What are you doing for Spring Break and Why?

Benny Dorris

A-Team Member

Benny Dorris

I'm excited to spend my Spring Break in Washington, D.C., participating in the CSIS program that Southeast offers. Myself, along with about 30 other students from various majors and backgrounds, will spend a week at the Center for Strategic and International Studies listening to speakers, participating in conversations and exploring the nation's capitol.

The CSIS is a think tank that provides bipartisan policy solutions and insights regarding global issues to the nation's decision makers. These individuals are former ambassadors, senators, economists and cabinet members, and they want to talk with Southeast students.

This program is a huge opportunity for students each year. It's a learning experience in many different ways. Not only will the seminars at the CSIS be eye-opening enough, but we'll also have ample time to explore all the monuments, museums and landmarks around Washington, D.C. The program requires that students enroll in a UI 400 course, so along with everything else, my classmates and I will receive three credit hours toward our degrees.

Why spend a week in Washington doing coursework when I could be on a beach in Florida or Texas? Well first, it won't be the standard classroom experience. I'll mainly be sharing in discussions, with no reports nor quizzes -- just a short presentation at the end of the semester. I've spoken to other Southeast students that have gone, and the recurring message is that it's one of the best experiences one could have in college. I'll take their word for it.

I've only been to the capitol once before, for two short days, but it was one of the most interesting places I've been. I really look forward to exploring the National Mall, the Smithsonian Institutes and the city in greater depth. So forfeiting a week on a beach seems like a small trade off for the experience I'll have this Spring Break.

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Kelly Farrell

A-Team Member

Kelly Farrell

I have never been on a trip for Spring Break before. Every year I usually go home and work so I can pay for any bills that I can. Even in high school, I would usually be playing sports or working during this time. This year, I was able to make payments, save up and will finally go on the trip that I have heard so much about -- Spring Break in Panama City, Fla.

My roommate confronted me around September and said she wanted to get a group of girls together for the trip. We ended up getting two rooms of six together from girls in my sorority. We made payments every month and the final one in December. The total bill for seven days and seven nights is $459.

We are staying at the Summit Condominium Resort right on the beach. According to everyone else that I have talked to at Southeast, they are staying at the exact same place.

I have heard all the wild stories about this trip, as well as the scary ones. I hear about dancing on stage and all of the drinking that goes on. I have also heard about some of the scary events that somehow my friends have made it out of alive.

I have always wanted the cute picture of me and my friends on the beach and in the sun. All of my friends keep telling me how excited they are for me to go on this trip. All of my roommates have already been there and know what to expect. We have been dieting and working out all year in preparation for this one week. All of us are terrified to look like fat, beached whales in all of the pictures.

I have a lot of expectations, worries and exciting thoughts about this trip. Most of the people that come back from Panama look like they need another vacation for their vacation. The pictures come back every year and whatever happens at PCB, very rarely seems to stay at PCB. I hope it all stays there this year.

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Haley Holton

A-Team Member

Haley Holton

As a sophomore, I am happy to say that the time is near for me to enjoy my second Spring Break in college, and by "enjoy" I really mean relaxing in my own home where I feel most comfortable. To me, Spring Break literally means taking a "break" that just so happens to be perfectly positioned during a time where it is truly needed. Knowing that I am going home for break eases my mind through midterm week because I know that after the tests are done I get to kick my feet up and really just take a break from all of the school work, stress and repetition of my busy weeks. By staying home for break I gain the benefits of not having to worry about planning a mini vacation by packing, booking a hotel and forking out a lot of money for gas or other things I would need if I went on a trip like many other college kids often do.

Not only this, but the thought of going home makes me excited to see my family, whom I haven't seen very much since winter break!

With all of my track meets and practices, it can be difficult to find a good time to go home, so Spring Break is the perfect opportunity. When I go home I often look forward to the simple things like sleeping in my own bed, eating food from my own fridge, laughing with my family and even driving around my hometown and seeing all the familiar faces and places. If I am lucky, I even get to catch up and hang out with some of my good friends I haven't seen in what seems like forever. While I'm away at school, I tend to miss being home quite often. However, I have found that sometimes all you need is a little time at home to get you by and to lift your spirits just enough to help you finish the school year out strong and successfully.

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Billy Schmitz

A-Team Member

Billy Schmitz

There are many options for college students on Spring Break. For break last year, I chose to stay in Cape Girardeau and work. The main reason I did this was because I could use the paycheck that came from working 35 hours. It was easily doable because I didn't have classes. Also, I was already paying rent at my apartment to be in Cape, so I figured I may as well make use of that. Additionally, my job that I worked at home did not need me, so that helped make the decision, too. For that break, I went home to see my family the weekend prior to break starting and came back to Cape on Sunday evening to start work on Monday. It really was neat to see Cape without the majority of the Southeast students around. It was a slower, different town. If you live on campus, I guess you do not have that option because you would have to pay per night to stay while the residence halls were closed.

Over break in the past, I have actually done a missions trip and a vacation with my family. Obviously, those are also great options! But students in the residence hall are mostly underclassmen and enjoy spending time at home, anyway. As you get further into college, it seems the general student sees the frequency of their trips home start to diminish. My advice to underclassmen would be to enjoy time at home with your family and friends while you have fewer obligations than you will as you get older.

This year, I am actually planning on going home to substitute teach at my high school. I'll get to spend some quality time with family and friends from home, make some good money over five days and see some old teachers and acquaintances from high school and catch up with everyone. I am really looking forward to it.