Holiday inspiration

Here's a little history lesson about holidays.\nWe're told the Bloomington Faculty Council will consider any proposal for a day off of school.\nWell, we have one -- fall break.\nEvery October, fatigue sets in. By the middle of the month, most students show symptoms of complete exhaustion. Lethargy besieges the dorms, making it nearly impossible for students to wrestle out of bed and stumble to class. \nIf the University wants to foster education, it must comply with the repeated pleas of disheartened students. \nFall break isn't a flippant desire for a few days off from school. We're not whiny students trying to escape class. We're not asking for Labor Day or a longer winter vacation (although we wouldn't argue against either). \nFall break is a strategic university decision to transform lethargy into liveliness. It's the only cure for a sick student body -- the only sustenance for a weary campus.\nMonday marked one of IU's scarce holidays. IU has observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day ever since the BFC approved the idea in 1997. Prior to the inception of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the University's last schedule change was in 1988 when IU adopted measures to lengthen each semester by shrinking Thanksgiving and winter breaks. \nFall break is all about economics. If we want to sacrifice a few days in October, we have to give a few more days at the end of the semester. \nIt's a massive trade-off -- one we're willing to accept.\nIn an IDS article last week, IU faculty members implied students could potentially have any holiday off from school if they could make a legitimate argument for their case. History professor Steve Stowe insists IU observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day because it is historically relevant at this time.\nFall break has always shown strong historical connections. In fact, every generation of students entering the University shows a lack of interest and pure apathy around mid-October. \nThough post offices have declared Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday, they've also recognized Labor Day and Veterans Day.\nBFC President David Daleke said the University doesn't close on holidays such as Veterans Day because there are a set number of institutional days IU must reach every semester, which are complicated by lab courses.\nFor Stowe, Labor Day deserves recognition because of all the working men and women in our country. \nStowe said student lobbyists should have a reason for campaigning. \nDriving students to the brink of exhaustion is reason enough.