International students use spring break to relax on campus

Imogen Francis/Contributing Writer

Students will be deserting campus for a week of relaxation and fun come Monday, March 12.

But not all students will be leaving campus housing, with many students have decided to stay throughout spring break.

For Lina Bernier, a junior majoring in biomedical engineering, spring break is different for her compared to the average college student. She will be spending her spring break training twice a day with the university’s beach volleyball team.

Bernier plans on staying in her Parkview dorm over spring break to to practice with her beach volleyball team.

“I’ll be here training with my team, just trying to get better and do whatever I can to help my team win a conference championship and eventually a national championship,” Bernier said.

But even though she is focused on volleyball, her mind is never far from her home country of Puerto Rico. Being Catholic, Bernier described spring break as a time of reflection and “a very special time for me and my family.”

International students are often unable to make the journey home for the week. But that does not mean they are all staying on campus. Sandra Carpintero Medina, a senior studying biomedical science, has chosen to go to Cuba for spring break with two friends.

The Parkview resident left her home country of Spain to spend a semester studying abroad and said she is going to make the most of her time in America.

“Since I have the opportunity to be on this side of the Atlantic I prefer to travel around here,” said Carpintero Medina.

Carpintero Medina and her friends plan on visiting Havana and Varadero, spending their spring break on the beaches and trying local cuisine.

However, for some, spring break is not all fun and games. Austin Adams, a junior majoring in political science, will be staying on campus the whole break. The Best Buy employee has to spend his spring break working, after his request for time off was denied.

But even though the Parkview Hall resident will be busy with work, he’s also planning on heading to Key West for a day to get a taste of the spring break life.

Nataly Silva, a freshman majoring in political science, will also remain in Panther Hall for the week but has an action-packed week—consisting of two Miami Heat games and the Romeo Santos concert.

And with many students vacating campus, Silva is looking forward to a quiet university.

“I’ll go to my favorite spots to study because I can’t do that right now with everyone sitting in the little tree benches,” Silva said.