By Suha Choi ‘22
The pandemic has taken away the March break of 2021 and led to new adjustments to make up for this break, but maybe things are not too bad this way…
Weeks ago, before the school made an official announcement, discussions alongside worries and concerns circulated among students about the possibility of spring break being cancelled. Some of those main concerns and worries centered around the simple– but surely important– need for students to take a break around this time of the year: early March when weather is starting to get warmer and you are exhausted by having already made through more than half of the school year. For some seniors, this time is supposed to be their highlight of “Senior Spring,” when they are finally freed from the burden of college applications and can travel, perhaps, fly to Coachella with friends. March break is also the time when arguably one of the most exciting parts of the St. Mark’s community happens. Sadly, the exciting travel programs offered by the Global Citizenship department to countries ranging from Italy, Belize, Peru, to Namibia will not happen this spring. However, as a year of pandemic has probably taught us by now, this is no longer a time to discourage ourselves about what is taken away from us, but rather to see the best in what is new for us. And what’s more, the St. Mark’s faculty and trustee committee have put in a great accumulation of time, care, and thought to make the best changes possible for the St. Markers despite limitations and uncertainties.
Mr. Corliss, a science department faculty member who led the faculty committee that landed on this decision, said that the biggest reason for not holding Spring Break was equity. “For some people, two weeks off and two weeks of remote learning would have been a nice time at home, but some people would have been stuck spending that time on campus, or traveling through multiple layers of quarantines,” Mr. Corliss explained. He acknowledged that now with the absence of a typical Spring Break, we’re all facing the same challenge together, or even footing. A typical Spring Break of about two consecutive weeks off is gone, but this is not to say that a time for a break is totally taken away from students. It simply occurs in a different way this year, perhaps, indeed in a way that allows better rest for many busy and exhausted St. Markers.
There is one day of no classes – besides the weekends– during the school weeks throughout March to May, as some may have noticed on the schedule on St. Mark’s Google Calendar. Alongside this change, we finish the year two weeks earlier than usual. These off-days are primarily to make up for the absence of spring break, providing students to take a midway break from days of remote learning, which can still be somewhat stressful even if it is something we have been practicing for a long time now. Mr. Corliss added that “it's really important that we all find ways to talk openly about our mental health and make sure we all get to the finish line together.” Given that fancy vacations trips in March will likely be difficult due to the pandemic anyways, this change might come as a big advantage for V formers or other students who take challenging academic coursework. It may also come as a pleasant change for those who simply prefer to get spread-out and shorter, but more frequent, days of rest. Regardless of being a boarder, day student, or remote student, St. Markers who are all around different locations of the world will be able to spend the days equally as a means to catch up with busy school work or to simply recharge themselves.