Fairness of university calendar questioned

With Easter and other holy days fast approaching, Christian students at UB are questioning the university's decision not to include Good Friday as a holiday on the academic calendar.
Some students feel that the university's calendar heavily favors the Jewish faith in that during the fall semester. Days off are granted for both Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, but during the spring, the university does not grant a day off for one of the holiest days in the Christian faith.
"As a school which encompasses so much diversity, we know that it is very hard for all religious groups to be allowed to have all our special religious holidays off, and while we are much appreciative that Christmas is during our winter break, Christmas is not the pinnacle holiday for our faith," said Ashley Wiehl, a senior biological sciences major.
Wiehl feels that Christian students need Good Friday off, because it is one of the most defining holy days in the religion — Good Friday is what the Christian faith is about.
"On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ, which is of course crucial for our faith. However, Christ simply living doesn't scratch the surface about what being a Christian is all about," Wiehl said. "Only through the death of Christ and his resurrection do we believe we can have eternal salvation through him. Good Friday, being the day that we celebrate Christ's death, … is an essential day in which we reminisce, mourn, praise and remember all that Christ did for us."
Other students, however, feel that despite the religious meaning of Good Friday, the day should be considered a holiday just to be fair to everyone.
"As a public university, we should get every religious holiday off or none at all," said Nathan Tuccio, a junior political science major. "The school should be completely secular and stay out of recognizing religious holidays."
Senior political science major Kinsey Davidson agrees.
"The appropriate solution seems to be, while unpopular with students, no promotion. No religious holidays off. Everyone should have to follow the same procedure of talking with their professors and arranging to take a religious holiday," Davidson said. "What I really think is appalling is that students and staff at a state university have to report on federal holidays. If the post office and banks are closed, UB should be too."
Tuccio says that he will be e-mailing his professors on Good Friday explaining that he is taking the day to observe his faith. As this is a public university, professors must grant exceptions in attendance policies for students who miss class because of a legitimate religious reason.
Wiehl, however, had to miss Good Friday church service for a test one year and is disappointed that the university fails to recognize important days of all faiths.
"This being said, it is personally frustrating to see that Christians are not allowed to have this holiday off, while many of the Jewish holidays are recognized by the administration as valid enough to receive a school closing," Wiehl said. "One year I actually had a test at 7 p.m. on Good Friday and couldn't even attend the Good Friday church service."
Michael Ryan, vice provost for undergraduate education, said that the university's academic calendar is as secular as possible and that the decision not to have Good Friday as a day off was not a slight to the Christian faith.
"The university calendar is made to comply with different regulations from the [State Education Department] and is as secular as possible," Ryan said.
Ryan points out that Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah are granted as holidays because the Jewish faith prohibits believers from attending work and school on the holiday, while the Christian faith only requires followers to attend mass.
"Believers are not prohibited from attending work or school on Good Friday, but that is a stipulation within the Jewish faith. This is why Good Friday is not a UB holiday," Ryan said. "However, as per state and federal laws, instructors must make accommodations for students who miss class for legitimate religious reasons."
Even so, some students still feel that in neglecting to recognize Good Friday as a holiday on the academic calendar, the school is slighting their religious beliefs.
"I feel that this is a silent slap in the face to my faith," Wiehl said. "Why is it that the one religious holiday not coinciding with a weekend or winter recess cannot be equally respected and observed?"

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