Around the nation yesterday, millions of working Americans observed the national Labor Day holiday. But students and staff at the University spent the day attending jobs and classes as if it were an ordinary Monday.
University President John T. Casteen, III said conducting classes on Labor Day was necessary in order to maintain a fall schedule with the semester ending in December and a two-day reading holiday.
"The semester has to include a certain number of class days," Casteen said in an e-mail. "With the addition of the fall break as a response to student desire to have a break in mid-semester, the requisite number of class days would fit the calendar only if Labor Day was a school day. In addition, the people who did the planning felt that starting classes in one week and taking a holiday in the next made little sense."
Casteen said the reading holiday was added to the academic calendar about 30 years ago.
He added that "classified University employees" usually receive the day off, while faculty members do not. Scheduling for employees depends on their department, and some receive extra pay for working during the holiday.
"Offices that provide direct services to students generally arrange for coverage with reduced numbers of workers so that some can have the holiday," Casteen wrote.
Second-year College student Andres Gil said he does not like the University's practice of holding classes on the holiday.
"It's a waste because professors get to take religious days off -- such as Yom Kippur," Gil said. "At the same time, we don't have the option of taking off for a national holiday."
Gil said he misses observing the holiday as he did during his high school career.
"It was a nice break to collect yourself at the beginning of the year," he said.
Hazel Morris, a University Dining employee for the past 35 years, said she enjoys working on the holiday, receiving double pay for doing so.
"To me, it's not a holiday," Morris said. "I've never had a Labor Day vacation. I don't think anybody should take the day off. It's called 'Labor Day' not 'Vacation Day.'"
Some public Virginia colleges and universities, such as Old Dominion and Virginia State, observe the holiday and do not meet for classes. Other institutions, such as James Madison, Virginia Tech and the College of William & Mary, continue with a regular academic schedule.
According to the Department of Labor Web site, Labor Day celebrations date back to 1882. States began passing Labor Day legislation in 1887, and Labor Day was declared a Federal Holiday in 1894.
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