Last semester, Ferris announced that spring break — which would have begun on March 6 — would be cancelled.
At the time, the decision was made in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus. As of now, there are no scheduled breaks other than Easter Break in April. There are mixed emotions on the decisions made by the university.
Marketing junior Cassandra Asikainen said she has felt exhausted and worn out this semester in particular and is unable to take time away.
“I do believe the university should have kept the break in, so the students could reset and relax for a week after a crazy year,” Asikainen said. “But I understand why the university did it, as many students would have traveled and that could bring a spike in COVID-19 cases on campus.”
Students are able to understand the precautions behind the cancellation, however, they can not help but feel tired from all the school work coming their way and believe there should have been an alternative break provided, such as an extended weekend.
Math education major Gavin Booher said having an extended weekend would be helpful to students who are struggling right now.
“I’ve noticed a few of my closer friends that have been a little overwhelmed. Recently, and with the fact that there’s no spring break, they feel a little more stressed knowing that they’re not going to have that break that they normally have during this time.”
Having no break at all has caused some students to feel more overwhelmed than past years and it could affect their performance for the rest of the semester, while potentially causing mental strain.
Not only are students feeling a mix of emotions, but some professors are as well. French Professor Daniel Noren said that he has pondered on this situation and can see both sides of the debate.
On one side, Noren said that there is a “tremendous advantage for opting out of spring break in a normal year” as it increases the possibility of students being able to secure a summer job and hopes even now students will benefit from this decision.
On the other side, he said if Ferris had followed with the standard practice of having a spring break “we would all have more time to enjoy each other’s company” along with watching the seasons change.
While there are many perspectives on this situation as to whether or not there should have been a spring break, it can be inferred that as students we have learned how to balance school work in the midst of a pandemic.