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Spring break leads to variety of experiences, locations for freshmen

March 14, 2011

From basking under the warm Florida sun to spending a relaxing week at home, spring break is the time of year for MSU students to catch their breath after a grueling week of midterms.

For some MSU freshmen, this past week represented their coming-out party into the college spring break atmosphere.

Although there were students who flocked to the beaches with towels and surf boards, others found creative alternatives to spend their time away from campus.

Not the traditional break
When people think of the stereotypical spring break, images of luscious beaches and sprawling salt-water oceans come to mind.

For Andrew Orlando, a media arts and technology freshman, his break was a little different as he bundled up and spent his week attempting to carve out the slopes of Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls, Mich.

“(Skiing for the first time) didn’t go very well,” Orlando said.

“I got over it pretty quick — it was not fun while it happened. It was very frustrating for an hour or two, or however long it was.”

Orlando said he and four other friends traveled to the winter resort where they spent a week in a cabin. He said the price of food, rental equipment and admission to the water park ended up costing a total close to $150.

Although Orlando said he had fun in the winter environment, he anticipates taking a future spring-break trip to a warm destination.

“I would say that I didn’t dislike it, but I would at least try some place else,” Orlando said. “More often than not, I would take a warm place — the traditional spring break.”

Paying it forward
Some students want to travel to relax on spring break, but Lexi Zeidan said she wanted to have a purpose for her trip.

Zeidan, a journalism freshman, spent her break on a community service road trip with the Students Today Leaders Forever, or STLF, College Pay It Forward Tour.

“I’m a big advocate of helping others,” Zeidan said.

“Because I had the alternative of community service, I chose that — it’s better than going and wasting my money on alcohol.”

The tour took the students to Chicago, St. Louis, Pocahontas, Ark., Fayetteville, Ark., Oklahoma City and concluded in Dallas.

Zeidan said nearly 110 MSU students took the nine-day trip and worked on a community service project in each location.

She said the trip cost her $385, which included food and living arrangements along the way.

Although Zeidan said she took a similar trip in high school, the thrill of meeting new people and taking risks to help others made the trip an enjoyable experience that she’ll never forget.

“(It’s) a good way to socially network out there and get to know a lot of people,” Zeidan said.

“The whole idea of being able to help people and see different types of struggles people go through makes me appreciate what I have as a person.”

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Sunshine hangover
For Billy Dillon, spring break was about catching up with old friends and partying the night away.

Dillon, a premedical freshman, spent a week in a resort on the beach in Fort Myers, Fla., with several friends from his high school.

“It was basically the craziest week ever,” Dillon said.

“It was cool to get down there with old buddies — I don’t get to see them much anymore.”

Dillon said he and his friends had a good time perusing a world of tourist locations and expensive food and gift shops.

During the day, he said they spent the days on the beach and renting jet skis.

He said his nights were reserved for looking for the perfect party location in what he considered a spring break hot spot.

Although Dillon said the cost of the trip was close to $450, his group was able to save money and avoid airport hassles by driving.

“Honestly, when I got out of the car in Ohio, I was still wearing flip-flops,” Dillon said. “I walked up to my house with flip-flops — that was awesome.”

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