THE IDEA of reading during the fall semester "Reading Holiday" is frequently scoffed at by students, who instead label the long weekend "Fall Break." Although most students can attest that very little reading gets accomplished, the extra day off is a welcome break before the impending stress of midterms. But while the University offers the day as an opportunity to rest and catch up, the sudden reduction in student services essentially tells students to get out of town.
Hot water is notoriously hit or miss during the October holiday. This year, residents in Brown College reported that hot water was off until Sunday, forcing students to travel to a friend's apartment or to endure an icy cold shower.
Housing Director Mark Doherty explained in an e-mail that hot water was unavailable due to routine maintenance procedures that are performed in October to ensure that the system is functioning correctly before winter. He said that the University Housing department normally contacts residence staff to warn students in advance, but that this year, that communication failed to occur.
"If this was the case, the residents of Brown deserve an apology for the unanticipated interruption in service," wrote Doherty. "I can assure you that this is not acceptable to me, and will not happen in the future." Notifying students of the shut off would help to reduce the inconvenience by allowing students to plan for alternative shower arrangements. However, even when students are notified in advance, the absence of hot water remains a problem for students who stay on-Grounds over fall break, giving them yet another incentive to leave for the weekend.
In addition to cold showers, students who stayed in on-Grounds housing experienced a severe reduction in dining services. Runk Dining Hall and Newcomb Dining Hall were closed for the duration of the break, and while Observatory Hill remained open, only a few dishes were offered on Styrofoam plates. Vegetarians had even fewer options than usual, and students who don't like pasta or fried foods were out of luck.
One benefit of shutting down the Runk and Newcomb dining halls is that some University employees received a long weekend. Staff members, like students, are certainly deserving of breaks from work, but this could easily be accomplished without giving everyone at these two dining halls the same day off.
Most likely, dining services were reduced to save money. Because most dining workers are paid by the hour, suspending services altogether saves the University on payroll as they magnanimously give employees extra vacation time. And by limiting the meal options at Observatory Hill, they can cut back on expenses even further.
Of course, no one has ever starved to death because the nearest dining hall shut down for three days. But for students on a tight budget, the reduction in dining services presents a very real inconvenience, one that should be unacceptable considering how much students pay for their meal plans. No one signs up for a meal plan for the quality of the food; students use the dining halls because they are supposed to provide consistent service within walking distance.
The lackluster meal options, combined with the cold showers, encourage students to leave town over break, especially when they have friends and family elsewhere in Virginia. Many students do leave town, but for international students and students from other parts of the country, traveling home for three days is more hassle than it's worth.
The University should reconsider the purpose of the fall Reading Holiday and adjust student services accordingly. If the long weekend is actually intended to help students who want to catch up on reading, they should not have to spend these days scavenging for food and traveling elsewhere to take a hot shower.
The reduction in services is especially unacceptable considering that classes were cancelled for only one day this semester. On an extended break, such as the upcoming week of vacation for the Thanksgiving holiday, students can reasonably be expected to leave town. But when the only "break" is from Monday classes, students should be able to stay in on-Grounds housing and experience all of the usual services.
Cari Lynn Hennessy's column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at chennessy@cavalierdaily.com.
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