When Thanksgiving break begins after Tuesday’s classes end and concludes with the following Sunday’s sunset, students do not have enough time to enjoy the holiday  — an issue that would be resolved if Hillsdale extended the break to include a full week off of class. 

Out of 1,563 Hillsdale students, 73% of those come from out of state, representing every state and Washington, D.C., as well as 14 foreign countries. That means 1,140 students are crossing state lines to go home for the holiday. The time it takes to drive or fly eats into precious family time. 

The length of this break mirrors most high school Thanksgiving holidays — although Hillsdale Academy begins its break with a half-day this Friday — though high schoolers are not traveling across the country, boarding planes, or enduring 10-plus hour car rides to indulge in conversation and pumpkin pie. 

As if time isn’t enough of a barrier, the costs associated with Thanksgiving travel can be insurmountable for some families, especially the closer to Thursday you fly. According to NerdWallet, a personal finance company, the best times to travel home for Thanksgiving are the Saturday and Monday before, both days that college students are currently required to stay on campus, per the academic calendar. 

Some professors cancel classes on their own for the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, and students frequently skip their last classes anyway. But some professor inevitably schedules an exam during a Tuesday 3 p.m. class, which complicates  the decision-making even more. 

Extending Thanksgiving break to a full week solves these problems. While we’d have to start school earlier or extend it later, the two extra days would make a miniscule difference in August or December, but entirely change the holiday in November. 

Let’s amend the academic calendar and send more students home for Thanksgiving. Families should be breaking bread, not breaking traditions, and spend the entire week enjoying unity on this quintessential American holiday.