By Ashley Cole and Cathy Hoogeboom/reporters
As spring break approaches, many students face the daunting task of deciding the best way to spend their time off.
Spring break is a rite of passage for many college students. Some use this time to go to an exotic destination while others use the break to rejuvenate and refocus on the rest of the semester.
Since the 1970s, students have flocked to beaches to rid themselves of the doldrums of college life and to engross themselves in a week filled with drink, fun and debauchery.
Armed with cash from their parents, students have traveled to Daytona Beach and Panama City, Fla., for a little fun in the sun.
MTV has had a huge role in commercializing spring break by broadcasting the goings on for everyone to see. The presence of MTV inspired club owners and sponsors to offer parties and drink specials to meet the needs of students.
Today, the tradition is continued with students traveling to even more exotic destinations, the most popular being Cancun, Acapulco, South Padre Island, Colorado, the Bahamas and several cities in Florida.
Many TCC students will head to these destinations this semester.
NE students Ashley Landers and Christina Lopez are headed to two very different locales.
Lopez will take a cruise to Cozumel, Cancun, Belize and Honduras, while Landers will enjoy her break with an Alpine vacation in Denver.
“ I’m looking forward to going to Colorado,” Landers said. “I’ll be going to a Denver Nuggets game to see Allen Iverson, and I’m also excited to go skiing and tubing.”
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many spring breakers look for an alternative community-based service project as a way to spend their week of vacation.
In 2006, MTV partnered with United Way to help New Orleans rebuild. During commercial spots, they urged students to volunteer instead of drinking and partying at the beach.
Many colleges and universities across the country also offered service projects for students who wanted to help, and hundreds of them participated in the rebuilding of New Orleans last year.
According to Y2M Networks, a youth media marketing firm in New York, the top five influences on destination choice are price, sun, sports/adventure activities, party scene and presence of other spring
breakers.
Because the locations get so much business during the spring break months, many airlines and motels increase their rates at that time putting a strain on the vacationers’ pocketbooks.
An easy way to save time and money is to visit Web sites devoted to discount student rates.
Leisure Tours International, a travel company catering to college students, has been offering great deals since 1994. Its Web site, www.springbreakdiscounts.com, offers many packages that include food, drinks and airfare. Although advance booking is recommended, last-minute deals are available.
NW student Matthew Wilson navigates the Web to find a variety of deals. Wilson usually uses Web sites such as www.priceline.com because prices for multiple airlines and hotels are sorted for the customers.
Wilson said www.amtrak.com is another good site to find a great deal.
“ Amtrak occasionally offers great deals for students,” he said. “Sometimes you can get a rate 80 percent off the normal price and get two additional tickets to the same location. It all depends on how many people you travel with and what specials they are running.”
While some students are off to the beach or the slopes, most students plan on staying home and using their spring break to rest and relax before the end of the semester. Others plan to work and study during their week off.
TCC’s spring break begins March 11 and ends March 18. Classes resume March 19.