Dear Editor,
In response to, "Classes to be held on Veterans Day, but university staff will have off," I have one question.
What would people say if a similar choice had to be made in the spring and classes were held on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day? I bet many of us would have found it disrespectful to the memory of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement if a choice had to be made and it was decided to suspend classes on Presidents' Day or the day before spring break instead.
Not having classes is certainly a minor aspect of any holiday and the spirit behind it. Nevertheless, federal holidays are a way of marking the significance that stands behind those days and providing a specific opportunity to take the time to do so, regardless of what some or most people choose to do with the day. Moreover, classes will be suspended for every other federal holiday during the school year. Pragmatism, if so applied in this instance, just undermines the significance behind the day further.
Next time you're nearby, take a close look at those stone steps on campus, the Memorial Steps, where many a class picture is taken for the Fletcher School and, I would imagine, other schools at Tufts too. Going up the stairs, you'll see inscriptions to veterans dating back to the Civil War. Or walk down Packard Avenue or Powderhouse Boulevard and see the adjacent street signs dedicated to young people who served in the military, presumably killed in action. You'll see the same thing driving around the Boston area — parks and streets dedicated to veterans of U.S. wars. People have a wide range of opinions on the U.S. military, but regardless, the fact of the matter is that the honoring of veterans is a mainstay of our university, the wider community and this country in general.
Choosing to not fully recognize Veterans Day rather than holding classes on the day before Thanksgiving (when many will skip classes anyway), let alone a day like Columbus Day with its dubious nature (www.history.com/content/columbusday/controversy), is mind boggling. And as someone who is a veteran, I do find it inherently disrespectful — not to me, but to the memories of all the men and women who sacrificed far more than I ever did for this country in a community like ours that seeks to honor them with all the visible signs you see around us.
I hope a hell of a lot more thought is put into a decision like this in the future.
Regretfully disappointed in Tufts,
Eric Sullivan
Master of International Business Candidate, 2010
The Fletcher School
