With midterm now in the rearview, it is always that time of year when the question gets asked: Should Election Day be a national holiday? Should I be off from school and work on this day?

Personally, whether or not a holiday is worth missing class time is kind of confusing. We get Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day and Labor day out of class, yet not Halloween or Valentine’s Day? The way I see it, if the more patriotic holidays are recognized, then why isn’t voting for our country and state leaders prioritized as well?

Most students at GHC are eligible to vote and probably plan on voting on Election Day. The same can be said about faculty members. If we are cooped up in class all day, should we take it as our opinion doesn’t matter? Should we just rely solely on early voting?

GHC student Mia Southern says that every holiday should be commemorated. “I’m down for any holiday off to do some schoolwork,” she said.

Just as some people don’t celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas, or they aren’t as deeply impacted by Martin Luther King Jr. Day as others, all holidays should be respected and acknowledged for those who do appreciate said holiday. Even if many consider it a day to catch up with school work, there are students and staff who are extremely invested in politics and voting for the country’s well-being. 

“GHC should promote voting or do something to make it easier for students to vote. Maybe extra credit in political science classes?,” April Rhudy, a GHC nursing student, said.

I think she is onto something, too. In my political science course, I was taught that voting was one of the greatest ways a citizen can get involved, so it would be great to incentivize it at the very least. 

Regardless of whether Election Day is technically a national holiday, students and staff should at least have half a day off to exercise their civic duty to do so.