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The Elon Edge Insert, March 9, 2011 issue
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ELONThe pendulum | Wednesday, march 9, 2011 | Volume 2, ediTion 1
check it out...
3 8
6
Read about local businesses that target college students to bring in more money
What not to do on spring break trips
continued on page 4
7 Spring Break Abroad: Find out where in the world students are spending their spring breaks
Hype up your holiday at home
kristen.case
There is no single definition of the perfect spring
break. For some, it would be heading down south to
warm beaches and waves. For others, it would involve
a trip to the mountains for skiing or hiking. Regardless,
most people would agree that getting alcohol poisoning
is not on their list of things to do. Excessive drinking
is a major problem for college students, especially as
springtime and week-long vacations roll around.
Everyone has seen the commercials urging teens to
“live above the influence,” warning about the dangers
of binge drinking. It has become common knowledge
that buzzed driving is drunken driving, and most
college students laugh at how the commercials are
portrayed.
Message in a bottle:The dangers of binge drinking on spring break
PHOTO BY WILL ANDERSON
2
Set your expectations too highGo into your trip with an open mind. It's OK to anticipate fun, but if your
expectations are too high, your week will likely end in disappointment.
do’s&don’ts
Wear SunscreenLet's be real, looking like a lobster in
all of your pictures is not ideal. Neither
is the skin cancer.
Consider an unconventional spring breakInstead of hitting the beach, consider looking into alternative
opportunities. Use the vacation time as a chance to go on a service trip,
go camping or take a road trip.
Set up your summer plansIf you're headed home for break, use the time to network for internships,
interview for jobs and schedule travel plans to visit your roommates.
Dress for the weatherEven though spring break comes with implications of warmth, check the
weather while you are packing and bring a sweatshirt just in case.
DO: DON’T:
wednesday, march 9, 2011
Forget your travel readingFrom the beaches of Florida to your
couch at home, spring break is a great
chance to catch up on some non-
academic reading. Sophomore Sarah
Davenport recommends books like "My
Sister's Keeper"by Jodi Picoult or "The
Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks.
Limit your experience Just because you have a budget doesn't mean you can't have fun. Find
activities to do for free by simply Googling " free things to do in (insert
destination here)."
Tweet your whole vacation Truth be told, no one cares how many beers you chug, how tan you are or how many hotties you're hanging out with.
Photo by Will Anderson
Create a money poolIf you're traveling with friends, instead of arguing over the check each
time you go out to eat, set an amount for each person to contribute at
the beginning of the week and use that money to split expenses.
Forget to prepare ahead of timeMake sure to bring your ID, passport and health insurance card for
identification purposes. If driving, get your car inspected, tires rotated
and oil changed.
Photo from mct cAmPus
bonnie.efird
Let’s face it - broke college students can’t always
afford lush vacations to the Bahamas, Cancun or Florida
for spring break. For some, going home for break means
catching up on sleep, but after a few days, hanging around
the house can get old. So, if you need something to do,
follow these tips to make your 10 days of freedom feel like
a vacation without the big price tag.
1. Treat yourself to a spa day at home or, if you have
some extra cash, at an actual spa. Take some time for
yourself. If you’re short on cash, make your room and
bathroom feel like a luxurious spa. Dim the lights, light
candles, play calming music and treat yourself to a facial,
manicure and pedicure. Or, if you prefer, invite a good
friend over and take turns giving each other mini facials
and manicures. Recline on your bed as your nails dry and
as your mask hardens and enjoy a hot cup of herbal tea or
water with a few cucumber slices. If you’re willing to dish
out the cash, head to a local day spa for some heavy duty
pampering.
2. Spend some quality time with family and old
friends. After all, that’s what spring break is really about.
When you’re home, spend time with family by having
game nights, cooking dinner together and just catching
up. Apples to Apples and Catchphrase are fun ways to
reconnect with family. Or, if you’re not the board game
type, why not cook a meal and invite friends over to enjoy
your newfound skill? After all, for many students, spring
break is the only time you’ll have to travel home and visit
loved ones and friends before the summer. But don’t forget
to reconnect with old high school friends. A girls’ or guys’
night out should be in order, because you never know
when you’ll get to see them next.
