The majority of students living in all eight residence halls are in favor of keeping both fall break and Thanksgiving break, according to a poll by the RHA.
"We're not entirely sure how that would be possible," said RHA President Scott Goldstein.
Of the 189 students informally polled, just over 50 percent chose the option that read, "I believe that American University should keep fall break and extend Thanksgiving vacation to a week. In order to compensate for lost time, I recommend that the fall semester either begins two days earlier or ends two days later."
The poll included 373 students surveyed from 2 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. today. RHA surveyed door-to-door in some halls and set up tables in the lobbies of others to collect survey slips. Its margin of error was almost 5 percent.
"I believe that American University should keep the current vacation schedule" was the second most popular option with 131 students, constituting just over 35 percent of the vote.
Just over 11 percent, or 43 students, chose "I believe that American University should extend Thanksgiving break to an entire week, and end fall break." Ten students, 2.63% of those polled, chose "I have another opinion."
In Residence Hall Association Resolution 04-03, Will Mount, Vice President of Community Coordination wrote that "the results of the Residence Hall Association survey shall be the official policy of the Residence Hall Association."
RHA will present its case along with the Student Confederation's to University President Benjamin Ladner in the next few days. Goldstein said that if the most popular option is not feasible, their official opinion will become the second most popular option, which is the same as the SC's.
RHA has a stake in the fall break issue because holidays affect Housing and Dining's services. TDR has shorter hours during breaks.
Mount composed the survey after consulting hall presidents on how to best sample student opinion on the matter.
