By Adam Budd

Thanksgiving, a holiday every high school student looks forward to. Lots of great food, spending time with family and a break from school. What’s not to like? Well, maybe it is not as long of a break as it should be.

   Schools need to be giving students longer Thanksgiving breaks. After three months of hard, strenuous work, students need a break from school to recharge their batteries as they gear up to close out the first semester strong.

   “I think that a longer break would benefit students by giving them a mental break from work. Students work hard all semester so a longer break would be beneficial.” RJR sophomore Jeff Echols said.

   With only three days off from school, it is really more of a long weekend than a break. At this point, students need to start thinking about exams that they have to take at the end of the semester. On top of that, many students find themselves being piled with homework, when they should be able to enjoy the holiday celebration with family and friends.

   Thanksgiving is a time where students should be able to visit family, especially family that lives far away. Many students travel all over the country each year for the holiday but with only three days off of school there is not very much time to travel long distances. Many of those travelers would prefer to have the whole week off.

   “I do think Thanksgiving break should be longer to give students more time to spend with family.” Echols said, “If we had a longer break I think we could see family members that live farther away.”

   Over 50 million people travel for Thanksgiving annually in the United States. Many of those trips will be short lived due to the extremely short break. If students were to have Monday and Tuesday off, as well as the preceding weekend, it would open up a whole new world of possibilities.

   Some people could be opposed to have a longer Thanksgiving break because they are concerned about getting the required number of school days, or what students will eat without the school providing it.

   The Thanksgiving break comes at a perfect time, students are starting to gear up for exams and the school year is finally rolling. It is a perfect time for a week off. As for the school providing food, our school sponsors a food drive run by service clubs where students can contribute by bringing in canned goods. It is a great way for students to get volunteer hours as well as provide for those who are less fortunate.

   Thanksgiving is a nationally celebrated holiday and a limited break takes away the ability for some students to spend it with family far away. With a longer break students would have more time to vacation, more time to spend with family and friends, and a longer break from school to recharge and prepare for a strong finish to the first semester.