3. Hit your local yoga or Pilates studio for a workout
and peace of mind. Many resorts offer morning yoga on
the beach or Pilates classes in the first-class, in-resort
gym. But if you’re going home, don’t despair. Who says you
can’t do yoga or Pilates at home? Look up studios in your
hometown to break a sweat, honor your body and find
peace of mind in one to two hours.
4. Get in touch with your outdoorsy side. Plan a
camping trip or a hike and a picnic. Head outdoors as the
weather warms up to fill up on Vitamin D and get some
fresh air. Planning a day to hike, fish, picnic or even camp
out is easy and typically cost-efficient. Since most parks,
nature preserves and camping areas are free, all you need
is your outdoor gear. But if nature activities are not your
thing, try taking a walk in your neighborhood or helping
out with yard work.
5. Catch up on those things at the bottom of the
to-do list, like cleaning out your car or filling out
internship applications. Although this may not sound
like the most fun spring break activity, you may be
surprised at how freeing it feels to cross these things
off your to-do list. To make these more bearable, give
yourself breaks in between tasks to keep you from
getting bored, frustrated and tired. Or, if you can, get
your work done outside on the porch or in the yard so
you can catch some rays and enjoy a change of scenery.
Looking for more ideas? Try these:
• Have a daylong movie marathon.
• Pretend you are a tourist in your own town. Visit
museums, art exhibits and tourist attractions.
• Make some money doing things like babysitting, pet
sitting, cleaning, etc.
• Catch up on some Z’s.
• Volunteer.
• Take day trips to surrounding towns.
• Catch a few inexpensive comedy shows or music per-
formances.
Take advantage of your relatives
Call up those relatives you know in Florida. Most of the time, they’ll be more than willing to accommodate you and your friends (and they’ll feed you). Staying with Grandma isn’t exactly your idea of a fun spring
break? Stay with your relatives for part of spring break, then rent a condo or hotel room for the other nights. This will cut down costs, and you won’t have to pay for a hotel for the whole time. Research nightly rates and spend the amount of nights equal to the people you have. For example, if you have four people, stay at a condo for four nights. That way, each person pays for one night and it makes figuring out the price much easier.
3wednesday, march 9, 2011
save money during spring breakjulia.sayers
You aced your midterms, you’re all packed, travel arrangements are set and you’re ready to spend a relaxing 10 days with your friends or family. And although you planned to save money all year for spring break, now that it has actually rolled around, your bank account is a pretty depressing sight. Maybe you spent the majority of your money on a spring break flight or a shopping spree for cute clothes and now having nothing to spend on vacation. Don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to save money while you’re on spring break.
Buy groceries and cook meals
The first thing you should do after settling in is go grocery shopping. Cooking dinners instead of eating out at overpriced restaurants will help to cut back on costs. Buy granola bars for
breakfast and sandwich supplies for lunch so you can take them with you to the beach. Delegate dinner duties to a different person, or group of people, each night. Guys can make tacos one night and girls can make spaghetti another night. If you do go out to eat, avoid the spots that are typically packed with tourists, as they will be more overpriced.1
Don’t buy drinks at the bar
If you’re going out during spring break to bars and clubs every night, watch drink prices. At most clubs drinks will be insanely
overpriced. According to drinkprices.com, in Miami, Fla. mixed drinks range anywhere from $3 to $7 dollars, and those are at the “cheap” bars. Beers are a little cheaper, but still pricey, ranging from $2 to $5 for a bottle. Also be wary of entrance fees. Most dance clubs have a cover charge, which is often between $10 and $20. Choose one night to go to a nice club, then look for cheaper options the other nights. A karaoke bar can be just as fun and much cheaper than a dance club.
