Going Away To Work or Not to Work

On the roster of celebrated bank holidays, Columbus Day may rank way down the list, tied with obscure federal celebrations like Flag Day.

But for students at the College, every day off counts--and Monday provides welcome relief from busy midterm schedules. Students may use the weekend to return home, spend time traveling or finish critical work--all courtesy of Christopher Columbus.

Like millions of "leaf-peeper" tourists who descend on the region each fall, many students will spend the holiday weekend visiting rural New England.

Roommates Anh M. Nguyen '00 and Marah J. Hardt '00 will spend the weekend at the home of a friend in northern Massachusetts. There they plan to attend the Topsfield Fair, with picking apples and selecting pumpkins topping their list of holiday activities.

"And canoeing," Nguyen added. "We're all totally psyched."

Marina A. Bibo '99 plans an action-packed weekend as well--hiking at New Hampshire's Mt. Monadanock followed by a trip home to Cape Cod. While pleased to see her family, Bibo's motivation is more prosaic.

"I had the extra day, and I have some stuff to get there," she said

Like Bibo, Katy B. Allen 02 will visit her family in Cincinnati this weekend, a complete surprise for her mom.

"Ever since I knew we had a weekend off in October I've been planning to come home," Allen said. She plans to do class work "only on the plane."

On the other hand, when Meg A. Nelson '02 goes home to New York for the weekend, assignments will be an integral part of the visit.

"I can enjoy my mom's cooking, get laundry done--do work," Nelson said.

Indeed, class work is an unfortunate holiday theme, especially first-years, who seem to have more than their share of assignments. Many first-years interviewed do not even plan to leave town.

"I have so much work," complained Ana I. LaGuarda '02, who will be remaining in Cambridge. "Professors say, 'Since we're not meeting on Monday you have to do this and this."'

First-year Rafael S. Mason, who has two papers and an EC 10 problem set due Wednesday, echoed LaGuarda's tale of woe.

"[Professors] have the due date be Wednesday so they assume you can do it all on Tuesday," he said. "You have assignments leading up to the weekend, so it's very hard to do."

But some don't mind the burden.

"I study five hours every day, so it's not going to change," said Michael L. Faye '02.

Nevertheless, "it's a break--people shouldn't study," Nguyen advised. "There are a fair number of people who will study all day Monday and that's not healthy."

One compromise, in the long tradition of Harvard multi-tasking, may be to make studying more social. Rebecca A. Berman '99 said she plans to invite her roommates to her house in Newton, Mass. to work all weekend.

"It's a real house and there's less distraction," said Berman, who will also be baby-sitting her sister.

As roommate Rachel A. Farbiarz '99, who is also a Crimson editor, said, "I get less depressed about work when I'm at home--at school it's like, 'I have to check my e-mail."'

At least one student will be working for more principled reasons.

"I'm going to work on my thesis and protest," Shivani Grover '99 said. Grover said her reason for ignoring the holiday hinges on the work Christopher Columbus did to destroy native Caribbean peoples.

"I'm going to do my homework," she said. "I'm not taking the day off."