The fact that Columbia doesn't let students and faculty have Columbus Day off is ridiculous, and not just because practically every other school and workplace has a holiday today. As some of you may know, Columbia is named after Christopher Columbus. In other words, today is kind of our special day, a university birthday of sorts: we should all have the day off to honor our namesake (or just to relax and/or party for an extra day).

So why don't we get Columbus Day off? Columbia decided to stop recognizing the holiday a few years ago due to protests and lobbying by the Native American Students Association. I'm usually all for political correctness, and I certainly recognize that Columbus had a problematic history for numerous reasons, but Columbia is still named after the guy, and making students sit in class when others have a vacation accomplishes exactly zilch.

While I scramble to finish the reading for my next class, you lucky kids at other schools will have to enjoy the perfect fall weather on my behalf. If you're in NYC, check out the Columbus Day street fair or see the waterfalls one last time before they close -- today is the last day!