If you’re a Law student who picked up this newspaper on Monday, Jan. 19, you’re probably wondering why there is not a current edition of the paper on the stands. The answer is simple: Most of the University has a holiday. In this space, we have already applauded the University’s decision to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in its class scheduling. Unfortunately, that decision did not apply to all of the University’s schools, including the Law School, whose semester begins Monday. If the University wished to honor King’s legacy, it should have done so for all of its schools.
The administrations of each of the University’s schools have different considerations to make when setting their calendars, so it is reasonable that different schedules would result. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, however, is a new addition to the University’s schedule. Last year was the first time the University honored the holiday since at least 1995 — the first year whose calendar is on the University’s Web site.
The second week of classes is an awkward time for the University to take a holiday, so the decision to do so must not have been based on a desire to give students a break. If students are tired of their classes already, they might want to consider taking different ones. The University must have meant for students, faculty and some staff to enjoy a day off to reflect upon and remember a hero of the civil rights movement.
If the University wished to honor King, it should have made sure all members of its community had that opportunity. Though the Law School, Medical School and Darden School all operate on different schedules than the rest of the University, the University president still signs off on all of their schedules. The message those schedules convey about the importance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day should be consistent.
Of course, the University cannot give everyone the day off. The dining halls, Medical Center and police department clearly have to remain open. The University never completely shuts down, even when classes are not in session.
Cancelling classes does allow students to take the day off, as well as most faculty and even some staff. The impact spreads beyond those students and faculty whose classes were cancelled. The University Bookstore, for example, will be open on Monday. If the Law School were not holding its first classes that day, there would be no reason for the Bookstore not to give its employees a holiday as well.
Most scheduling decisions are practical matters of time and convenience. Recognizing King’s contributions to American history has implications far beyond that, however, and the University’s decision to do so reflects its priorities. It should ensure those priorities are consistent in all its schools.
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