I would like to thank Alissa Wisnouse for her long-distance defense of fall break.

Half my scheduled classes were canceled to accommodate faculty travel plans, so it would appear that students are not alone in their enjoyment of the opportunity to get away from campus.

I find it curious that some faculty seek the elimination of the fall break holiday.

They seem to feel that students skip classes before and after and generally take advantage of their time off and that the two days of break cut into the overall academic calendar.

Rather than implying that students are irresponsible (for making adult decisions about attending classes) and lazy (for wanting a break instead of diligently pursuing their academic studies non-stop until the end of November), perhaps those faculty should reflect on their own personal teaching practices in their classes.

Their shortcomings as instructors — their inability to creatively encourage students to come to class and their inability to organize course material in a way that is flexible around unforeseen tragedies and scheduled breaks — should be the focus of the fall break debate.

If students choose not to attend class and if course matter is sacrificed to break, then the problem most likely lies with the instructors and not the students.