He used the dead bodies of natives and even live babies for dog food, used women as sex slaves to reward his lieutenants, and brought syphilis back to his home country. Today, we honor this man alongside Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and the veterans who have served our country.

We celebrate Columbus Day with a day off school because of his so-called “discovery” of the New World in 1492. But the glorification of Christopher Columbus needs to end.

Let’s sail through a quick history lesson. Christopher Columbus didn’t even think he found the New World, he thought he had landed in the East Indies. Ten years later, merchant Amerigo Vespucci was actually the one who discovered that his destination was new territory. We take our country’s name, America, from him.

Nevertheless, half a millennium before either Vespucci or Columbus made discoveries about America, Viking explorer Leif Ericson led an expedition that was probably the first to land on North American soil.

Not only is the entire discovery of the Americas hazy, but Columbus’ actions upon arriving in the New World are not the kind of actions that should be honored centuries later.

Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937. This does not mean that schools are required to close— it simply gives them a reason to. Some schools don’t even recognize Veterans Day, which is also a federal holiday, with a non-attendance day, however, they do celebrate Columbus Day.  According to the DuPage Regional Office of Education, 40 out of 42 school districts recognize Columbus Day as a holiday. Only eight schools recognize Veterans Day.

“I think for Veterans Day it’s affecting directly so many people who have put their lives on the line to support our freedoms that we have today,” US History teacher Karen Spahr-Thomas said. “I just think Veterans Day is more symbolic of serving others.”

Chicago has had a Columbus Day parade for the past 53 years. Even Italian Americans who value the celebration should remember that while it is true that Columbus was Italian, his trip did not benefit Italy. The voyage was supported by the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, meaning his findings provided help to Spain instead.

No one wants to lose a day off school, but there are many other days that could be celebrated or honored instead of Columbus Day. Spahr-Thomas encourages that the culture of Native Americans be celebrated and recognized on our day off, as the month of November is Native American Heritage Month.

Wednesday, Oct. 12 is a non-attendance day for River Forest School District 90, instead of the Monday prior. Because of the division of church and state, the district cannot say that it is a day off for the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur; however, Yom Kippur is on this day. It is close enough to Columbus Day to keep the calendar similar to the way it has been.