Spring Break for Dummies: Where college kids are going for this year’s break
By: Brent Yoo
The blazing sun is out for longer, swimsuits are a hot commodity and plane ticket prices are skyrocketing — spring break is just around the corner.
Sooner than later, palm trees will be swaying to the rhythm of hip-hop beats, beaches will be packed with hoards of college students soaking up the sun, and adrenaline junkies will shred waves like it’s nobody’s business. From the neon-lit streets of Miami to the sand castles of Punta Cana, college kids’ spring break scene is a non-stop hype train. It’s all about living large, drinking a ton and making memories that’ll last a lifetime.
But, this time around, spring break might look a little different.
Earlier this month, the city of Miami announced that it will be “breaking up” with spring break. The city will impose new rules in hopes of preventing the chaos that comes with hundreds and thousands of intoxicated teenagers on the beach. There will be new curfews, DUI checkpoints, closure of parking lots and bag checks at beaches, to name a few.
And whether directly affected by it or not, we found that not as many people will be flying to Florida.
“I actually didn’t have plans,” USC junior William David said. “Last week, I decided to get Rolling Loud tickets…Other than that, no clue.”
David feels like there’s already so much to explore in Los Angeles. As a big music aficionado, he is more than happy to stay and experience his first big music festival — he already started shopping for a CamelBak and is working out to stay fit for four brutal days of moshing.
“I would like to be here,” David said. “I’m new to LA. So there’s just feels like there’s so much potential and so many options for me. And so I’m really excited about that and would rather stay here than go home or see friends that are mostly on the East Coast.”
While he is still unsure of his plans following Rolling Loud, he is thinking about sunbathing in Santa Monica or driving north on the Pacific Coast Highway. The scenery makes the drive worth it, he says.
These sentiments were also shared by Vittoria Corvelli, a sophomore at USC.
She will be hosting three of her closest friends over for the week and taking them to her favorite places around L.A. While nothing is set in stone, she knows she will spend the first Saturday of the break going out with ten of her friends on a fun Korean Barbecue night. Hiking the Hollywood sign and hitting the beach are also in consideration.
“[In Los Angeles], we’re able to explore more and do a bunch of different stuff like have a relaxing chill day at the beach, but then also go walk around the city,” Corvelli said.
While students are staying in L.A., there are also students flying in to visit. Joey Scannapico touched down in California last night from Penn State University to visit his friend. Kyumin Shin also flew from New York to stay at his former high school teammate’s apartment. They both explained that staying at their friends’ houses alone has saved them a lot of money.
L.A., for all its tourist attractions and sun-lit beaches, is still not the same popular spring break destination that Florida always was. But changes are happening and it’s worth noting before you book your next flight.
A yellow brick road illuminating spring break
By: Myriam-Fernanda Alcala Delgado
Add this calendar to yours.
By pressing the blue icon, a calendar fills the screen with a flight scheduled northbound, Pike’s market tour, museums and queer nightlife. For this friend group, there is just one short day left before stepping foot in emerald city.
As week nine of classes winds down, students at the University of Southern California make last minute Target stops for travel size goods. It’s spring break. While travel has started to kick back up since Covid-19 first hit in 2020, the week-long vacation is a long awaited tradition welcomed with open arms.
Due to school and internships, Seattleile Au Chung has spent the last few years in Los Angeles. Though their packed schedule being a junior double majoring in political science and public relations takes up most of their time, Chung has spent past spring breaks exploring the angel city.
This time around, they’re excited to be able to show their hometown to friends. Unlike L.A. the northern city is rainy and overcast, “it makes for a community that focuses on growth, freshness and renewal.”
Joining Chung on the trip are friends they’ve made at the LGBTQ+ Center at USC.
Marina Braga is a senior studying electrical and computer engineering, she is regularly seen running in and out of the Center, winning hackathons and networking for post-grad career options. This trip is a break from a busy schedule. She is playing a hands-off, go with the flow role as the thing she is looking forward to the most is being with friends.
“I normally see them [my friends] everyday but it’s very short periods of time.”
Similarly Jeremiah Lee, senior in pharmacology, wants to spend the trip getting to know their friends better and see them in a space outside of school. In the past, they’ve gone on trips with one or two friends, spending the last break with a group of 15. Au Chung, group enabler and planner, wants to share this part of them to the special group of five.
