As several Mercer students envisioned their spring break having fun on the beach, reality made them wonder if they had started winter break. Students on group vacations at Florida beaches experienced unpleasant conditions of 60 degree temperatures in addition to constant wind gusts over 20 mph.
Although the groundhog did see his shadow this year, are the early dates of spring break a recurrent problem?
Most university students associate spring break as time spent outside on a beach or by the pool. However, the bitter conditions drove my friends and I back inside for the majority of the day. Venturing outside of the hotel required several layers of clothing, and unless we had gone to tropical islands for the week, we could not enjoy the true beauty of spring break.
Mercer University junior Emma Williams lived in Florida before moving to Macon and understands the subprime weather in early March.
“I mean I lived in Florida my whole life and the first week of March is never hot enough to go to the beach,” Williams said.
Williams expressed discontent with the timeframe of spring break because visitors do not get to experience everything Florida has to offer.
However, tanning on beach chairs is not the only fun activity that Mercer students participated in over the break. Instead of flocking south, junior Sam Orjuela and a group of Mercer students camped and hiked at Tallulah Gorge.
“The venue and the scenery was awesome, but yes, it was absolutely freezing,” Orjuela said. “It did not feel like spring break.”
Orjuela and his friends slept in tents outdoors, and often at night the supposed spring weather dropped below freezing and made them rethink their decision.
“I would rather have spring break well into the actual season of spring so that the vacation options are open to warmer weather activities,” Orjuela said.
Alternatively, some more adventurous students took flight and explored the mountain ranges. The early parts of March may contain bits of the snow season, which is ideal for snow sports.
Mercer University junior Justin Rypel and three of his friends journeyed to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for a snowy five days in the mountains.
“The snow quality was definitely better due to the early spring break,” Rypel said. “Oftentimes the snow may melt if it is late March.”
Mercer University along with other colleges such as Wake Forest gear their spring break towards the midpoint of the semester. Although this may be a sound idea, in theory, it limits the adventures that students can partake in during their only full week off in the spring semester.
Another proposition is to follow Georgia Tech’s calendar and schedule spring break during the third week of March. This two-week delayed break allows for warmer beach conditions while catching the tail-end of the snow sports season. This mid-March spring break compromise could make everyone happy while maintaining the same end dates of the semester.
Opinion: Is Spring Break Too Early?
