11/20/98

Opelika * Auburn News
* THE NEWSPAPER OF EAST ALABAMA*
11/20/98

Letter: Explain YRS break mystery

The letter "YRS doesn't add up" of O-A News, Nov. 17, is very relevant. Decades back when Einstein was asked to explain his theory of relativity to lay people, he said "When you are in love, you don't feel time!" However, the case with YRS is different.

As the survey form states, the teachers have eight more staff-days than the student-days in a year plus, several other working days. Hence, the definition of a vacation is more technical than is apparent! Perhaps in a Traditional Calendar, these staff and other days run into the summer whereas, in YRS, some of them can be absorbed during the additional YRS breaks and hence the net gains for the students during the year. That is why even though all of the first three out of the four Alternative Calendars end on May 25 for the students, their starting dates (Aug. 10 and 2) differ by only eight days for a two week difference in summer vacation ( 11 weeks and 9 weeks).

After reading the above letter I poured one cup of sugar into three cups of water. The solution measured only three and half cups and not four, as the math might indicate! It is a wonderful world. ACS teaches good math, science and art. We are fortunate to have teachers at ACS who are willing to give more breaks during the year to students who often say "Give me a break!", while they themselves continue to work. However, I too request that ACS give a detailed explanation to this YRS vacation mystery.

N.S. Malladi, Ph.D.
Auburn