Search for local bargains
Research things to do in the area that don’t
cost much. Look for parks and nature trails. Find out if there are any festivals going on. If you’re spending your break in a big city, you can often buy combo packages, which will give you entry to a certain amount of museums and tourist attractions for a cheaper price than paying for all of them all separately. If you’re going to Disney World, consider getting the Park Hopper ticket if you plan on going to a few different parks.
4 Use your Phoenix Card
Make sure you bring your student ID
with you. Most museums and attractions offer a student discount if you can show a valid student ID. According to lendingtree.com, restaurants, movie theaters and stores will offer spring break discounts to students. Ask the concierge at your hotel if they have any coupons or know which places are student friendly.
Fun spring break tips for students trying to find new experiences in familiar places
PHOTO COURTESY OF BACKYARDCITY.COM
While many of these commercials can be corny and overdone, the messages they send are no laughing matter.
According to a press release given to the Youngstown State University student newspaper, it was found that 97 percent of students drink during spring break. It was also found that skin cancer rates are on the rise and nearly three out of five women have unprotected sex while drinking on spring break.
“Alcohol makes terrible, terrible ideas seem absolutely brilliant,” freshman Ian Luther said. “Things that you would never actually do sober seem fun and exciting, and you do them.”
Students work so hard throughout spring semester, and many of them feel that spring break is their time to let loose and finally relax before they have to go back to their daily lives.
“It’s going to be so nice to go on a break with your friends, new or old, where you have no worries about what’s due the next day,” freshman Katie Lindholm said.
And while many students enjoy cocktails, they do not think about some of the consequences their drinking can have on themselves and others. Most people consider the common dangers, like alcohol poisoning and potential date rape or unprotected sex, but the unique experiences that can affect the rest of a person’s life are overlooked.
One of the major issues is going to a different country. While hotel bargains in Mexico may seem fabulous, many college students think that just because they leave the country, all rules are gone.
However, public drunkenness can still be ticketed, and drinking legally does not make drunken choices go away.
In many foreign countries, alcohol consumption is legal at age 18, and in some countries, marijuana laws are much less strict, if they even exist at all. Because of these leniencies, going somewhere foreign seems like the best way to live it up.
But there can still be serious legal ramifications for going abroad and drinking. Just because a travel agency offers a deal that inexplicitly promises very little legal supervision does not mean that anything goes.
Many people go abroad and drink without any real problems. Sophomore Emily Turner went on a one-day cruise with some friends to the Bahamas. Once the girls hit international waters, they were allowed to drink.
“It was all-you-can-drink on the boat, so we made friends with the bartenders and they filled up our glasses the entire time,” Turner said.
None of the girls were ever asked for IDs because they had to present their passports when they got on the ship and were given colored wristbands depending on their age.
“We had orange (wristbands) because we were 18 and could only drink once we were out of the United States,” Turner said.
With day cruises and trips involving lots of sunshine, something that might not occur to unsuspecting spring breakers is sunscreen. Drunken college students are much less likely to worry about the dangers of the sun, and they may not feel when they are getting sunburned.
Getting a little sunburnt does not seem like a big deal, but if the sunburn is bad enough, it can lead to sun poisoning. It is characterized by blistering, headaches, fever, nausea, dizziness and dehydration, and can require immediate medical attention if it is severe enough.
One week of spring break drinking can equal the amount of alcohol that person would normally consume in one year, according to a press release given to the Youngstown State University student newspaper.
In the United States, alcohol-related deaths are also at a peak during spring break. The rate of fatal car crashes that involve alcohol is twice as high among 16-20 year-olds, as they are among people
who are actually legal to drink, according to the British Medical Association.
In addition, the association said alcohol consumption interacts with conditions like stress and depression to spike the number of attempted suicides, specifically for people between the ages of 14 and 25.
