Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day falls on Oct. 12 this year. Due to COVID-19, the break that students usually receive has been cancelled.
An email sent out by the university’s Coronavirus Planning Team in May said, “We are eliminating the Columbus Day weekend break, but plan to conclude the semester before Thanksgiving break. The plan ensures that students receive the same number of instructional hours as always, with no changes to their already assigned course schedules, but will mitigate risk by limiting trips back and forth to campus that may require additional testing and possible self-isolation.”
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors Native American people, their history and their culture. Every year, it is celebrated on the same day as Columbus Day to counter the celebration of the explorer Christopher Columbus.
Many students said they were understanding of the cancellation of the long weekend.
“I was a little upset that the break was canceled, but I do think it was smart that the school was proactive in not giving students off for Indigenous People’s Day. It’s decisions like these that will help protect not only students, but everyone at the university from contracting COVID-19,” said senior Ryan Corbett.
This would have been the first long weekend for students. Some students said the break would have been an opportunity to see friends and family, as well as take a break from schoolwork and classes.
“Columbus Day weekend getting cancelled was very upsetting. Normally, I plan to go home and see friends and family I don’t see while at school, but this year I cannot do that,” said junior Angela Kaiser.
As this break falls in the middle of the semester, some students feel that it helps break up schoolwork and gives them time to participate in Fall activities.
“Not having a break for Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year has made the semester seem much blander and more monotonous,” said freshman Cody Davis. “Not having the occasional three-day weekend to break up the typical five-day workweek has made everything seem the same.”
For freshmen especially, this weekend is special as some take advantage to go home for the first time since move-in day.
“It wasn’t a huge blow to me when I heard that there wouldn’t be a Columbus Day break because as a freshman I’ve never experienced it, but now that a lot of people are talking about being upset about not having it, I feel like I’m missing out on something,” said freshman Victoria Thurley.
Some students who live outside of the New England area say it is hard for them to plan a weekend to go home and they depend on this break.
“I am sad because originally I would have tried to go back home to Missouri, but since we no longer have the long weekend, I will not be able to do that,” said junior Mollie Rogan. “I get a little bit homesick around this point in the semester, so a break would’ve been nice, but I think this is a smart decision not to have this break.”
Some students were not upset about losing this break and still planned to do other activities during the weekend.
“Having Columbus Day weekend taken away was not a huge disappointment for me. I was happy to be back with friends and I was able to plan some fun fall activities with my roommate,” said junior Natalie DuBois. “I thought that having this break taken away would have made me feel burnt out, but I have not felt that way.”
For students who live close to campus, they found other ways to spend time with their friends and family from home on the weekends.
“I didn’t really mind it because my parents are coming to SHU to visit more often this semester, so even though I didn’t get to go home for the break, I still saw my parents,” said junior Gabby Dos Santos.
