By Ashna Balroop 

For University of Maryland students, Monday came and went like any other day of class. Many students were unaware or had forgotten that it was a national holiday. 

Presidents’ Day, a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February, commemorates the birthdays of President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. Despite the closures of government offices and many public schools, UMD remained open, and its students expressed their disdain. 

Ruth Gensler, a sophomore psychology major, suggested that UMD cancel classes for the annual holiday to maintain consistency with other closures. 

“It makes the most sense,” Gensler said. “If we are off for other national federal holidays, then we should be off [for this one].”

Gensler feels that Presidents’ Day has become less significant because nobody she knows personally celebrates the day. 

“I think it has become a lot more superficial,” Gensler said. “Maybe it had more meaning in the past.” 

The holiday can also create confusion when most retailers and businesses remain open, but post offices, banks, the stock market and government offices close in observance of the day, according to USA Today. 

Marin Frame, a senior psychology major, said that growing up, the holiday encouraged her to reflect on the country’s history, but now, that idea has faded. 

“​​I think growing up, it was like in school, a chance to reflect on the history of the country, but now it’s just one of those holidays that nobody really pays attention to,” Frame said.

Like Gensler, Frame believes UMD should have Presidents’ Day off.

“It also gives students a chance to rest. And spring semester, we don’t really have any days off except spring break,” Frame said. “So it would be nice to have a three-day weekend.” 

Beatrix Nguyen, a sophomore computer science major, also said having time off from school for Presidents’ Day would be beneficial. However, Nguyen admits this holiday is not particularly memorable for her, as she did not learn much about it in school.

It would be nice to have Presidents’ Day off,  but the decision would be complex for the university to make in terms of class scheduling, Nguyen said. 

“I think that decision is greater than just one person,” Nguyen said. “There are other logistics that take place, like class and [the university’s] tight schedule, so it’s hard to weigh in.” 

Nevertheless, Frame said that Presidents’ Day still holds significance and should be celebrated regardless of the current president.

“Regardless of how you fall in the political spectrum, it’s so important to recognize who the president is even though you might disagree, and then that kind of can inform how you proceed to act,” Frame said.

Featured Image: Students walk by the Thomas V. Miller JR. Administration Building. Photo by Joseph Conaty.