Spring break is a week of no school and time to rest before finals, coming around the corner mentally. Some families choose to take vacations, while other families choose to stay home; however, the pandemic has caused students and families to find new ways to spend their break to accommodate COVID-19 and the guidelines that come with it. Sophomore Emma Patel and her family are taking this opportunity to spend time together while being COVID-19 safe.
“Over spring break, I will be going to Florida with my family and we will be staying at my aunt’s house instead of a hotel, so we are not exposed to other people,” Patel said. “We are also getting COVID tested before we leave and after we come back to take all of the necessary precautions.”
This break from school usually brings time for family and friends to bond and create memories. Yet, the virus may put limits on the vacations happening over the course of the week. Living in Illinois this time of year, some families may decide that they want a break from the cold weather that the midwest is infamous for having. Sophomore Kyle Glassman and his family used the week to spend together and keep their spring break tradition going.
“I am going to Destin, Florida over spring break,[and] we are actually doing the same thing we did last year,” Glassman said. “My family and a couple other families rented out a house near the beach just to relax. We also just needed to get out of the house and out of Illinois.”
In the case of some upperclassmen, seniors see this as an opportunity to make memories with their friends from high school before going to post-secondary education in the fall. Others may use this to visit colleges, figure out their futures or travel for their sports or hobbies. Senior Kelsi Sheren is using this break to seize an opportunity that has come her way.
“I have a scholarship for a dance convention, so I am traveling to use it,” Sheren said. “My plans are just to attend the dance convention and to catch up on homework before my final stretch of high school, so I am not doing anything touristy.”
While other students chose to stay home and just relax, some student-athletes have sports commitments that take up their spring break. If they decide to travel, student-athletes may have to stay home longer after returning from their vacation. Sophomore Keith Hill had to make a difficult decision on whether to travel for spring break or to stay home.
“I am staying in town because if I leave, then I will have to quarantine for two weeks and miss football,” Hill said. “My plans for spring break are resting and hanging with friends.”
Even with everything happening around the world, this doesn’t stop some students from having a good time being COVID-19 safe. Whether it is taking a vacation with friends or family, traveling for athletic purposes or just taking advantage of a no-stress-week, students plan on cherishing the time they have off.
