The Friday before Halloween, after a draining psychology exam, I walked between Mudd Field and the DUC, confused by the sudden increase in foot traffic. After a friend’s reminder, I realized why campus seemed so much busier: It was both Parent’s Weekend and Halloween. In my academic frenzy, I forgot this specific weekend was supposed to be enjoyable. 

I’m disappointed with how many festivities and responsibilities have been crammed into this short weekend. While I recognize the logistical challenges of coordinating the academic calendar, the overlap between these two major fall semester events highlights the larger concern that nearly everyone is overwhelmed with academic work.

“If students are consistently forced to choose between academic success and meaningful college experiences, are we truly fostering healthy excellence, or are we simply rewarding those willing to sacrifice everything else?”

Regardless of major or school, students I’ve spoken to have all described being stressed from balancing exams, papers, and other deadlines with Halloween and Parent’s Weekend celebrations. Some students are facing back-to-back major assignments on the Monday and Tuesday after Halloween, leaving little room to participate in many of the events that make college meaningful.

Considering WashU’s emphasis on healthy excellence, this seems contradictory. Academic rigor is central to the WashU experience, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of students enjoying college. We aren’t a party school, and weekends like this one are among the few opportunities students have to step away from academics and enjoy campus life. Even if an individual doesn’t go out for Halloween, their parents may have flown a great distance to see them — yet squeezing in family time may be hard due to the sheer amount of work they have. I’m not suggesting professors should be prohibited from assigning major work over every campus event. Rather, I believe this issue reflects a broader campus culture in which academic demands too often overshadow students’ personal lives. If students are consistently forced to choose between academic success and meaningful college experiences, are we truly fostering healthy excellence, or are we simply rewarding those willing to sacrifice everything else?