Spring break not just fun in the sun
Alyssa Longobucco
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: News
With midterms coming to a close, there is one gleaming light at the end of the tunnel-spring break. In hopes of escaping Poughkeepsie for warmer weather, many students are heading off to Mexico, Florida, and numerous other locales this year.
While spring break is an occasion to let lose and have a good time, there are several things a student must be mindful of in order to keep their possessions, and themselves, safe during the upcoming week.
When planning her spring trip to Punta Cana, senior Michelle Conston was very aware of the possible risks involved in going to a place such as the Dominican Republic, where in the past few years, crime has been prevalent.
"I've heard that it's not safe to leave the resort, especially at night," Conston said. "Our parents are all nervous about us getting into trouble when leaving the resort, so we are just going to stay there and party at the bars and clubs they offer. It's an all-inclusive, so we shouldn't have any reason to leave."
Conston, who studied abroad last spring, credits traveling around Europe with making her aware of just how dangerous some places can be.
"My friend was pic-pocketed [in Madrid] when we were sightseeing so I'm definitely more aware of my surroundings now," Conston said. "It's important to keep track of all my belongings and make sure my friends are around me at all times. We plan on staying safe through safety in numbers. There are 12 of us going so we will make sure everyone is constantly accounted for."
Recent statistics compiled by the American Medical Association show that students on spring break "use alcohol as an excuse to engage in outrageous behavior." The study, conducted in 2006, stated that, of spring breakers surveyed, 30 percent.
said that alcohol was an "essential part of life", 74 percent said that spring break meant increased sexual activity, and 40 percent said that they passed out from ingesting too much alcohol at least once during their spring break trip.
While spring break is an occasion to let lose and have a good time, there are several things a student must be mindful of in order to keep their possessions, and themselves, safe during the upcoming week.
When planning her spring trip to Punta Cana, senior Michelle Conston was very aware of the possible risks involved in going to a place such as the Dominican Republic, where in the past few years, crime has been prevalent.
"I've heard that it's not safe to leave the resort, especially at night," Conston said. "Our parents are all nervous about us getting into trouble when leaving the resort, so we are just going to stay there and party at the bars and clubs they offer. It's an all-inclusive, so we shouldn't have any reason to leave."
Conston, who studied abroad last spring, credits traveling around Europe with making her aware of just how dangerous some places can be.
"My friend was pic-pocketed [in Madrid] when we were sightseeing so I'm definitely more aware of my surroundings now," Conston said. "It's important to keep track of all my belongings and make sure my friends are around me at all times. We plan on staying safe through safety in numbers. There are 12 of us going so we will make sure everyone is constantly accounted for."
Recent statistics compiled by the American Medical Association show that students on spring break "use alcohol as an excuse to engage in outrageous behavior." The study, conducted in 2006, stated that, of spring breakers surveyed, 30 percent.
said that alcohol was an "essential part of life", 74 percent said that spring break meant increased sexual activity, and 40 percent said that they passed out from ingesting too much alcohol at least once during their spring break trip.
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