If there’s one thing universally despised by students, it’s hours and hours of homework. While most understand that homework on a regular basis is a fundamental part of learning and retaining information, it’s safe to say that no one actually enjoys it. This is especially true over long breaks.

Most students, if assigned a hefty project over break that was due the first day back, would react with outraged complaints. “It’s our break time, and we have it for a reason,” says junior Bryce Beatson, summing up the opinions of a good portion of Panther Creek’s student body. No one wants to work over a time period where, by definition, they are promised a break from doing so.

“I personally don’t really like the idea of homework over the break, mostly due to the fact that this time is for family and friends, not schoolwork and studying,” adds Dani Blasberg, a sophomore. She has a valid point; in a Venn diagram where the two categories are ‘doing homework’ and ‘spending quality time with loved ones,’ the two circles don’t even come close to overlapping.

Miriam Clifford of teachthought.com describes how a learning atmosphere surrounds today’s kids almost ceaselessly, stating that there are other ways to learn over break besides worksheets and projects. “More homework doesn’t necessarily equate to higher achievement,” she states in her article going over 20 reasons teachers shouldn’t assign homework over break.

Taking a different stance, understood.org argues that homework over the holiday break is actually beneficial for students, saying that it helps them retain new skills, provides a chance to work on time management skills, and can be a great opportunity to catch up if they are behind.

While we can’t be sure whether or not having homework over the holidays really is rewarding, we can tell with certainty that a majority of Panther Creek students are resistant to the idea, being firmly of the opinion that break should be a time to rest, recuperate, and enjoy the company of family and friends.