Campus quiet for holiday

By Editorial

In light of the recent holiday, Santa Clara celebrated by giving faculty and staff the day off to honor President's Day. But the school does not just recognize holidays such as President's Day, MLK Day and Easter for just one day; for each of these holidays, Santa Clara almost completely shuts down for the entire weekend, leaving students limited access to some of the university's most used facilities.

Malley Center, the Harrington Learning Commons, the Bronco, the Cellar Market and all of the school's computer labs operate either for limited hours or are completely closed during these weekends.

Although many students choose to use these extended weekends to travel home or explore the area's abundance of outdoor activities, a fair number of students choose to remain on campus. The restricted access to facilities during such holiday weekends is not only unfair but also unnecessary.

For many students, using the library's numerous resources is a regular part of their weekly schedule. Santa Clara's mission statement "makes student learning its central focus." Yet how can students make learning their central focus when library doors close at 6 p.m.?

Holidays may be a time for celebration and reflection, but that does not change the fact that students will still be expected to turn in completed papers or to be prepared for midterms come Tuesday.

In addition, numerous students who live on campus rely solely on the university's dining services for their meals. During these holiday weekends, almost all of the school's dining options remain closed, including the Bronco, the Cellar Market and most of the stations in Benson, with the exception of the "Grill."

Not only is the Grill the unhealthiest option usually available to students, but Benson's doors close at 7 p.m. Because students do not have the opportunity to utilize the Bronco or the Cellar Market after Benson's closing, it is therefore expected that all students must eat prior to that time, an unrealistic expectation for any college student.

Closing the gym is also unfair to students who stay around campus. Men's Fitness magazine ranks Santa Clara as the 16th most fit college or university in the country. With such an intense academic workload that often times consists of multiple midterms or papers for consecutive weeks, the gym serves as an outlet for students to burn off stress and take a break from their studies. Science has proven that exercise releases endorphins in the brain that decrease stress levels.

But by closing the gym for up to 72 hours, Santa Clara is taking away one of the most popular and beneficial facilities on campus.

The closures of campus facilities are detrimental to student life on campus, especially during a time when students have more free time to use these facilities. For many students, especially those who come from out of state, Santa Clara becomes their home and place of comfort. The use of the campus' high quality facilities, especially during the cold winter months, should be encouraged and not limited.

Holidays are important, but the university needs to remember that students rely on these services as part of their everyday lives. Santa Clara should continue to celebrate holidays, not shut down because of them.