Furlough Daze

Furlough days may be the most controversial days off in your college life. To some students, they’re a three-day weekend and a pressure valve for stressful college life. To others, the budget cuts, limited classes and furlough days are the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

“I think it’s a disgrace. When you’re paying more you shouldn’t be cutting the amount of education we get. I understand the need to figure out different ways to balance the budget. But education shouldn’t be what you cut.”

– Evelyn Thorne

Junior Creative Arts major

“I don’t have to go to school. [I get] a longer weekend and more time to do homework.”

– Amanda Mikaelsson

Senior Music Composition major

“Even though we have less time in class, it gives us more time out of class to do homework and study for tests. The last furlough day we had benefitted me because the next day I had a midterm, so I devoted the whole day to studying.”

– Ken Arakaki

Sophomore Business major

“I’m hoping to study abroad next year and I’m taking intermediate German to brush up on my skills. Now they’re asking my teacher [to take furloughs]. Originally it was nine days off. Thankfully most of those have been switched to nonclass days, but she’s still expected to take four class days off. That’s two weeks less class for me. That means I’m less prepared when I go abroad and I’m not paying to look foolish. I’m paying to learn the language.”

– Mitchell Colbert

Senior Political Science major