Should classes be held on religious holidays?

This transcript is automatically generated

Welcome back we told you about Stony Brook university here in New York State no longer canceling classes for major Christian and Jewish holidays.

They're -- for years but now they're not going to in an effort to afford equal respect to students and faculty from all faiths.

Here's what a university official told me earlier this week.

Give me a personal decision not a not a state decision our goal is to maximize available class time for all of our students.

And to really make a calendar that's predictable in and standardize it makes the most sense academically.

But doesn't make sense to the students let's talk to one here -- shop it's a student at Stony Brook university and he joins us early on this.

Friday morning -- when you first heard.

About the calendar -- to -- you thought it was just messed up.

Yeah I don't it was a mistake in honor of school on Long Island in New York I can be changed counted tonight include all of -- yeah but what they say is.

In the past your school has never celebrated.

Muslim holidays or Buddhist holidays and so going forward they're not gonna celebrate any holidays so everything's been cool.

And that just seems a little disingenuous -- they can they could change the calendar to suit from.

Anyone and there's always room for compromise.

Well you would think so except it sounds like this particular policy is gonna go in effect shortly and be in effect for the next four years.

And this going to be a problem for you as a history student because you observed the holidays.

And you're gonna have to make a choice to what I wanna go to class which is going to impact my future or do I want to observe my -- Right and it is a choice because the times that I would have to take off our very close to mid terms and do I -- study or should I practice my faith and I would.

Want to do both but I'm being put in a pretty tough position by the university.

What's your message to the university they're probably watching about right now and I hope so and I want them to put the calendar back.

Thumb their calendar was -- there was equal compromise for as many students as possible and it worked fine so far why.

-- -- university do so well.

Come on one -- and then all of a sudden have to change well the university says we're just trying to be fair there and -- fair word again and it's messing up your holidays and my holidays two and a lot of -- holidays.

Yes I'm it -- all well and good but I mean we are it's -- school and when you're sitting students back.

That's bad round and need it shouldn't be that -- shouldn't have to make tetris.

You know it has a -- it three kids two kids in college one out of college.

You fight you know if if I knew who go and and that if my kid went to Stony Brook and they'd have to go to class on Good Friday.

I'd suggest they go to another school.

He's if you had to do it all over again would you reconsider go into the schools given this new policy.

I would I would make a I would have to add that in to my consideration that would definitely be something to it -- tournaments is this something the kids are talking about on campus.

Yeah yeah lot of people are upset some people aren't upset but you know what that's.

You're going to get people on both sides but in this case it's a.

It's an issue that was.

Resolves.

Without any input and we didn't we didn't really we found out by accident.

Right the interesting thing is I'm sure you know -- they will observe Christmas because it's a union.

You know it's part of the union deals it was part of the union.

Agreements so they listen to the union but they don't.

Listen to the students.

And it's funny because we're the ones -- pay tuition death and were on campus and we -- -- -- to the university we.

Thumb prop them up by being good students.

And they're not doing right by us.

Here in her shop by a student at Stony Brook we thank you very much for coming from story.

Good luck thank you could look on the mid terms of banks.

Are.

Watch Live

Should classes be held on religious holidays?

Details

Clips

Editor's Picks

Sen. Marco Rubio outlines future of immigration reform

Buchanan: IRS is a 'rogue agency'

Massive fire breaks out at fuel-depot in Brazil

Holder's changing tune on involvement in journalist scrutiny

'The Five's advice for newly minted college grads

Cavuto: We're in a global war on terror

New information about the London terror suspects

Travis Alexander's friend: Family wants Arias on death row

The new face of US drone policy

Investigation into death of US engineer in Singapore a sham?

Former President Bush hosts wounded warrior bike ride

New developments in Maxim model murder trial

Transcript

Recommended