USG winter break referendum receives overwhelming student support

An Undergraduate Student Government referendum seeking an extended winter break received support from 96.2 percent of voters, or 2,015 out of 2,095 undergraduates who voted.

The turnout was almost exactly 40 percent of the undergraduate student body.

USG president Ella Cheng ’16 said the referendum results would certainly bolster efforts to lengthen winter break.

“It basically provides us undeniable proof of student opinion in predominately one particular direction, which is always good for us,” she said, adding that USG members will discuss the results in upcoming meetings with administrators.

University spokesperson Martin Mbugua said the faculty committee that controls the calendar will take the referendum into account going forward but that there will not be sufficient time to lengthen winter break for the 2015-16 academic year. He added that changes to the academic calendar have come up from time to time as a subject of study and that the University will continue to consult with community members about the calendar.

Cheng said she was happy with the turnout, which exceeded her target of two thousand votes even during a busy week.

She suggested that the overwhelming support of student voters for the referenda on mental health in 2014and now on winter break point to a relationship between the issues.

“I think we all realize that we need that time away from campus,” she said. “It’s good to be able to have vacation time a little bit between leisure and actually cramming for and thinking about finals.”

USG approved running the referendum on Jan. 11 in response to student concerns about the shortness of the two-week winter recess planned for the 2015-16 academic year. The organization circulated a survey last month to collect comments from undergraduates about the ideal length of break and the academic calendar.

According to the referendum resolution, an extended break is intended to allow students who live far from campus or who come from lower-income backgrounds to spend more time with their families and friends at the same fixed cost of travel, as well as provide undergraduates with more time to complete assignments before reading period and January senior thesis deadlines.

Voting went live on Monday and ended Wednesday at noon.

Vincent Po ’18 said he voted in favor of the referendum because he thought it was silly that students would only receive two weeks of break when most other colleges’ undergraduates have four.

Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

“Two seems a little bit too much like high school, and considering the fact that a lot of people are traveling so far, two weeks seems like a really short time,” he said.

Another voter, Cassie Crifase ’17, said a longer winter recess would give her more time with family during the only break that she usually returns home for. She added that three weeks of vacation would enable her to prepare more for reading period and final exams.

“It’s nice to have at least some leeway time over break where I can study and I’m not wrapped up in the holidays,” she said.

Currently, since winter breakbegins on the Friday between Dec. 12 and 18 and ends on the Sunday in the first week of January, the period varies annually from being approximately two weeks to approximately three weeks in length. The faculty can change these parameters so long as it discusses the amendments at a prior meeting.

Faculty Committee on Classrooms and Schedule chair Niraj Jha declined to comment.