4 wednesday march 9, 2011
Spring break drinking dilemmas
Editor: Sam Parker
Designers: Kristen Case, Lina Patton,
Gabriela Szewcow
Photographers: Will Anderson, Merissa Blitz,
Eva Hill, Anna Johnson
Copy Editors: Ashley Fahey, Eva Hill, Rebecca
Iannucci, Kate Riley, Edith Veremu
Contributing writers: Sarah Carideo, Kristen
Case, Sarah Dodge, Bonnie Efird, Kyra
Gemberling, Ashley Jobe, Katie O’Brien, Julia
Sayers, Katy Steele
Elon Edge staff
PHOTO BY EVA HILL
PHOTO BY ANNA JOHNSON
from page 1
5wednesday, march 9, 2011
Advice from “Mom”Making your own honor code
Read the following statistics about a
West Coast university:
Private university
Four-year institution
Percentage admitted: 64
Student-to-faculty ratio: 21:1
Percentage of students with a high
school GPA of 3.75 and higher: 65
Suburban Setting
Residential Campus
If you said, “Sounds like Elon,” you’re
right.
But what about this?
Students must “abstain from alcoholic
beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and
substance abuse.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa - no coffee, no tea,
no drinking. Is this really college life?
But wait, there’s more.
For boys: “Men are expected to
be clean-shaven and beards are not
acceptable.”
For girls: “Dresses, skirts and shorts
must be knee-length or longer …
excessive ear piercing (more than one per
ear) and all other body piercing are not
acceptable.”
I don’t know about you, but some
college students I see have closets filled
with non-conservative clothes, faces full of
piercings and coffee cups that flow forever.
So, if they were to attend this school, it
seems they would quickly be expelled.
This is in the Honor Code at Brigham
Young University, where 30,409
undergraduate students have promised to
live by this code.
While controversy is currently swirling
around the suspension of standout
basketball player, Brandon Davies, for
violating the school’s rather conservative
honor code, I think the issue is compelling
because it reminds us all that people
constantly struggle in balancing their own
honor codes.
In high school, I might have said, “If you
stay out past your curfew, then you’ll be
grounded.” And the typical spring break
speech from me would either be the Amy
Poehler, “I’m a cool mom,” speech from
“Mean Girls” or the standard, “Don’t do
anything you wouldn’t want me to know
about” speech.
But now, in college, you are trusted
to make your own decisions, and Elon’s
Honor Code uses a broad brush to
promote abstract values of honesty,
integrity, responsibility and respect. But
it’s clear that honor codes have more gray
areas than clear-cut rules, and that’s where
you come in.
No matter what, you’re responsible for
making your own decisions, and therefore
your emotional, social and physical health
are dependent on your actions.
If you haven’t done this, I recommend
taking time while you’re walking to class,
waiting for your coffee at Acorn or coming
up with the last possible thing you can do
to put off doing your homework to think
about your personal honor code. If you
set up some ground rules, you are far less
likely to break them when you’re feeling
tested.
I’m not saying to “abstain from
alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea and
coffee.” But if you make promises to
yourself like, “I will not talk about people
behind their backs,” or “I won’t drunken
text,” then your decisions have already
been made and you’ll be ready to handle
your next tempting situation.
And, if all else fails, you could always
blame it on me and say, “Sorry, my mom
said I can’t.”
Love,Mom
katy.steele
Don’t put spring break in a box.
Elon students who have been on
an alternative spring breaks have
stories to tell that don’t involve
barbecues or beach volleyball; they
involve serving others and changing
lives.
Nancy Luberoff, Hillel campus
director at Elon University, traveled
to Uruguay for an alternative spring
break trip in 2009. She and the
eight students on the trip came
home with plenty of stories to tell.
Students started a spontaneous
project rescuing mounds of Yiddish
books and rescuing Jewish culture.
Luberoff said it all began when she
heard about a collection of books
in Yiddish that the Hillel Uruguay
didn’t know what to do with.
When Luberoff and the Elon
students went to investigate, they
were amazed at what they found.
“This was not a collection of
books, it was an enormous room
in a basement in a building that
was filled with tens of thousands
of books, floor to ceiling,” she said.
