In December of 2022, Piedmont reported 1,800 applications for the 2023-24 academic year. Out of those applicants, 147 were out-of-state students. The administration says they are trying to strengthen their out-of-state recruitment to make a bigger name for the school.
What is the problem with this? All students want the ability to go home and be with their families for major holidays like Thanksgiving. This is hard to do when Piedmont creates a schedule that only gives students Wednesday through Friday off classes for Thanksgiving break.
“I am flying home to Long Island. I leave Tuesday the 26th and return Saturday the 30th,” said freshman Logan Hoenig. “The short break is a tad of an inconvenience because flying home and back is an all-day trip.”
Students can drive home, which can be a long drive and require a lot of gas. Flying is not an easy option either because of the cost of airfares, and travel time takes away two days of the break. There does not seem to be a good option to get home. Logan’s case is a good example of losing time at home just because he lives out of state.
I am also talking from personal experience. I am from Sykesville, Maryland, which is a 10-hour drive, or an hour and a half flight away from campus. Last year, when we had the whole week off, it was easy. I left after my morning classes on Friday, and stayed until the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This gave me 9 days with my family, and 9 days in between long trips. This year I will make the same drive, giving me Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Saturday before I have to drive back.
The shorter break also causes winter break and winter graduation to occur sooner. Some people prefer this.
“I like the abbreviated break,” Says Georgia native and Piedmont senior Amanda Price, “because last year we had to be here longer, which was upsetting”
Price will be graduating this December, and the anticipation has influenced her opinion on the break. However, she admits that it is unfair to students that have to travel further than her.
“I will be driving home on Tuesday the 26th. Then I’m coming back either Saturday or Sunday, but I feel like there should be allowances for out-of-state students to miss class on that Monday and Tuesday”
The extended winter break makes a big difference to a lot of people. Not being able to go home until a week or so before the holiday cuts time out of the Christmas season. With how early Piedmont students return to campus from the summer, shortening Thanksgiving is the only way to create a longer Christmas break.
It may be too late this year, but should Piedmont consider a longer break next year? There are always pros and cons to having days off classes, which is why there are mixed opinions. Overall, it seems that Piedmont students would enjoy the time off.