Being from a stormy, green-filled city is special. My first year in college was during the pandemic so I spent the break in my hometown of snowy Colorado. The year prior, Mexico City.
This will be my first time in Seattle.
I met Au Chung at the Center, then Marina, Jeremiah and Claudia. Having a friend group who share similar experiences and identities takes a weight off of traveling to an unfamiliar place. As junior communications major, Claudia Regalado, said, “you don’t need to explain yourself.”
Code switching is a common skill learned by queer people in order to maintain safety in places like work, school and sometimes home. The chance to spend time with people you can be your most authentic selves with, is a breath of fresh air from the polluted heteronormativity in most spaces.
Our group leaned into this community aspect by hand making a logo and pressing it onto a t-shirt (like an annoying Disney family). Opting for emerald green, gold and white, the back of each shirt also has a nickname for each member.
Even if the ship will not be smooth sailing —Chung ordered XL+ sizes for every member of the group —it will be the memories and laughter which will prevail.
Seattle is a big city. Of course, the Space Needle is a must on the shared google calendar. But, having a member of the group with extensive knowledge of the city, and of queer life there, has
been beneficial to not falling into tourist traps.
On the itinerary is a Mount Rainier hike (which no one but me, a Colorado snow lover, is ready for). Being away from the boxed-state has been a challenge as I’m ending my senior year, a part of me wishes I was going home. This makes me look forward to the snow filled, forested terrain the most for the trip —though the 36 hour train ride back is a dread.
“In Seattle, everybody is nicer,” said Chung. “It’s very communal, some people think it’s granola but I love it.”
No stranger to REI and hiking sandals with long skirts, I am happy to have been invited on this queer friendly break to the northern part of the U.S.
Lee, group expert in night life, sat around the Center table as Chung finished ironing the “family” tees listing options for the first night: Drag Show, kink friendly party, disco dance…
“Disco dance,” we all agreed.
Spring & Things: USC students share their plans after a hectic semester
Going out of town or staying local with a dash of self care tips.
By: Kaleef Starks
After a busy beginning of spring semester, an influx of daily emails, stiff classrooms, heavy rain with hints of sunny weather and midterms that crept up — it’s finally time to enjoy spring break. The one to two week period is recognized by school systems across the country.
But how will Trojans enjoy their time off?
Nate Kassa, a senior majoring in computer science, is eager to hop on his flight to Paris for spring break. Most would be eager to see the Eiffel Tower, but Kassa is excited about trying French croissants and other pastries from a country known for its deserts.
“I’m a dessert guy, so any type of pastry, croissant, chocolate croissant, anything that has to do with pastries, I’m all in for it,” said Kassa. “I know it’s a French pastry, so really seeing how it tastes authentically... I’m a foodie and just want to try what’s over there.”
After a quick group Facetime call with high school friends to discuss spring break plans and searching for a job in the tech industry without much luck, Kassa is excited to catch a break.
“The last two weeks in particular, I’ve been really busy, and I’m trying to get a lot of stuff done before I go so I can enjoy my time and not stress at all,” said Kassa.
The computer science major finds time for self-care by visiting the gym, lifting weights and tuning the world out by listening to music. “I usually go by myself and lift, and it’s kind of therapeutic for me,” said Kassa.
Like Kassa, Cheska Pangilinan is eager to get her spring break started, too. She will be traveling to four different states—Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Washington, D.C., to visit family members who she hasn’t seen all year. Her first stop is San Antonio, to meet with family and pack for the road. Pangilinan will then head to New Jersey for a brief visit with other family members. After that she will head to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania to go skiing. She’ll wrap up her travels in New York City and Washington, D.C., to visit prominent museums.
“That’s essentially my break. I’m booked and busy,” said Pangilinan. “Oh my gosh, It seems like a break, but it also seems a little bit exhausting because we are heading to all of these different states per day.”
As a senior majoring in environmental studies, Pangilinan enjoys quality time with her family. She is excited, as she and her family have never skied before. With a busy break, Pangilinan has not found much time for self-care but leans on friends to help her cope with the demands of classes.