“The room didn’t even have any
light bulbs in it.”
Each student brought back
a 50-pound carton of books
and had them shipped out from
Elon in order to get them to the
National Yiddish Book Center in
Massachusetts.
The experience meant a lot to
senior Ron Yardenay, who was on
the trip.
“We had no idea what books
we were picking up,” he said. “It
was emotional because Jewish
people have a deep sense of history
and the fact that we were able to
preserve some of that made a deep
impression on all of us.”
Yardenay also said he had many
cultural experiences while in
Uruguay that included learning a
nursery rhyme from Uruguayan
children, seeing those same
children’s reactions to a finished
greenhouse built by the volunteers
and being kissed on the cheek by
the children they had served.
“The people really made the
trip what it was,” he said. “The
community service you can really
do anywhere, but the culture and
the people made it stand out. You
can’t recreate that.”
Junior Olivia Feldman
remembers her spring break trip
last year to Argentina. The scene
that stood out to her was of a
shantytown, which she described
as “beyond rustic.” Feldman said
before working, the students were
instructed not to speak English
because many of the locals had
never had interaction with anyone
from outside of the shantytown,
and no one knew how they would
react.
Elon sophomore Jenna Strucko’s
spring break last year began with
a 12-hour drive to Mississippi in
what she said was a very small van.
Working in Bay St. Louis, in
areas that were still recovering
from Hurricane Katrina, made a big
impact on her, she said.
“The people we got to meet
and interact with were just great,”
she said. “Their attitudes were
very positive despite all that they
had been through, and that was
uplifting to all of us.”
On the same trip, junior Elise
Delmerico was also deeply touched
by the atmosphere.
“I’ll never forget our last night
as we sat on the beach where the
water first caused devastation.
Although the houses are rebuilt
and things look repaired, there are
people who wake up every day and
feel the effects of this disaster,” she
said. “Hurt continues to linger in
the area, but on that night it was
so peaceful as we reflected on our
service around a bonfire.
Not your average getaway
Elon students share stories from alternative spring break trips
Photo courtesy of ron yardenayElon students help rescue
pieces of Jewish culture in Uruguay.
6wednesday, march 9, 2011
it could be worse
Than spending your vacation at home eating ice cream, watching movies and skipping the gym.
Being lazy is a beautiful thing.
Than shamelessly fl irting with someone you have absolutely no interest in. You’re working on your communication skills.
THAN ORDERING A GRANDE, FOUR-PUMP SUGAR-FREE
CARAMEL, THREE-PUMP MOCHA, NONFAT, LITTLE WHIP, WITH RED
SPRINKLES LATTE AT STARBUCKS. IF IT WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE, IT
WOULDN’T BE AN OPTION.
Than blogging about your spring break itinerary instead of doing something important, like fi nishing your 12-page paper or studying for your economics exam.
Than wanting to switch to Verizon now that they have the iPhone. Finally.
Than passing sunglasses off as an accessory when really you’re just using them as a headband to hold up your greasy hair.
Than using spring break as an
excuse to be really wild by getting a henna tattoo to satisfy your
hunger for body art.
THAN LOUNGING IN BARNES & NOBLE ALL DAY WITH A STACK OF BOOKS YOU HAVE NO INTENTION OF BUYING.
{ {
Than coming back from Panama City as pale as you left. It’s not your fault you don’t have tanning genes. At least it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Than wanting a Zeno Hotspot, even if you don’t have bad breakouts. Who doesn’t want a machine that clears up your face within 24 hours?
ashley.jobe
It seems that new places sometimes present opportunities for lapses in judgment. When one has a desire to make every second count, it seems not enough moments are spent taking preventative measures. Whether you are going somewhere warm, exploring uncharted territory or seeking a getaway in a remote, secluded area, a surefire way to a great, memorable experience is to ensure it is a safe one. Here are some tips to keep your break safe:
1.) Don’t spend prolonged periods in the sun without proper protection.
