The University will suspend classes Jan. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to allow members of the University community to watch the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
The University also plans to open John Paul Jones Arena to the public and will be showing live coverage of the inauguration that afternoon beginning at 11:30 a.m., University Provost Arthur Garson said.
The decision was made, Garson noted, after a number of individuals contacted him and President John T. Casteen, III to push for a schedule change.
“We have heard that a number of our students are planning to be in Washington next Tuesday but we knew that all would not be attending in person and we wanted to be able to allow students here in Charlottesville to participate in this great exercise in democracy,” Garson said.
Rather than doing nothing to recognize the inauguration or cancelling classes for the whole day, Garson and others “wanted to strike a balance” between the two, he added.
Students planning to go to Washington likely will still miss their Tuesday classes before and after that time slot.
Second-year College student Meredith Davis said she thinks that there should be no classes Inauguration Day.
“It only comes once every four years,” she explained. “And this one especially is a historic one.”
Second-year College student Ja’anai Delaney, however, said she expected no kind of academic break from classes and is thankful that the University is providing a three-hour break.
“I don’t see any reason why they would cancel classes for the whole day,” she said. “[The new schedule is] reasonable,” Delaney said.
Garson similarly noted that he thinks the schedule should work well.
“We have a small window ... to allow our students to participate via long distance and we are pleased to be able to offer them this opportunity,” Garson said.
—compiled by Bethel Habte
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