Pick Calendar C

As recently reported by The Daily Princetonian, the Committee on the Course of Study drafted two possible calendars — "Calendar B" and "Calendar C" — as alternatives to our current calendar. In December, the committee will make its final recommendation to the faculty, who will then vote to approve a calendar. Several facets of Calendar C set it apart from the other options and make it the best choice for the student body and the larger Princeton community.

If either Calendar B or C is implemented, Fall Break will be eliminated and replaced with a full-week Thanksgiving Break. The addition of a full week of vacation at Thanksgiving gives students who currently have to eat turkey far from home a chance to celebrate with their families. Admittedly, Fall Break is not only a welcome diversion after midterms, but also is used by many classes to take trips throughout the country and even abroad. They need not be lost though. In both of the options, class trips could be moved to the first half of Thanksgiving Break. More importantly, the elimination of classes over midterm week reduces the need for a Fall Break stress-reliever.

The aspect of Calendar C that sets it apart from the other options — both the current calendar and Calendar B — is the placement of fall term final exams before Winter Break. Under the current calendar, regardless of whether a student chooses to write papers or lounge in front of the TV over break, that student is not free from the stress and brain decay that accompanies having to wait six weeks between his last class and the final exam. It is easy to say that students have the choice to spend the three weeks of Winter Break reading textbooks, but that is often not the case. Commitments to family and friends — arguably more personally meaningful than schoolwork, especially at that time of year — often must take precedence. Scheduling exams before Winter Break puts test takers on more even footing, giving students an equal amount of time to study.

Moving up the calendar also fits our schedules more closely to those of the outside world. An August starting date and early May conclusion are a better fit for most summer internships, which typically start in early June or even May. It will also allow Princeton students to come to and leave school at the same time as many of their friends.

According to a Nov. 9 article in the 'Prince,' Calendar C was the least favored plan among those interviewed. But this oversight is nothing short of foolhardy when one considers the advantages of an extended Thanksgiving Break, a midterm period free from classes, a school year more closely aligned with the rest of the country and a more relaxing Winter Break. When the faculty vote to approve a new calendar, we hope they will take seriously the concerns of the students they teach.