Editorial: Cancel classes for summit spectacle

Sept. 24 will be the day Pittsburgh stops, unless you are a Pitt student. When the G-20 Summit roars into the city, it will bring presidents, prime ministers, protestors and worldwide media attention.

It will also bring complications, traffic jams and burdensome security precautions. In anticipation, many Pittsburgh schools have canceled classes. Pitt is not one of them.

Duquesne, Robert Morris, Carlow, the entire Community College of Allegheny County and all 66 Pittsburgh public schools will shut their doors for the G-20.

Some of these colleges may be closer than Pitt to the main event, to be held at the David Lawrence Convention Center, but one event is scheduled to take place in Oakland. Phipps Conservatory will host a dinner for dignitaries and their spouses on Sept. 24.

Either way, make no mistake, Oakland will be a madhouse.

Port Authority expects all city traffic to be affected, as evidenced by its website, which acknowledges that “most, if not all, routes will change.”

This is sure to hinder Pitt’s commuter students, as well as many faculty members, administrators and other employees who might live across town.

However, the logistical nonsense in keeping Pitt open is less important than the scholastic imperative that Pitt should allow students to involve themselves in the Summit’s events.

Pitt is an educational institution, and it should accommodate two days off for a meeting of global importance. Maybe the inconvenience is the price residents pay for host’s honor, but students should still be given the opportunity to wholly experience the G-20 — “Oh man, I was going to watch the meeting of world leaders, but I have my Westerns and Samurai Films course at noon.”

Some professors have already announced the cancellation of classes during the Summit. They recognize the value of participating in this event, as well as their own labyrinthian obstacle course in driving to campus.

For two days of history, the entire University can afford to do the same. We’ll talk about snow cancellations later.