There’s all this chatter about a fall reading break (extending Thanksgiving weekend by 1 or 2 days to get a 4 or 5 day weekend). There’s always a back-and-forth about how only arts students want a fall reading week, and engineering students don’t. Is this really the case? Have we ever actually asked?

People say that a fall reading break would give them time to breath when classes and assignments are at their worst (aka time to catch-up). We’ve heard students complain about missing classes to finish assignments and midterms who want this time instead. But then there are people saying it would be just like summer long weekends, and you’d end up more behind than ever before.

And we’re not the only school to debate this. Other schools are having/have had the same discussion.

5 schools already have a Reading Week in the fall term

2 schools already have a Reading Break (a couple of days off in the fall, usually around Thanksgiving weekend)

Western just approved one for this year, after fighting for one since 2003

Carleton just approved one starting this year, closer to the beginning of November (no overlap with Thanksgiving)

Laurier doesn’t have one. No idea if Waterloo getting one would change this

But really, who cares. Feds has had this debate before. Apparently, people are divided on the idea. Divided on the idea basically means “we don’t know and we aren’t going to do anything”. Feds assumes half the people want it and half the people don’t. Why don’t they just ask, and make a decision for once? Oh right, that requires work.

ASK STUDENTS. MAKE A DECISION.

Other things to look at: