The first things most people think about when Spring Break is mentioned are drugs, alcohol and American teens screaming naked on a beach in Mexico or Miami Beach.
If the bottom line for most of these Spring Breakers was the “break,” then they wouldn’t be involved in such tiring activities, since partying burns more than a few calories.
But culturally, there are much healthier and more productive activities we can incentivize during Spring Break.
Instead of leaving empty beer bottles on foreign beaches; we can use Spring Break to promote community service and bonding through programs like Alternative Breaks at FIU.
From feeding the homeless to cleaning up the streets; we can make it so that the aftermath of Spring Break creates a surplus and not a deficit of work that needs to be done.
In terms of personal goals, Spring Break can be a chance to reaffirm those New Year’s resolutions nobody seems to follow.
Get in shape, try to eat healthier, or transition to a more rewarding job.
Beyond the personal benefits; a paradigm shift in terms of Spring Break culture would also mean that the global image of the American people would improve dramatically.
Suddenly, Spring Break would cease to evoke images of drunk teenagers, and instead would become a symbol of hard work, perseverance, and productivity.
It’s not that we can’t have fun on Spring Break; it is simply that until we appreciate those rare windows of time, our individual and societal prowess will not yet have been maximized.
Instead of using Spring Break for doing nothing or partying, FIU students should take advantage of the week off and be as productive as possible.
Here in the U.S., work is a religion. Unless you are a child or retired, it’s often very difficult to find free time.
When free time is available, the first, natural instinct is to be as lazy as humanly possible in order to compensate for all the hard work.
At some point we have to ask ourselves when we can read poetry, exercise or do something beyond extreme output and extreme lethargy.
The good news is that if we are resourceful enough, it is possible to find windows to “slow your roll.”
This Spring Break, instead of doing the same old things, let us try to rethink one of the most stereotypical vacations that exist within the collective imagination of young Americans.
Have fun, clean up after yourselves, and try to emerge from the March break with new perspectives and renewed energy.
Photo by Florida International University at FIU Flickr
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