When Lawrence’s schedule change was announced last year, it was greeted with strong opinions from nearly everyone. In light of the financial gains supposedly associated with such a change, we assume that the elongated winter break will become a fixture of Lawrence life, regardless of individual students’ preferences.
Since the long break is likely here to stay, it is fortunate that the university administration has begun studying how the Lawrence community can best make use of this break. We were happy to see the administration send out a survey to learn more about student activity during the break.
We have heard that the volunteer and career centers are making a concerted effort to help students find internships, volunteer opportunities or temporary employment for the duration of the long break. Such efforts encompass one way that the university is trying to enable students to make full use of the break, and we hope that students take full advantage of these efforts.
One suggestion that we think the university should seriously consider is establishing a framework to let students — especially upperclassmen — receive credit to do individual academic projects in their major over the break. This option would allow students to further their studies in an organized, formal manner in subject areas in which they are especially interested. It would also let them receive recognition for taking initiative in their studies in a manner that is wholly congruent to Lawrence’s liberal arts spirit.
Lawrence is one of the few universities that has a break from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. We hope that the university continues to invest resources into finding a way to turn what may just be a peculiarity into a clear benefit.
Staff Editorial
