Veterans Day is recognized nationwide as a day to commemorate the brave men and women who have served our country. However, it’s alarming how many people are unaware of the holiday.

Honoring our veterans shouldn’t be an act exclusive to those with family members in the war and since students spend the majority of their day in school, it only makes sense to recognize the occasion during school hours.

As of now, the only Veterans Day recognition at Naperville Central High School is an assembly during second hour classes. During this assembly, Central’s Wind Ensemble and choir perform, various speakers give speeches and local veterans are honored on the auditorium stage. Though this grand display does plenty of justice to those who have served, there’s a catch: the assembly is optional, in that teachers have the choice to sign up their classes.

The fact that an assembly honoring a day that holds such importance is optional is almost offensive. It gives students the idea that recognizing our veterans’ valiant efforts isn’t a priority.

Many teachers choose to opt out of the assembly simply because it takes up valuable learning time. While I agree that the main purpose of school is to get an education, there are some instances in which graphing inequalities or conjugating verbs can wait. Veterans Day is one of these cases.

The undeniable significance that our veterans have to our nation needs to be acknowledged. In today’s society, people, especially teenagers, are becoming more self-absorbed and concerned only with their own well-being. Veterans Day is all about thanking those who do what few are capable of.

It’s not as though an assembly wouldn’t be able to fit into the school schedule. We have assemblies for Homecoming and Winter Dances and various speakers and we would easily be able to change the bell schedule to integrate a Veterans Day commemoration.

What confuses me is that when these Homecoming or Winter Dance assemblies do come around, teachers give up around ten minutes of each class in the schedule without a second thought. In addition, every student is required to attend these assemblies that serve no purpose other than raising school spirit.

Veterans Day is a day to appreciate those who put their lives in jeopardy to protect our country. However, if all Central has to observe the holiday is an assembly that not even half of the student body attends,  they do not receive the resounding thank you that they deserve.