“If I have a little bit of time, I hang out with a friend for a piece of mind,” said Pangilinan.
Most students are, in Layman’s terms, “burnt out!” Mental health therapists at USC assist students with having the knowledge and awareness of various forms of self care. Dr. Jessica Kim, Associate Director of Psychiatry Services at USC’s Student Health, has an empirical approach to methods of self-care in three components. Dr. Kim stresses the importance of knowing about self-care methods that enhance physical wellbeing, social well being and psychological well being.
Dr. Kim also recommends that students apply the Pomodoro Technique in order to capitalize on time management and self-care simultaneously. The technique consists of setting a timer and working for 25–30 minutes while quickly following up with a five to ten minute break. During breaks, it is recommended that students take a walk outside, do a power nap or do another activity that allows their mind to rest.
“Some people think that because they worked so hard during midterm week it’s now time to party, go out, and spend all their time socializing,” said Dr. Kim. “But they’re not fully recovering. They’re actually just filling up all that time they were studying with now, just going out instead of finding rest for themselves.”
Sleep is also an essential tool that Dr. Kim suggests students keep in their self-care tool bag. After a busy semester, most students are running on fumes and getting about six hours of sleep a night. While it is commonly recommended that people aim to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night, Dr. Kim highlights how “there’s so much research that shows that lack of sleep can cause various medical issues and trigger mental health issues.”
Spring break plans and self-care go hand in hand. USC students will have a week to relax their minds as the semester trickles down to the end.
Spring Breakers are switching their destinations this year
A look inside the newest hot spots for spring break travel
By: Cierra Morgan
Students at the University of Southern California have chosen an array of destinations for their spring break vacation this year instead of the predictable yet stimulating Mango Deck on Cabo San Lucas.
“I’m going to London to visit my friends that are abroad,” said Junior Jewel Abdo.
“For spring break, I’m going to London, Madrid, and Dublin,” said junior Josh Flowers.
“I’m visiting Europe for the first time in London this spring break with one of my roommates,” said junior Alex Palakian.
Europe has replaced Cabo San Lucas as the new hot spot for USC spring breakers, specifically the junior class. The pique of interest in planning a “EuroTrip” has to do with students wanting to visit friends studying abroad for the semester. What better time to pay them a visit than spring break?
“I definitely think a ton of juniors are going to be visiting Europe this spring break. I know a lot of people are especially going to London, Spain, and Dublin, of course, for St. Patrick’s Day,” said Palakian.
With the junior class jet setting off to Europe, the eagerness to experience the little and probably underwhelming things about a foreign country is on replay in students’ minds. “I’m most excited about seeing my friends again this semester, but seeing the London telephone booths and meeting people with British accents are also high on my bucket list for this trip,” said Abdo.
Visiting friends abroad and hoping to get a fraction of the serotonin they have from being in Europe all semester was the starting point for a surplus number of students booking tickets to Europe. However, students are getting more passionate about their own journeys, they will be embarking on during the week off.
“I can’t wait to experience St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin. This holiday has always been my favorite bar crawling, and all, but real-time pub crawling in Ireland has to be the most college thing I could think to do,” said Flowers. One thing that is following students from the beaches of Cabo San Lucas to the streets of Europe is drinking day and night. It wouldn’t be spring break without the booze, right?
Taking a flight away from Europe but keeping the drinks afloat, the senior class of USC undergraduates is hitting several places this spring break.
“I’ll be visiting Cancun this year with a couple of my other senior friends,” said senior Kayla Sarno.
“I’m going to D.C. for a few days to see my family and then to Philadelphia and Boston to visit friends from home,” said senior Mateo Gutierrez.
From flying back home to the East Coast and making their way down to Mexico, the senior class is on individual journeys this spring break. Maybe by senior year, people get a little sick of vacationing together. Nonetheless, the senior class will still participate in the traditional spring break activities wherever their journey might take them on their week off.
“What I’m most excited for is being on the East Coast because I miss it every now and then. Of course, I’m excited for St. Patrick’s Day because I love drinking for holidays, and I don’t know how St. Patrick’s Day is a big drinking holiday, but it is, so I’m looking forward to it,” said Gutierrez.
