Don’t Forget to Wear Your Sunscreen!

When you hear the words “spring break”, what are the first things you think of?  I can almost guarantee that among the first few thoughts that float into your head, beach, tan, fruity cocktails, and parties are among them.  For college students, spring break comes at a time when the semester is just beginning to take its toll: classes are becoming more difficult, spring weather is making the thought of skipping class even more tempting, and everyone is getting even more impatient for summer.  Basically, spring break is a time to relax and let loose.

Some college students, however, take this meaning of “letting loose” a little too far.  While on vacation, they may find themselves letting down their guard and making horrible, life altering decisions.  More than a few college-aged women have been abducted from tropical spring break destinations such as Aruba and the Bahamas, and many students are coming home with a few “it was spring break, so it was okay” excuses, and colleges are beginning to take a stance.

Many universities around the nation are recognizing that spring break can be a dangerous time in a student’s life and For example, the University of North Carolina Wilmington holds a Safe Spring Break program every year through Crossroads, a substance abuse prevention and education program.  They held events such as “What Happens in Vegas”, where you are taught the dangers of random hook-ups that are so publicized by the media as happening in Vegas, “Don’t Burn Your Poker Face”, where you learn how to get a healthy tan, and “Pillow Talk: Hooking Up”, where the subjects of sex and alcohol are brought up and discussed at length.  Crossroads uses the promise of free t-shirts, food, drinks, and prizes to bring together hoards of students who will bring this useful information with them on spring break.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that spring break isn’t the time to let loose and have a fun, I’m just saying that everyone should have fun responsibly.  Enjoying spring

break doesn’t mean you have to lose your inhibitions, it just means you have to forget about that assignment due next Monday, and let the pressures of the semester roll out with the waves.  So sit back in your beach chair, spread on some SPF 30, and relax, because I know that’s what I’ll be doing!

Have a safe spring break all!

– Christina Stevenson, Mollie Berthold, Dorothy Conley, & Laura Simmons