Were you one of the many students at WJ who watched the super bowl this year? If so, I will assume you experienced a rude awakening the next morning when your alarm clock went off.
While a large portion of fans here and across the country celebrate large events like these almost religiously (especially the Bengals fans lucky enough to see their team finally win a playoff game), there is no time given off the next day to recover despite how tired most people are. Students who come into school tired after a night where they didn’t get enough sleep not only hurts their learning, but also does not benefit the staff nor the administration.
Outside of holidays that may seem trivial to those who don’t enjoy sports, there are also a number of religious occasions celebrated by a wide variety of faiths that are not met with any day(s) off. In March alone, there are five religious holidays that students do not get off.
To some, making a fuss about having more days off school seems childish. There are, however, real reasons to give students those extra days. For starters, a lot of students here have been struggling with integrating back into learning, and having just a few more holidays can be helpful in giving them the distance they may need.
In other cases, the circumstances surrounding the holiday might prompt the need for students to take the day off. Nobody who stayed up until midnight to see Cooper Kupp win the Super Bowl for the Rams wants to enter school the next morning running off nearly zero rest.
Needless to say, there are many who oppose the idea of having so many holidays, considering how the school year would extend beyond its usual end in the middle of June. And while some claim it’s simply counterproductive, it should be known that a plethora of studies advocate for the idea that a four day school week is better than our current system.
Indeed, a study from the RAND corporation concluded that between the pros and cons of a four day school week, the large popularity and alleged cost savings makes it, at the very least, plausible. The argument that having even just a few more days away from school is hurtful simply doesn’t hold up.
Beyond the meticulous analysis of arguments for both sides, more days off for religious and social customs that matter to WJ students is something that just pleases the people. In times as confusing as now, we all could use things to look forward to, things to make our school year more cheerful and lively. What better than something that gives everyone some, maybe well needed, time off?
