Spring break: two words that conjure up images of sandy beaches, bikini-clad coeds, and cheap cervezas. After these last rough weeks of studying for finals and writing papers, we UCLA students often feel that we deserve a break from the monotony of college. We need a reprieve from the routine, and spring break often seems to come at the perfect time. With Mexico and Las Vegas just a few hours away, it can be difficult not to join the debauchery. But what else can spring break offer besides a depraved jaunt into booze, sex and general good times?
I am a big supporter of getting trashed and forgetting about everything school-related, and I don’t want to sound like a square, but the week of spring break could be used to have some fun while still doing something educational or maybe even philanthropic at the same time.
Fourth-year communications studies student, Jamie Feld, told me that for spring break, she is tentatively headed to Mexico, but not for the usual reasons. If she decides to go, Feld will be joining LA FE (an abbreviation for Latino Fellowship and a play on “the faith” in Spanish), a part of the Bruin Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, in a trip to learn about immigration and labor issues.
The trip, which is led by UCLA fourth-year sociology student and the leader of LA FE, Francisco Davila, will take students to talk to border patrol workers and human rights organizations about immigration issues and factory labor conditions around the California-Mexico border.
While three days of the trip are packed with tours and educational events, two days are just to hang out and relax. “We aren’t going to tell people to drink, but we aren’t going to ban it either. If they do drink, it’s on their own,” Davila said. He stressed that the trip isn’t about partying, but he knows that it is spring break and students want to have some fun in the Mexicali sun. “We are going to Rosarito – it’s going to be fun,” he said, “I think you can have fun without necessarily doing the typical spring break thing.”
Joon Lee is a 2002 graduate, but during freshman year, he volunteered with Project Angel Food, an organization that delivers food to HIV/AIDS patients. Opportunities like these are available to students, but many don’t even consider them. Lee has been to Mexico, Las Vegas, and Hawaii, and now that he is out of college, he says that spring break is more important than ever. “People who work don’t get as many vacations as college students” said Lee, who sees spring break as a break from the monotony of his work schedule. He likes to take a spring break vacation with his old college buddies every year, but said, “I think there should be more constructive things to do, more charity things that students can get involved in.”
This year, Campus Crusade is leading a spring break trip to New Orleans to help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. While the trip is organized by Campus Crusade, it’s more of a relief effort than a religious mission since anyone can take part. Sharon Jotblad, a 2004 alumna, is one of the leaders of the trip, which will bring about 70 students to New Orleans to help clean up debris and offer whatever aid they can.
New Orleans is a city that knows how to party, and while the students will be there to work, they will have nights free to explore what the city has to offer. Even if they aren’t doing the typical beach-and-booze, they do have a great opportunity to learn some history, take in some jazz, drink some bourbon on Bourbon Street, and lend a helping hand at the same time. Jotblad said that after working all day, “If we aren’t completely exhausted, we can go into New Orleans and have some fun.”
It seems a certain amount of balance is necessary in this case. We stress ourselves out for 10 weeks and we deserve a bit of relaxation. For many of us, relaxation entails binge drinking on a beach in Mexico or somewhere on the Las Vegas strip. But it would be best to balance the party and the philanthropy.
In previous years, I’ve had to work during spring break, but there have been times when I could take a quick trip to Las Vegas, or go to see the folks and drink beers with old high school friends. Perhaps I’ve been selfish with my free time because I usually spend it losing myself in a bottle of scotch instead of feeding the homeless or going to museums. We all know that we should do more good in our lives, but we use lack of time as an excuse. When we do have free time, we just want to use it to party. I’ll be the first to admit having a hard time saying “no” to a good group of friends and a good bottle of, well, anything.
As college students in Southern California, we have the sun and the party more weekends than not. As much as we like to complain about papers and finals, life is pretty easy most of the time, so maybe it’s time to try something new. If you don’t already have a non-refundable ticket to Las Vegas, consider using the break for something more constructive than learning how to tell the policía that you didn’t know smuggling drugs over the border was illegal.
Debauchery or philanthropy? Let Deitchman know at jdeitchman@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.