Mahwah, New Jersey-In a whirlwind decision, Ramapo College administrators agreed that starting this semester, the college will no longer give students a Spring break.
However, in an experimental move that will either garner high praises or arouse copious concerns, Ramapo will being giving all school faculty a Spring break. This includes professors and administrators, as well as dining and custodial staff.
We sat down with the school’s President, Dr. Peter Mercer, to further understand the decision.
Dr. Mercer, could you explain why Ramapo has decided to do away with Spring break?
“There is really a two-fold objective here,” states Dr. Mercer. “Firstly, I never hear of students taking a Spring break trip to Canada. It’s still cold there in March, I get it. But as a Canadian citizen I take offense to this. We have great cities, but students are too concerned with being warm and having fun. Students don’t understand that vacation, like college, isn’t about fun. And my other objective is an experiment in education.”
And what is this experiment in education that you’re conducting?
“That is the second fold of my two-fold objective. The administration and I wanted to see how the students would function in academia without the guidance of professors or other staff. They’ll have to be fully self reliant, from cooking meals and cleaning the school, to educating themselves.”
Are you aware that four of the major dorm buildings on campus do not have kitchens?
“I was not aware. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
You yourself have a Spring break. Do you have plans to go on vacation?
“That’s not important.”
