Gentle Thursday and Friday dates to change
Gentle Thursday and Friday will change dates from the last two days of the school year — April 28 and 29 — to March 31 and April 1.
The change in the calendar was voted on during the Feb. 12, 2013 Board of Trustees meeting, said Jill Noch, administrative aide to the Academic Senate. Gentle Thursday and Friday were given off to students so they had more time to study for final exams.
The decision was made in order to have Gentle Thursday and Friday coincide with the spring break of the Gratiot-Isabella school districts.
One of the reasons for the change was to allow faculty and staff with children enrolled in local schools to have the same break.
University President George Ross said the change in dates shouldn't affect students' abilities to study for finals.
"I think (over) the course of a 16-week semester, hopefully, students would have studied three hours per hour in class each week throughout the semester," Ross said at the Feb. 18 Board of Trustees meeting.
Some students are indifferent to the change.
"I only have one class on Thursday, and I’d have time on Friday and during the weekend to study for my exams," said Livonia senior Rebecca Folsom. "I understand if other people have classes on Thursday and Friday that they might have a little time crunch for studying. I know it kind of frustrates some students."
Other students were not as happy.
"I don’t really like the idea," said Sturgis junior Caleb Northrop. "It can kind of cause problems because you still have other things you have to (work) on for classes, so not all your focus on those days can be on exams or relaxing before studying."
Grand Rapids senior Ernie Morton said some of his classmates have misused Gentle Thursday and Friday in the past.
"It doesn’t matter to me, days off are days off, I’m cool with it either way," Morton said. "Honestly, I don’t even study on Gentle Thursday and Friday. Most people don’t. They just party most of the time."
Keeping Gentle Thursday and Friday at the end of the semester is "like a tradition," said Sanilac County senior Lucie Sertich.
"Having Gentle Thursday and Friday the week before (exams), I’ve always kind of liked it," Sertich said. "It’s also nice to have a break in the middle of the semester too. I see both sides of it."
In previous years, Gentle Thursday and Friday has not just served as a day off for students, but a day of relaxing activities. Program Board's Maroonziee event will still be held at noon on April 29 at Finch Fieldhouse.
Program Board President Kaylee Bloom said the change in date for Gentle Thursday and Friday will not affect attendance for the event.