“I’ve never been to Cancun before, but I’m already dreaming of sitting on the beach and relaxing with a piña colada in my hand,” said Sarno. Students are definitely in the spring breaker spirit this spring break, with the biggest common factor being distressing a semester’s worth of dreadful assignments with a drink in hand to heal brain overload.
With drinking, partying and loosening up this spring break continuing to be key to students’ spring break trips, it may come as a surprise that many students are staying astray from the usual party scene that Cabo San Lucas has to offer; however, Cabo seems to be a destination popular for underclassman rather than older students which is feasible considering there’s only so many times a person can party at El Squid Roe.
“I feel like my entire grade is going to Cabo this year. Unfortunately, I’m not making it, but I can name at least 30 people who are,” said sophomore Andrea Sia.
In that case, the consensus has been reached. Underclassmen can be seen on the Mango Deck at Cabo San Lucas, and upperclassmen will be experiencing the clubs of Barcelona, cocktails by the beach, and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration that will be unforgettable or forgettable depending on how many shamrock shots are taken.
What are your plans? Hopefully, it is something exciting, but in any case, it may be relaxing and thrilling all together.
Spring Break Plans at USC: From exotic travel plans to staying on campus
By: Peter Makk
As we get closer to spring break at USC, students are preparing themselves for a week without homework, tests, lectures and a lot of stress. Students have many different ideas and plans for what the break will look like for them.
Zena Alkhatib, a senior majoring in economics, will be traveling all the way to Europe to meet some of her friends along the way.
“I am leaving early Wednesday to Madrid, Spain to visit my roommate who is studying abroad this semester,” she said. “I’ll be there for a week, the first half I’ll be in Mallorca, then we do a little boat ride and the second half in Madrid. There will be other USC students as well who are also in the same study abroad program, so it should be a lot of fun!”
Some students started going on trips already before the break even started.
“I will be in Mexico City with some of my friends, we’ll check out the sights, eat good food and chill at the pool. I think we all deserve it,” said freshman business major Adam Brezoczki. “I just came back from Hawaii from kind of like a networking trip. I’m heavily collecting my frequent flier miles.”
While some of the students like Alkhatib and Brezoczki are traveling long distances to get to their desired destination, other students seek a shorter trip, closer to Los Angeles. Abel Santa, a junior studying Neuroscience, plans to go on an adventure nearby to L.A.
“I didn’t want to go far because I already traveled a lot over the winter break. I am from Europe, I had to fly for 2 days because I had many flights canceled. Also, my girlfriend has to stay around USC because she works over at Keck,” he said. “What I was thinking about is to do some kind of road trip. I was looking at Lake Arrowhead, it’s only like 11/2 hours away, but that’s also to be decided.”
Not everyone is planning to do as much as a short road trip which could be for various reasons. Bianca Novak, a senior majoring in health promotion and disease prevention studies, and who was a part of The Language Ambassadors program in 2023 stays in L.A..
“So far my plans are either fly home to Miami or just stay in the L.A. area,” she said. “It’s kind of a long flight so there’s a good chance I might just be hanging around here and meeting friends from close by.”
Most of the student-athletes at USC experience a similar situation to Novak, as most of the sports at the university are in the middle of the season now. Although life somewhat stops on campus, athletic games of various sports will still be played.
“It’s unfortunate you know. As much as some of us would love to have a break, we’re here for a reason and that reason requires us to stay on campus and work hard,” freshman tennis player Oscar Weightmann said. “I think me and my teammates will do some kind of activity and not just sit around in our free time. We were talking about going to a comedy show. We’ll see what we do.”
The students who responded showed the diversity of how scholars approach spring break in ways that are most suitable for them and reflect their individual interests. From traveling far from campus to needing to stay at the university to represent USC, the break offers everyone a pause from the usual academic life to relax and gives an opportunity to have a small reset before finishing up the school year. Most importantly it is not only about students, but also about professors, and every university staff who works countless hours to have the best experience for the students.
This way of slowing down the pace brings USC a sense of excitement and relief across campus. The closer we get to break, the fewer people we will see walking around on campus. In the same way, as before every break, some professors end classes earlier or just cancel them to allow students to leave even earlier. These announcements are expected to come later in the week and we get closer to the weekend.