Wild and crazy college spring breaks have been infamous in history. Glorified by MTV’s “Spring Break” for a long time now, this week has become the biggest party of the year for many college students.
StudentCity.com, an Internet based travel company specializing in spring break vacations tailored to college students, says some of this year’s top destinations are Cancun, Panama City Beach, Bahamas and Punta Cana. Each of these places provides both fun and sun, and many students here at the University are packing their bags to head to these cities.
Junior Shelby Goldman will be spending her spring break week in the Bahamas with her boyfriend. “I am so excited to be getting away to somewhere warm!” she says. Many other students will be visiting Panama City and Punta Cana as well.
However, not all students traveling for spring break are taking trips just for leisure. A new and different option that is becoming a popular spring break choice amongst students is volunteer trips.
These “alternative spring breaks” allow students to travel and see different parts of the world while at the same time making a difference in a community somewhere.
One volunteer trip offered by the University is to Guatemala. According to the University’s site, students “participate in volunteer activities in Guatemala such as building and education, along with other activities.”
University students may also consider a trip to Ireland for a week of studying abroad. Senior Kiley Minton is participating in the trip with several other students. “We are doing a tour that starts in Dublin and then we are heading across to Galway. After that we are going to tour through parts of northern Ireland,” she says.
“We will end up back in Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day. I am so excited to experience Ireland and I think it is awesome that Monmouth offers opportunities like this!” she adds.
For those students who do not have any travel plans, the break can still be enjoyed. Senior Laura Ledman says, “I wont be going anywhere for spring break this year but I will still enjoy my week off. I am just going to relax and enjoy time at home with my family.”
Jessie Sinai, another senior, is going to take the chance to visit friends at other schools. “A lot of my friends from home have different spring breaks than I do. I am going to take the chance to visit them during Monmouth’s break. It’s a great way to go somewhere new without spending too much money. It is also neat to see what other school’s campus life is like,” she says.
So whether you are spending your break in the tropics soaking up the sun, making a difference in a foreign country, touring and exploring the historical and famous sights abroad or simply spending your break with family and friends from home, everyone in the University community can find a way enjoy this week away from school work.
