Changes To Reading Week Are Counterproductive To Academic Growth

The campus is currently recovering from Midsession. Yes, recovering. Last week, the student body was clearly present on campus. The library experienced constant traffic‹at times it was even difficult to find a computer. In addition, the lines in Mather, the Cave, and the Bistro were no shorter than usual.

To an outside observer, it would appear that this was exactly what was intended by the changes that were instituted to transform Reading Week into Midsession. The one thing that was overlooked was the initial purpose of Reading Week. In past years, it had been used to catch up on assignments, to get ahead in work, and, probably the most valuable use, to work in uninterrupted blocks on long-term projects.

This year, these things were difficult to accomplish. Students had to balance their workload with scheduled classes, movies, trips, and other mandatory events. Reading Week had been a relaxing break from routine that allowed for academic work to be accomplished. Creating a proactive academic atmosphere was pursued so diligently this Midsession that it was difficult to find the necessary amount of time to work on both long-term assignments and those due immediately following the week.

Reading Week was not perfect, but a compromise needs to be reached between it and our current Midsession. Time spent on campus this past week was academically valuable, but students need the ability to schedule their own time in order to complete their assigned work and to prepare for the rigors of the second half of the semester.

An exhausted student body is not the desired goal of a less structured week within the semester. Reading Week served a purpose which Midsession must not abandon.