There will be no classes held on Wednesday, October 28 and Thursday, October 29, according to NVU President Elaine Collins. After hearing from distressed students, faculty, and staff, the Executive Team at NVU decided to create a two-day break. While there will be no classes on these days, on-campus offices should still be open so students may access resources and work their campus jobs.
In an email to the NVU community, Collins wrote “During this break, we would like you, our NVU students, to relax and refresh so you can resume your studies and finish out the semester a bit renewed.” Students must still adhere to the cross state travel guidelines during this time and are actually encouraged by President Collins to not travel, as she wrote “Stay on campus or at home if you commute. We made this decision to support you and we must ask that you support the full NVU community by doing all you can to keep members of the community safe.”
Renee Chaples is the Administrative Vice President of the NVU-Lyndon Student Government and a Resident Assistant on campus. She and other student leaders from both campuses met with the NVU Executive Team last Thursday to describe how students were coping with the semester. Chaples has been one of the more vocal leaders, advocating for some sort of break as she saw students’ mental health worsening.
“As a student leader I am very happy to see that the efforts that myself and my peers have put out are being recognized by the administrative team. It had become abundantly clear that when the initial plan for the semester was drafted that there was little to no consideration on what having no breaks would mean for our student body,” Chaples wrote to The Critic. “I really feel that although this break is a small one it will truly give student even the slightest opportunity to be able to recuperate and relax. I honestly hoped for more but I do feel like this is a start for the student body and the administrative team to be able to work more closely to better the everyday lives of the students, staff, and faculty members moving forward.”
While some students are rejoicing at this impromptu break, not all are celebrating. The Critic spoke with several students who expressed gratefulness and frustration as Wednesdays and Thursdays are their “easy days.” Third-year Nat Sullivan described the break as “bittersweet” in this sense.
Feature Photo by Alexandra Huff