As spring break rolls around, Vanderbilt students deserve a respite from the rigors of academic life. It’s time to swap the pale walls of Stevenson Library for sandy beaches, city adventures or the comfort of home. Spring break offers an opportunity for students to recharge. If you’re interested in hearing more about what your fellow students plan on doing, read on and discover unique ways students will spend their break.
Many students plan on traveling with friends internationally, especially since a significant number of juniors are studying abroad this semester. Elana Agarwal, a junior, plans on traveling to Spain to visit friends.
“Over spring break, I’ll be traveling to Spain with some college friends,” Agarwal said. “We are planning to fly into Madrid then go to Barcelona to meet up with some friends who are studying abroad, then go to Granda and Seville. I’m most excited to be able to explore new cities. I feel like spring semester goes by super fast, so I’m excited to take a week to slow down and enjoy spending time with friends.”
First-year Will Schuler plans on traveling with friends to Florida. A location known for its sunny beaches, nightlife and diverse attractions, Florida has long been a destination for spring break.
“For the first half of spring break, I’m going to Panama City Beach,” Schuler said. “We leave Friday bright and early on a bus; I’m with 25 guys. We also have an Airbnb down on the waterfront, which should be a lot of fun. We’re going to spend a lot of time on the beach and swim in the ocean.”
Schuler also discussed what he most looked forward to during his vacation in PCB and back home.
“We want a little getaway and we’re going to watch movies, spend time with each other. I want to buy ribeyes and grill; I’m a bit of a grill aficionado,” Schuler said. “I’m also really excited to go home and see my family, it’s been a while since I’ve seen them.”
Similarly, Nicolle Bokiess, a first-year, will travel to Florida with her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. She described her travel arrangements and what she was excited about doing with friends.
“For travel arrangements, we rented a bus with Phi Delt, and it is about a 7 or 8 hour bus ride,” Bokiess said. “Once I get there, I’m not sure exactly what we are going to do. We never received an itinerary, and it seems like it varies what we do year to year, so I’m excited.”
Bokiess elaborated on how excited she is to spend time with friends in her sorority.
“There are about 18 of us going on the trip, and there are a couple of sophomore transfers who will be going as well,” Bokiess said. “I think it will definitely be a bonding experience. We’re all going to be in one house, and we’re going to have to rely on each other and do simple tasks like buy groceries. We’ve had to do so much coordination to set up the trip, and I think it’ll be a great way to get to know people in my PC and individuals from other sororities and fraternities.”
Other students are representing Vanderbilt abroad in London. Students Jack Pitts and Josh Chan are the founder and co-founder of TrashTroopers, an organization whose mission is to create greener and sustainable college campuses. They will compete in the CleanTech Challenge business plan competition for a chance to win £20,000. Chan described the overall aim of TrashTroopers.
“We are a non-profit organization,” Chan said. “We aim to empower students and work on creating a clean and green college campus. We want to do this by organizing weekly, or bi-weekly, campus clean-ups. This will allow for an easy service opportunity and fulfills a need to clean up college campuses.”
Chan elaborated on what they hope to gain from their trip to London.
“As part of TrashTroopers, we’ve been focused on expanding,” Chan said. “We have two pilot programs: one at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and one here at Vanderbilt University that we will be launching soon named Cleanup Crew. We’ve also been a part of Vanderbilt’s Wond’ry Ideator program, and this has allowed us to improve our business model and apply to competitions like the CleanTech Challenge. We qualified for the semifinals of this competition, and we were invited to a networking session in London, and it happened to be over spring break.”
Other students will represent Vanderbilt domestically. Riddhi Singhania, a senior, will be a site leader for Alternative Spring Break.
“As a site leader, you work with another site leader and plan the specifics of the trip,” Singhania said. “You are given the contact of the service and house partner by the Site and Service Development Chairs. I will be in Fort Collins and working with the Denver Rescue Mission. We will be working with the homeless and those experiencing substance-abuse disorders.”
Singhania praised the altruistic aspect of ASB and Vanderbilt’s adoption of the program.
“Alternative Spring Break began in 1987 by two students and Vanderbilt was the first college to introduce it,” Singhania said. “I feel like each student should experience it once, so I would love it if more and more students decide to get involved! If you want to spend your spring break doing something more meaningful and engaging with the community, consider going on an Alternative Spring Break trip. It extends beyond just the week of spring break and lets you learn about different social topics through education, service and reflection.”
Aside from ASB, Vanderbilt offers students unique, travel-oriented classes abroad. Mridul Sharma, a sophomore, will travel with his EDUC 3140: Learning and Development in Early Childhood Education class to Italy.
“We’re a group of 38 people leaving on Sunday,” Sharma said. “I’m looking forward to seeing Europe for the first time in general, leaving Nashville, etc. We land in Milan for day one, and then we will explore other cities in Italy. The third day, we will visit Loris Malaguzzi, a place known to improve education through creativity. Lastly, we will enjoy Rome for the remaining few days we are there. I am excited to see the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel.”
For students staying on campus or going home, they have ideas on how to spend their time. Jiarui Qin, a sophomore, outlined what they plan to do while they stay on campus.
“For spring break, I’ll be staying on campus and living in Highland,” Qin said. “I stayed behind during spring break last year as well, and it was one of my favorite times during the school year. Lots of it was spent in nature, looking at the flora and fauna as spring comes into full bloom and walking to nearby parks to lounge and do work.”
Qin emphasized specific places they plan on visiting while remaining on campus.
“This year, one of my main goals is to explore more of Nashville,” Qin said. “Some places I will definitely visit are the Nashville Farmers Market, Percy Warner Park, OpryLand Resort, The Boba Bar and Seigenthaler’s Pedestrian Bridge. And as always, I will continue to embrace the many pleasures that spring often brings. One of the greatest joys being here is that spring feels like a distinct season, rather than a warning that summer will arrive soon. I finally understand the joy that so many people talk about whenever they say spring is their favorite season.”
For students going home, spring break offers a chance to relax and spend time with family. Sophomores Maddy Givens and Santiago Garcia discussed their plans for when they return home.
“I’m driving home on Saturday to pick up my grandmother to go to my cousin’s 5th birthday party,” Givens said. “It will be nice to see my family. And then on Monday, I am getting my passport for my trip to Spain in May, and I am very excited about that, just not the process.”
Garcia’s plans also included spending time with family and friends.
“I am hoping to spend some time with my siblings, so we might go out to the arcade after school,” Garcia said. “Since my siblings still have school during my spring break, I plan to mostly stay in and watch the Champions League games. I am hoping BARCELONA makes it through the semi-finals. Besides the Champions League, I might hang out with a friend whom I haven’t seen in so long. Other than that, I might just go to the field house back home and play basketball, unless the weather is good, then soccer.”
Vanderbilt students’ spring break plans demonstrate activities that capture their diverse interests. Whether they are developing friendships on the beaches of Florida, competing in international competitions or enjoying the tranquility of campus or home, each student’s spring break reflects Vanderbilt’s multifaceted community.
