What has become of Easter?

Wow, it's been a week since I've posted.  I think I have a good excuse, though, since all of my writing energy has, sadly, been sucked into academic writing.

Anyhoo, Happy Easter everybody!  He is Risen! ♫Alleluia♫

I had an interesting Holy Week this year.  Last year my entire Holy Week was spent working on my toothpick bridge.  I had hoped and planned initially to get it done by the Triduum so I could devote time to religious stuff.  Soon after I realized that was impossible, so I made my goal to finish it by The Easter Vigil.  That didn't happen either.  My bridge was finished at 9pm on Easter Monday.  I felt horrible the whole time because my mind was constantly brooding over my bridge (which, on Easter Day, was still refusing to stand up) when I should have been celebrating with Jesus.  When I went to Mass I kept catching myself turning over bridge-building strategies in my head when I should have been praying.  At least on Good Friday I suffered with Jesus.

So I had very much hoped to have a more prayerful Triduum this year.  Sadly, my time was again monopolized.  First of all, I was not able to go to Holy Thursday Mass because I had to work, which was sad because it is such a beautiful Eucharistic liturgy.  Then I spent basically the entire weekend reading homework, writing papers, studying, or working.  Luckily, I got to go to Good Friday service and the Easter vigil, and I still got to spent time with my family and watch a couple of movies.

What has our world come to that teachers see the long Easter weekend as simply an opportunity to pound us with homework?  Well, actually, the bridge I understand.  I had all of Lent to work on it and my teacher even dubbed the bridge "our Lenten sacrifice."  Still, I feel guilty about how focused on that bridge I was when I should have given it all to God.  And then this year I had a professor that deliberately loaded on the homework.  He even sent us an e-mail with some rubrics that said something to the effect of, "Have a safe Easter weekend, make it productive."  Is that all that Easter has become in the academic world?   A long weekend for projects?  What about the poor resident students who went home but didn't have time to spend with their families?  For just this one class, I had to read a book, write a report, prepare a group project, write a mid-term essay, and study for a midterm IDs test.  And during this week, the Easter octave, there is only one day that I do not have to do something extra-curricular for this class.  And all of this was on top of rewrites and other homework I have to do for other classes.  Where has the respect for religious holidays gone?

However, thank God, with prayer I was able to pull through and still have some time to enjoy the season.  I'm curious, has anyone else had similar experiences?  Do you all agree with me or am I taking this overboard? I'd love to hear some opinions.