On Ramadan

Ramadan, the holy month of prayer and fasting during daylight hours, either begins on Monday or Tuesday. Nobody knows for sure, though, because the Islamic calendar is lunar, and so, everyone, including the school, has to wait until some guy somewhere looks up at the moon and decides that Ramadan has officially begun.
Once Ramadan begins, however, things here really start to change. Classes are shortened to give the observant students' starved brains a break. During the day, lunches are served in the dining hall as usual. However, it is considered polite to not eat, drink, or smoke in any other public areas. The really weird thing, though, is that during the entire month of Ramadan, when observant students cannot eat or drink during the day, all students are still required to participate in athletic/theater/community service activities. How fasting students can be expected to perform during athletic practices we have yet to see. Last year the school simply cancelled all afternoon activities during the Ramadan. This year, however, coaches are simply recommended to keep their practices short and simple. We'll just have to wait and see how that goes.