays attention, the breaks of first and second semester are structured almost exactly the same. There is a week long fall break in October, followed by a four to five day Thanksgiving break, and finally a long Christmas break. In the spring there is a week long spring break in February and March followed by a four to five day Easter break. So it is merely a well-structured pattern.
To go straight through in either semester to Thanksgiving or to Easter," Rehm said, "is too hard on students and faculty alike. Everyone runs out of gas. Some time off in the middle of the semester is helpful."
Even some of the students who live far away seem to appreciate the second break.
"Living in Florida, tickets are usually expensive around Easter break, but I take advantage of it because I don't get much other opportunity to go home and see my family," sophomore Emily Bolchoz said. "But I never go home on spring break because I have a tennis trip. I like the Easter break to divide up the final two months of school."
"I like to fly home to Long Island for breaks because I can usually get cheap flights on Southwest that let me fly home for about the cost it takes to drive. A one hour flight is much better than a six-hour drive," senior Mike Sorrentino said. "I like having the Spring and Easter breaks spaced apart because it breaks up the semester, and gives me a couple chances to go home and hang out with friends and family that I don't see while at the Mount. It also makes it easier for me to sign up for the spring break service trips since I can fly home at least over Easter instead."
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