After weeks of debate over the best alteration to the 2003 calendar, Penn State President Graham Spanier has finally come to a decision.

The issue of changing the calendar came up last semester because some faculty members were upset that so many of their students cut class prior to vacations, making it difficult for them to teach.

To solve this problem, the Joint Committee to Review the University Calendar recommended combining fall break with Thanksgiving recess, leaving only four days for final exams.

The Faculty Senate supported changing the calendar so the semester would be shortened by half a week, final exams will be only four days and fall break will be moved to the week of Thanksgiving. This would have forced students to have classes for 13 weeks straight without a break.

The Undergraduate Student Government Academic Assembly did not want fall break removed because they felt students had fought hard to have it created for a good reason. According to 2001-2002 USG President Justin Zartman, students came out in droves against the idea of omitting Fall Break.

Fall break was originally created in 1999 after lobbying by students and members of USG who felt students needed a break to study in the middle of the semester.

On Wednesday, after hearing recommendations from the Faculty Senate, the Academic Assembly and students' e-mails, Graham Spanier announced the new calendar changes, which showed a refreshing compromise that considered the needs of both faculty and students.

Spanier must have realized the mostly negative outcry from students over eliminating fall break had some importance, so he preserved a day for our sanity.

Although many students survived without fall breaks in the past, the small vacation really aided in student's mental health and academic performances.

It is relieving to know that Spanier considered the needs of the students as well as the needs of the faculty.

Also, giving students the day off before Thanksgiving gives those students who live far away much-needed travel time to get home to be with their families. Not everyone who attends Penn State lives in Pennsylvania, and many students need more than one day to get home.

Students often complain that their voices are not heard at this large university, and that their needs come last when competing with the needs of the faculty or financing.

Spanier has shown, however, that he is not oblivious to our opinions and is willing to compromise, even if it doesn't follow the Faculty Senate's recommendation completely.