The reality of spring break

Story by Lily Stephens, Writer

(Transcript of audio)

As a high school student I always wondered what it was like to go on spring break in college. Especially since MTV’s “Spring Break Special,” the shenanigans of South Padre Island, Texas, and movies like “Spring Breakers” reached the height of their popularity during my adolescence.

As I approach my first spring break as a college student, I now find myself frantically looking for a house-sitting job instead of swimsuit shopping and preparing for a wild week in paradise. So if I don’t head to South Padre, the only one missing out on the beach-side contests, should I be lying outside the union trying to start a base tan? I decided to see what everybody else was doing. First I talked to Zack Shoemaker.

“Over spring break I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m probably going to sit at home on my couch, watch Netflix and ignore all my issues.”

I soon learned that just like Zack, most of us wild college students will be doing exactly that: nothing. And a crazy week isn’t exactly what students are picturing. Rachel Vogelmeier shared with me what her perfect spring break day will look like.

“My perfect spring break day is waking up at like 10:30, opening up all the windows in the house, going for a picnic, watching some Netflix, playing with my dogs, that’s about it, having dinner outside.”

Other students like Carson Ferren will be working in an office to fulfill internship requirements.

“I am a church leadership minor here at Baker University. For this minor, I have to have two different internships, and I am completing one of those internships this semester. For this internship, I’m working at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Overland Park, Kansas, and I’m working in the office alongside their priest. I’m doing various things like preaching on Sundays, putting together Lenten programs as well as working with the children and the youth. So over this spring break, I will be mostly there at church working in the office.”

And other students will be heading home to spend time with family, like freshman Sarah Price, or exploring the exotic lands with significant others, like Lora Finley.

“Over spring break I’m gonna be flying home to Dallas and I’m gonna drive home from there to Frisco and I’m just going to hangout with friends, with family, I’m probably going to go swimming,” Price said.

“I’m going to Indianapolis with my boyfriend,” Finley said.

So if you’re like me and these other real life spring breakers, don’t feel bad if you aren’t headed to the land of sun and poor choices. Go lie down on that couch, watch Netflix, go for a picnic and pet your dog. And as Zack said,

“And ignore all my issues.”

Thanks for listening.