Unfortunately, this rule is easily broken when you’re in new, exciting places with increased potential for sun exposure. Trips to states or countries with warm climates present risks to skin safety, perhaps even more so than at Elon, where the amount of cloud cover and UV light varies. There are multiple ways to protect your skin from harmful rays, and most are contingent upon the place you hope to visit. Do some research on your destination. What will the climate be like in mid-March? Pack accordingly. Even the sheerest of material can
offer solace from the sun. Limit your exposure to brief periods during the day and avoid peak hours when the sun is the highest and the temperature hottest.
2.) Don’t consume alcohol in
dangerous situations.Countless reports surface annually
around the world about spring break trips gone awry, with alcohol as a factor in what sometimes are tragic outcomes. These can be avoided when leisure activities are properly put in order. To avoid dangerous consequences, take steps to ensure that when in a new environment, you have protocols in place to make sure you are adequately prepared to drink responsibly and return home safely.
As for drinking while driving, this is a clear don’t. Whether on vacation or at Elon, drunken driving is never an option. This is not only an illegal activity, but it’s completely irresponsible. Make sure to create a buddy system with friends or family members to work out travel arrangements, and stick with those plans. The legality of consuming alcohol while underage may be disputed internationally, but make sure you understand fully what those laws are.
3.) Don’t leave valuables unattended.
Most places aren’t are safe as Elon. Put the days spent leaving your wallet and purse in cubbies while exercising at the gym behind you, at least for two weeks. One would hope that Elon’s trustworthy and hospitable atmosphere would be the same for all spring break destinations, but that’s certainly not the case. Keep all of your valuables on you at all times while traveling through airports, on trains or in taxis. Never assume those around
you are looking out for your best interest – that is your responsibility. If taking up temporary residence at a hotel, ask if a safe is available for your room, or what their policy is on lost or stolen items. Chances are, you are liable for any lost personal items on their property, so be sure to inquire about how best to protect your things while you are out and about. When you are in public areas on foot, it is best to keep expensive items close to your body, and out of the reach of anything, or anyone, they could be caught on.
What not to do while on vacation
PHOTO BY MERISSA BLITZ
7wednesday, march 9, 2011
sarah.carideo
While some plan trips to Florida and Mexico for standard, wild spring breaks, students who are studying abroad will be
backpacking, going on safaris and experiencing different cultures. These individuals have planned unique trips to make
their experiences abroad even more memorable.
Two-for-one special:
For her getaway, sophomore Stephanie Alvarez will spend the month of April backpacking around France for “16 full days of freedom.” Alvarez will begin her trip in Paris and then head down
the southwestern coast to Biarritz, before heading east to the town of Toulouse. Next on her agenda is a hike
up the southeastern coast, hitting the destinations of Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Nice and Monaco. Her next stop will be Annecy, which is a small lake town that borders Switzerland. Her last
adventure, before heading back to Paris is Lyon, France’s second largest city.Alvarez is doing all of this on her own; she says she
has never spent more than a few hours by herself.“It will be interesting to see how in heaven’s name I am going to
deal with being by myself, with no phone, e-mail or Facebook, for 16 full days,” she says.
Alvarez says French students have a European Union issued passport, so they can travel easily throughout Europe.
“Europeans in general like to find warmer places to go to during spring break to escape the brutal winter weather,” she says. “If French students decide to stay in France, they usually go to the south where it’s warmer.”
Otherwise, many people travel to either Spain or Italy, both of which have milder climates she says. Students also travel to the Caribbean or the Dominican Republic to escape the cold.
Because France’s spring break coincides with Easter, many students enjoy relaxed, family-centered breaks, contrary to typical American spring breaks, Alvarez says.
Alvarez worked three jobs during the fall semester to save money for the trip.
“It’s exciting because it was all my doing, and I hope to see my hard work pay off,” she says.
Beautiful beaches and humid, tropical weather are daily conditions for sophomore Kara Frasca, who is studying in
Singapore this semester. During the week of March 13, she will travel with other exchange students to Bali,
Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Traveling is very different for students
because it only takes about one hour to get from one end of Singapore to the other, Frasca says.
