Each year, about 1.5 million college students participate in the $1 billion spring break industry. This year, a percentage of these students will come from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
According to a recent survey, some of the top 10 vacation hot spots for college students include locations like Lake Havasu, Ariz.; Panama City, Fla.; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; South Padre Island, Texas; and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Although these destinations are very popular, many students from UW-Oshkosh are planning vacations to different areas of the country.
Freshmen Nicole Krish and Erik Cole are planning a trip to Tybee Island, Ga., with two of their other friends for a week. According to Cole, the idea for the trip came to them during the cold winter days of interim.
“Spring break is going to be awesome for us; we are really excited,” Cole said. “One of the main reasons why we chose Georgia was because it is so cheap to go there. The total for our trip is going to be around $180 each.”
The hotel that the group will be staying at is close to Savannah, Ga., and to the beach, which will offer them many forms of entertainment and sightseeing.
“I am most excited about just laying out on the beach all day long and tanning,” Krish said.
Cole also said that the group plans to go on a gambling boat trip — a cruise ship that charges admission and offers food and games to guests.
“It’s a four-hour boat ride that has three floors of machines, tables, etc.,” Cole said.
Sophomore Lindsey Kobes also has big plans for her spring break, but unlike many spring breakers, her vacation won’t be all fun and games. She is going to Washington D.C. with a group of Oshkosh students, to participate in the school’s Alternative Spring Break trip.
“We are going to be staying at a church and sleeping in the pews with sleeping bags,” Kobes said. “Every day, we are going to be working at Fort McKenna, which is a place where homeless people can get food. It’s like a soup kitchen. We are also going to be working at food banks, and we will be volunteering most days from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.”
Kobes said one of the reasons that the group is focusing on helping the homeless is because homeless people make up 20 percent of Washington D.C.’s population.
“It’s really interesting to me that there is so much homelessness around our nation’s capitol. It’s like there is a dark side to it that many people don’t see,” Kobes said.
According to Kobes, the group will also be doing some sightseeing. Some places that they will visit include: the Holocaust Museum, the Newseum, the Library of Congress and a few other national monuments around the area.
Kobes said she is very excited for spring break and encourages students who are interested to think about going on the trip next year.
Sophomore Brittany Lemmenes and her friends are also planning a spring break trip. However, they are keeping their vacation more local by going to Wisconsin Dells for a few days.
“We are going to the Dells to celebrate my birthday and two of my friends’ birthdays,” Lemmenes said. “We want to go swimming, shopping and walk down Main Street.”
According to Lemmenes, the weather was bad during their spring break trip to the Dells last year.
No matter what students do on break, the point of the week off of class is to give everybody a chance to relax and recharge for the final weeks of spring semester.
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