Arizona Daily Wildcat, September 2, 1999 http://wildcat.arizona.edu
U-WIRE
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Despite a large religious student body, Penn State University holds classes on most religious holidays - an issue that leaves many students divided.
Some public schools throughout the United States observe major religious holidays, such as Yom Kippur on Sept. 20, by canceling classes. But there is opposition to such observance of religious holidays.
According to a CNN report, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in federal court on Aug. 25 to block an Ohio school system from observing Jewish holidays by granting days off of its calendar. The ACLU claims the action violated the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, which prohibits the establishment of one religion above others.
"Religious freedom is important, but separation of church and state seems to be the reason for this suit (in Ohio)," said Samantha Chirillo, Penn State ACLU secretary.
But others argue students still need to have the option to observe religious holidays by not attending classes.
"I think observance depends on the individual," said Tuvia Abramson, director of Hillel: Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. "All students should be allowed out of class for any religious holiday."
Steve Strouss, a meteorology junior and Jewish Athletic League liaison for the Board of Directors of Hillel, said it would be wrong of the ACLU to block the Ohio schools from canceling classes on holidays because Jewish students are the majority.
"Any school has the right to cancel classes at any time, especially on religious holidays," Strouss said.
There is an effort to close classes on religious holidays, Strouss said, but it is not necessary when there is a small Jewish population.
"If Jewish students are not the majority then everyone gets a day off and it is out of respect to a major holiday such as Yom Kippur," Strouss said.
Abramson said classes do not have to be closed for all 40,000 students if students have the option to observe holidays outside of class.
"If a school had a majority of Jewish students, then no one would be in class on a Jewish holiday, so you might as well cancel class," Abramson said. "We have to deal with the reality. If the student body was big enough, we could accommodate them."
Strouss said the ACLU is being harsh and strict, and they might as well file a suit for other canceled school days that fall within holidays.
But Chirillo agrees with the ACLU stance. Chirillo said closing classes for one religion's holidays would lead to others wanting canceled classes for their own holidays.
Abramson said it is inappropriate to schedule a major event on a holiday when some people cannot attend because of their observance of a holiday.
"The problem is when the university schedules football games on holidays such as Yom Kippur," Abramson added.
The school should make all efforts to let students observe their religious holidays, to allow them to get out of class and to be given enough time to catch up with the rest of the class, Abramson said.
Professors seem understanding and tend to excuse students from class, Strouss said. Penn State allows students to observe their holidays, he added.
Committee: Gainesville bars and clubs should close doors at 2 a.m.