It's Monday, week 6, here at SCCC, and I know what you're probably thinking, "We're the only school that's open on Columbus Day."
Well, you're probably right. Most schools in the area are off from school today. If you have children, they're definitely home. I never understood why a community college, which has many nontraditional students, ages twenty-four and up, many of whom have children, didn't give its students holiday's like Columbus Day off.
When I was a student at SCCC, I dreaded the College's "non-holidays". The Schenectady City School District gets, on average, about four days off from school a month. That means that almost 4 days out of the month I had to struggle to find childcare and dip into my savings to pay for it. Many of their days off are due to staff meetings and conferences- things inapplicable to a universal calendar.
On the other hand, all of our calendars designate Columbus Day as a holiday, and I think that SCCC should recognize this. St. Rose does. HVCC does. SUNY Albany students don't have to go to classes on Yom Kippur- yet another holiday that is recognized by the Schenectady City School District.
If we could organize our school's schedule to include some of these days off and still meet the minimum number of hours required to be an accredited school, SCCC could make the lives of many of its students much easier.
Perhaps our attendance today means much more than we realize.
Perhaps our attendance today means much more than we realize.
There are conflicting beliefs and interpretations about our national hero, Mr. Christopher Columbus. Some believe that Columbus discovered America in 1492. And, that's why today we celebrate his designated holiday.
However, there is another school of thought that is often omitted from our elementary school books. Some believe that Columbus's actions were cruel including: his use of slavery and violence against the American Indians, forceful projection of Christianity, and the transmission of diseases that would have lasting effects on the native population.
Are SCCC and other institutions that do not honor Columbus Day as a holiday suggesting that we believe that we should not honor Christopher Columbus as a American hero?
However, there is another school of thought that is often omitted from our elementary school books. Some believe that Columbus's actions were cruel including: his use of slavery and violence against the American Indians, forceful projection of Christianity, and the transmission of diseases that would have lasting effects on the native population.
Are SCCC and other institutions that do not honor Columbus Day as a holiday suggesting that we believe that we should not honor Christopher Columbus as a American hero?
The Rated G version of Christopher Columbus
This morning, I asked my five year old if he knew why he had the day off from school on a Monday.
"No," he said.
"It's Columbus Day. Do you know who Columbus was?"
He was anxious to answer, "Yes, he came to our island on a boat."
Maybe I shouldn't have, but I did.
I informed my five-year-old, little boy that, "When he came here he wanted to build houses for people to live in, and so, all of the Indians who used to live in the forests had to leave."
"Did they die?" he asked me. Big Brother often worries about death.
"No. Wait, yes, some of them died from diseases. Those men on the boats didn't bring their toothbrushes and use the soap when they took their showers, and so, they were full of germs when they landed in America. The Indians weren't used to all these germs and some of them got sick and died. The others, they moved to little communities away from the European men who were busy building house and taking over the forests."
The moral of this story: Brush your teeth and wash up with soap!
This morning, I asked my five year old if he knew why he had the day off from school on a Monday.
"No," he said.
"It's Columbus Day. Do you know who Columbus was?"
He was anxious to answer, "Yes, he came to our island on a boat."
Maybe I shouldn't have, but I did.
I informed my five-year-old, little boy that, "When he came here he wanted to build houses for people to live in, and so, all of the Indians who used to live in the forests had to leave."
"Did they die?" he asked me. Big Brother often worries about death.
"No. Wait, yes, some of them died from diseases. Those men on the boats didn't bring their toothbrushes and use the soap when they took their showers, and so, they were full of germs when they landed in America. The Indians weren't used to all these germs and some of them got sick and died. The others, they moved to little communities away from the European men who were busy building house and taking over the forests."
The moral of this story: Brush your teeth and wash up with soap!
For those of you who do have today off, Say Schenectady has a list of things to do and celebrate the holiday.
The rated G version of Christopher Columbus was very entertaining. Your interpretations of the interactions with other people, whether it be your children or the faculty/students at SCCC, are what people like me enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteAnd the moral of the story was hilarious.
Crazy that you don't get Columbus day off! Especially with the childcare issue. This is interesting, I was talking to my mom yesterday about how Columbus day is sort of a crock and we probably don't need it off-- but you make a good point, because unless the elementary schools stop doing it, there's no point.
ReplyDeleteSeems like SCCC should have some sort of childcare situation if they're gonna do this stuff.
All schools don't have columbus day off? That is crazy. Although I did not have it off either, I had a conference to go to for work. Loved how you talked about the beliefs about columbus day. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed it though rated G. version of Christopher Columbus. That section of the post was the best part by far because you put yourself in it instead of just delivering information. I really love the moral of the story too it wraps up the post very nicely. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI love that you added the story about your son. It's a cute story but also talks about the myth of Columbus being a hero with his very own day. I really like how you separated this into 2 parts that flow together, it works really well!
ReplyDelete~Becca