For Georgetown students, getting home to a freshly carved turkey and homemade apple pie is not all gravy.One year ago, this board asked professors to report class cancellations around Thanksgiving break earlier. Since then, not much has changed – the stressful, and often pricey, problem persists. By failing to provide accurate class schedules at the beginning of the semester, university professors place students who must travel in a difficult position.any students – especially those whose families live far away – must either make travel arrangements as early as September or risk facing outrageous air or train fares. When professors don’t specify in their syllabuses whether class will be held the day before Thanksgiving, students can gamble with two choices: They can hope for class cancellations (but be willing to skip if necessary) and book their travel plans for earlier in the week; or, they can play it safe and book their travel plans for the more expensive Wednesday night travel slots, potentially sacrificing time with their families.Nothing, however, is more frustrating than playing it safe:booking your flight or train for late Wednesday and finding out the week before break that classes are cancelled. Chances are, the students most concerned with booking tickets home far in advance already don’t see their families much due to distance. Shortening the time students could be spending with their families is not fair, but it is especially insensitive for those who have to travel thousands of miles to do so.Professors should not be putting students in the position to choose between class and already scarce family time. They should not only announce their cancellations earlier, but – if planned – they should write them into the syllabus itself. Students will know what to expect and then plan accordingly.Perhaps next year, students will be able to buy their Turkey Day tickets at the beginning of the semester and be at ease in mind and in pocket. This is only possible if professors include the Thanksgiving schedule in their syllabuses. In the prelude to the holidays, we would all – students, families and professors – be thankful for more foresight.”