Breaking down Spring

The Gothic Squirrel has heard students rumble about an upcoming hiatus from school that is occurring in the near future. The University has labeled this time as Spring recess, which is funny as spring doesn’t begin for nearly three weeks. However, according to students, the “recess” label is so accurate, it more than makes up for the mistaken season.

I sought to find out the definition of recess. Luckily, a four-year-old was attempting to find the etymology of the Disney show and had Dictionary.com open. It said recess is “a temporary withdrawal or cessation from the usual work or activity.” No matter what any student actually ends up doing, Spring break is a clear recess from the daily and weekly grind of classes. Spring break offers students the opportunity to do anything they would rather do than go to class, like go to the beach, go home or even go to Mardi Gras. Even those who stay at Duke will take this opportunity to do something abnormal, like buying the West Morgan special—seven straight nights of Shootersing for the price of one.

That being said, there is a wide array of age-appropriate fun things to do over break. Mardi Gras would be fun, but you have to be over 21. Going to the beach is fun, but only if you go with someone over 21. Going home is also fun, but you’re lame if you’re not under 21. Since plans vary based on age, they also vary based on year. Some seniors will stay in Durham and “work on their theses,” but we all know that this means sipping wine in the gardens, watching the ACC tournament and complaining about how their theses aren’t done. Some freshmen will stay on campus because they have no idea that Spring break starts next weekend. Sophomores and juniors will do something in between—perhaps going to NOLA, complaining about how they aren’t 21 and then watching the ACC tourney.

So SB is fun, but what, exactly, is it there for? Perhaps professors just need a break from students. It is possible that roommates need a break from each other. Maybe we squirrels need a break from the insipid students that scurry across main quad. Most likely, though, it is all of the above. Whether or not anyone explicitly states “I want a break from my routine,” this mindset is very common in most plans. Even if plans involve a roommate, the whole concept of not being in the same confined space is enough to bring relief. Even if students still need to do work, it is much easier to do it on the beach than sitting in the same Perkins desk.

After break, people should come back refreshed. No sullen, droopy-eyed faces should be seen on campus unless you have a non-stop, one-way ticket on the struggle bus. Everyone else can recommit to their semester-starting resolution of exercising, studying and socializing. Of course, some students have midterms to worry about. Some intelligible teacher, who has absolutely no regard for Spring recess, will undoubtedly assign a paper due March 17th. For those people studying, there will definitely be all-night library parties that will be directed toward finishing midterms. These will be different from pre-Spring break library parties, which are light on caffeine and heavy on overpriced ‘60s decorations. (Note to professors: According to the whiney kids on the plaza, studying over Spring break doesn’t result in much information retention, and students will fail.)

I observe that students are much happier after this break than when they return from break in the Fall semester. Is this because of the season or the length of their absence from campus? If it is the length that makes them happy, then I wonder why they don’t stay away for equal amounts of time in the Spring and Fall semesters. It seems that with this whole week away, students and faculty would be afforded similar opportunities to enjoy free time. Maybe restructuring the seasonal breaks would make the campus atmosphere more pleasurable. From what I can tell, nobody on campus is too pleased right now (though, that’s probably due to the tuition increase).

Despite this potential for improvement, the students should focus on enjoying their Spring break.

The Gothic Squirrel asked himself “What would Don Draper do?” before correctly guessing each Oscar winner last night.