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Peter Larkins | Chief Photographer
Thad C. Copeland and Bobby J. Funk stroll to the sand dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve in Colorado over Spring Break. |
Students travel for Spring Break
by Alison Fosbenner
Staff Writer
Spring Break, a much needed week off from school in the middle of winter, has a different meaning for everyone.
MTV depicts college Spring Break as a wild and outrageously intoxicated non-stop party fest. In Cancun, Mexico, when the cameras are on, that might be the case.
Many Appalachian State University students set up similar retreats where the alcohol is flowing and a lot of skin is showing.
Others, however, take the week off from class, papers and exams as time to relax and spend non-rowdy time with family and friends at home.
A step beyond that, several Mountaineers use their Spring Break as a time to volunteer with Alternative Spring Break trips and their church mission trips.
Whatever the idea of Spring Break, Appalachian State University students covered the globe this year.
From Moscow to South America, San Diego to Key West, Fla., and everywhere in between, everyone has a story.
Out of 50 randomly surveyed Appalachian students, 60 percent went away, 32 percent went home and 8 percent stayed in Boone.
Almost everyone said, whether they stayed home or traveled, that the week was a great time to relax, sleep in and hang out with friends.
For some, going home is like going on vacation.
Sophomores Mary Grace Eichler and Erin L. Shelley spent their breaks with family and friends in Albuquerque, N.M. and West Palm Beach, Fla., respectively.
Junior Megan E. Rowe celebrated her 21st birthday while in New Orleans, La. on a mission trip with her church.
“Now I can say that I turned 21 in New Orleans and didn’t drink,” Rowe said.
Freshman Andrew J. Preston went home to Columbia, S.C., and spent most of the time relaxing. “The best part was sitting on the couch,” he said. “I live in the dorms and we have no couches.”
Freshman Andrew S. Howard traveled to Moscow to visit his parents. Spring Break was more than just a vacation for Howard.
“I gained a sense of independence by flying by myself,” he said.
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Special to The Appalachian
Nicholas E. Jimenez stands in front of the Clock Gate, a well known landmark of Cartagena, Colombia. |
Nicholas E. Jimenez, a sophomore theatre arts major, also flew abroad to visit family. He traveled to South America, where his father lives. He spent most of the break sightseeing.
New York City made first year graduate student Alisa Morgan ill. She enjoyed the sights, got to see “Rent” on Broadway, but got food poisoning at a Cantonese restaurant in Times Square.
Spring Break can be productive for some. Russell D. Warriner, a sophomore, went to visit his grandfather in Greenville, S.C. and the two got started on creating Warriner’s own shoe.
Adam Beaver, a senior business education major, went on an alternative Spring Break trip to Athens, Ga. While there, the group volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and worked on building three different houses. Beaver said the most memorable moment of his break was during a ceremony when they raised the walls of the house. He said the soon to be owners were so thankful for all the work they had done.
Ana M. Moretz hit up almost every state below the Mason- Dixon Line, including Florida, Georgia and Virginia. She and her boyfriend jumped in the car, drove to Miami to visit family and then decided to do some exploring. While in Key West, Fla., the two blew up an air mattress and paddled around the ocean with their flip-flops as paddles.
“The best part was leaving the static environment of Boone and schoolwork,” she said.
Sometimes Spring Break can get a little crazy.
Ever jump off of a second floor porch? Harrison J. Whitehouse went to Saint Simons Island, Ga. At 4 a.m., he and some friends got a little bored. One of them jumped off of the porch, landed on cement and sprained his ankle.
Lake Tillery in Norwood, N.C., gave Cameron B. Keziah, Dave Rhyne and friends some trouble. The group stayed at Keziah’s lake house during the break. One afternoon, they went out on his boat around the lake. About eight miles from the house, his boat ran out of gas. Shortly after, another boater came along and made an attempt to tow them back until his boat ran out of gas. Eventually, the group safely returned after dark.
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