This past Friday, the administration modified the schedule for all students and faculty, clearing blocks out in honor of Inauguration Day. From 11:30 to 1:15 PM, all members of the Choate community had free time to observe the inauguration of our 45th president, participate in open discussions, or simply get work done for the two class periods following the free block.
Initially, I had zero interest in watching the inauguration with any student on this campus, let alone those with differing opinions with whom I did not want to talk to at the time. However, I acknowledged my closed-mindedness and chose to view the traditional ceremony, standing in the back of the Lanphier lounge. Tensions were high as many students and faculty members sat and watched the swearing in of the next leader of our nation; some were psyched, some were sad, and some were simply shocked. The reactions to the inauguration were quite predictable: most students remained silent while a few students clapped and cheered in support. While this sharp contrast between the silent and the rowdy seemed awkward initially, everyone respected each other and no fights ensued.
When the School sent out the Friday schedule for the first time, I was incredibly confused. How could we possibly maintain our focus in class after seeing such a historic event? After all, shouldn’t students have an opportunity immediately afterwards to discuss the speeches delivered and express our emotions?
That being said, the decision to insert a free block into the middle of the day for the sake of watching the inauguration ceremony is still much more considerate than not allowing members of the community to watch at all.
It is important to recognize and appreciate the work that goes into creating a special schedule for a day. Although Choate is a private institution and does not have a set number of necessary class days by the end of the year like public schools, the administration has to put much thought into the best way to insert a free block into the schedule and what has to be sacrificed in order to make the timing work. We have the privilege to attend a school that has the ability to cater to the desires of the students. If students want to watch the inauguration, the School can make that happen. It is important that the School continues to carve out time for the students to watch these types of events, as having these school-wide free periods provides the opportunity for all students to raise their political awareness and gives students no excuse not to watch.
Although I would have appreciated more time to reflect on the speeches given during the inauguration ceremony instead of having to go straight to class, we should all be grateful to Choate for giving us the chance to set our studies aside and witness history before our very eyes. I would advise us all to take advantage of the time Choate gives us, and further our knowledge on the topics at hand. After all, the School is not changing the typical class schedule so we can get through the day like it is any given Friday.
