In his article “Easter goes unnoticed on campus,” Bob Trettin argues that Lawrentians should not have class on Good Friday, as he and his fellow Christians believe Easter to be the most important event in history for all of mankind.
Canceling classes on Good Friday would provide Trettin and other Christians an extra day to remember “Christ’s sacrifice” and celebrate Easter with family “without distractions from classes and studying.”
Trettin ultimately decided to skip his geology class last Friday in order to protest the Lawrence calendar and spend time with family.
After reading Trettin’s column, I was surprised that he failed to consider this seemingly obvious point: Lawrence does not cancel classes for any religious holidays, Christian or otherwise. This makes sense, as Lawrence has long since dropped its religious affiliations.
As a result, Jews skip on Yom Kippur, Muslims rearrange their schedules to meet fasting obligations during Ramadan, and Pastafarians occasionally skip to worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
It is absurd to suggest that Lawrence should only accommodate Christians; the alternative, canceling classes for every religious holiday, is equally unreasonable.
If Good Friday is important to Trettin, he had every right to skip class; I’m sure his geology professor approved. This is a sacrifice that many religious Lawrentians make, myself included, and it is one that is particularly appropriate during Easter.