Dear President Hennessy: As you are no doubt aware sir, Stanford University Football has accepted an invitation to play in the Discover Orange Bowl on January 3rd, 2011. Under the leadership of Coach Jim Harbaugh and the the Heisman-worthy talents of quarterback Andrew Luck, the Cardinal are nearing the end of what has the potential to be the single greatest season in Stanford Football history. The Red Zone faithful have already commenced planning their trips to Miami to be with the football team for the last game of this record-shattering year. Unfortunately, the game is being played on the first Monday of Winter Quarter, leaving many students concerned about the possibility of missing valuable classes due to travel plans. Stanford has been ruthlessly defamed across the country as being a school that doesn't "travel well", a highly contestable assertion given our presence at last year's Sun Bowl. We believe that Stanford students should have the chance to attend the Orange Bowl without fearing that a professor will drop them from a course. Therefore, President Hennessy, we petition you, Provost Etchemendy, and Vice Provost Elam to excuse the absences of those students who will be traveling to Miami, so we may witness a piece of Cardinal history while once and for all putting to rest the notion that Stanford fans do not support their world-class sports teams. Respectfully,

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