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NEWS

The Norwich Guidon
Mar. 25, 2004

Spring break varies from vacations to simple down time for NU students

By Danielle Meunier
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Perhaps some sang the lyrics "They say ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?' Give me a million, and I wouldn't care. There's only one place I have to be and that's at the beach house on MTV. Cancun, Costa Rica, baby, I don't care. Use my dad's VISA if it gets me there," from Marc Anthony's song I Need to Know.

Others may have sung "Drank all 35 flavors of Jell-O shots. Then I did a be relaxing, and not necessarily go fly to beaches and islands."

But all have one thing in common: spring break.

"Most people are glad enough to go home and find a shower that works," said Wyatt Wells, 21, a senior biology major from Hague, N.Y.

"Vegetating and doing as little as possible. Sleep in, relax, and forget about school," was the ideal spring break for Ryan Davis, 21, a sophomore computer security and information assurance major from St. Johnsbury, Vt.,

"For me, a week off is a week off; I'd do as little as I can," Davis said. "Its no reason to stay up late and stress yourself out and have a hangover. Why do that? It negates the benefit of the vacation."

However, some people have had enough of doing the same old thing, and they just needed to get out of Vermont.

Bill Funk, 21, a junior business management major from Chelsea, Vt., said he was going to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He and his roommates and other friends made the trip simply because they have never left for spring break, before. "We don't want to [be] stuck in Vermont again."

Money seems to be the big issue when it comes to spring break choices, however, and it is what keeps so many people at home, far away from sunny beaches of the south.

"If I had the money, I'd go somewhere," Burnell said. "I'd probably go to Cancun, Mexico, Florida, anywhere with a beach. A beach and MTV."

"Most of the people I went to high school with don't have enough money, so they stay at home," Funk said. "This is the first year any of us really had any money."

Wells said he drove "out to SUNY Buffalo and Niagara Falls for three or four days." Wells said he wanted to go anywhere instead of staying at home. "I've got friends out there."

The scheduling of spring break at Norwich tends to be different than that of other schools.

"It should be scheduled exactly with other schools," Burnell said. "It seems all my friends get out a week later than I do, and I have to go back just as they're getting out; it doesn't seem fair."

"I would appreciate it if it were a week later," Wells said. "But then again, one of my friends doesn't have spring break until April."

"I don't mind; it's halfway through the semester," Davis said. "It's good to have a week off. If we didn't, I couldn't make it through the semester."

But for some, spring break offers yet other forms of work to look forward to.

"I'm planning on working on a presentation for a science project," Wells said. "It's not like my break is going to be all fun and games."

Davis planned to do "my annual training for the National Guard for four days." But he said there was also fun in "a hotel room with a hot tub and HBO."

When challenged with the thought of having the chance to do whatever they wanted for spring break with cost not being an issue, students' ideas varied greatly.

"I'd like to spend a few days in London, a few days in Ireland, a few days in Tokyo," Wells said of his ideal spring break experience.

"My ideal spring break would be where no one else was having spring break," Davis said.

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.