If students want to travel, they need to leave the country, which is a big expense.
Frasca says she’s excited to experience the new culture and continue to broaden her horizon.
Along those lines, she says most students stay in Singapore for break or travel to see family in nearby southeast Asian countries. Frasca says they are “obviously excited to have the week off and spend time with their friends and family,” because their college experience is very different than that of the United States. Most of their time is devoted to school, and the social scene revolves around sports.
“There is no campus party scene and students do not associate their spring break with beach vacations and partying,” she says. “Most students did not have any idea what spring break in America was like. When I explained to them that most students travel in groups for a week-long party, they laughed.”
Studying in Ghana this semester, sophomore Anna McCracken has a week off before exams, and during
this time, she hopes to go on a safari ride in Benin or Burkina Faso.
Benin has a national park called Parc National de La Pendjari that is home to a variety of animals. She says it isn’t as hyped
up as the parks in east Africa, where most people go on safaris. Burkina Faso is north of
Ghana, so she is interested in traveling and visiting the capital.
Another option, McCracken says, would be the Green Turtle Lodge in Akwidaa, which is an eco-friendly resort that attracts a lot of people in their twenties.
“It’s a great place to relax and exchange travel stories on the most perfect beach I’ve ever seen,” McCracken says.
According to McCracken, Ghanians typically spend time with their families during break. She says their breaks wouldn’t be as scandalous as the American spring breaks, because the people there tend to be very religious.
“I’m just excited to explore a part of the world most Americans never dream about seeing,” she says.
In contrast to the United States, spring break in Spain is called Semana Santa, or Holy Week, and is the week
before Easter. Sophomore Tracy McBride is studying in Spain but is headed to Portugal
for break because she says Madrid is chilly during this time of year.
Her first stop is in Lisbon for a few days before taking a train to Lagos, a city in
southern Portugal. She says Lagos is known for its beautiful beaches and tourism-oriented
town. McBride will then return to Madrid for the final celebrations of Holy Week.
“I’m most excited for a combination of an American spring
break and a Spanish spring break,” she says. “Although I’m spending the first half of the break relaxing on the beach and staying in a party environment in Portugal, I’ll be glad to be back in Spain to catch some of their traditional lively celebrations of Semana Santa.”
Each town has celebrations and parades, and tourists flock to see the festivals. She says the problem with traveling throughout Spain to see them is the lack of advanced planning, and the costs of travel and lodging can be very expensive.
McBride says students are excited for spring break because it’s an opportunity to relax, but she doesn’t “feel that they associate it with debauchery like Americans do, simply because the week is considered almost sacred here.”
“
SPA
INGHANA
FRANCE
SINGAPORE
8 wednesday, march 9, 2011
kyra.gemberling
For many college students,
spring break means tanning, exercising
and shopping for spring attire. But for
local businesses, spring break serves
as a marketing opportunity to target
students and promote the season’s
most popular products and activities.
Susan Godlewski is a certified
tanning representative at Salon Bronze
on Huffman Mill Road in Burlington.
She said the start of spring is the salon’s
peak time for getting business.
The salon advertises to the public
as much as possible, especially to Elon
students, Godlewski said.
“We do our business cards with
coupons for free lotion and we hand
those out to all the sororities and they
hand them out at chapter meetings,”
Godlewski said. “We have also
advertised in Elon planners and done
coupons in those also.”
Clothing stores also receive
increased business and develop plans
for attracting customers, such as Gail’s
Consignment Shop in Greensboro.
Owner Gail Gentry said the store has
been around for 23 years and business
is always booming at the beginning of
the season.
“(Customers are) picking up
things, knowing in their mind that they
need them for the new season because
new things are hitting the floor,” Gentry
said.
Gentry said she has developed
several different methods for promoting
the store. She also attracts customers
with special discounts.
“We have mannequins out on
the sidewalk and we put (products) on
Craigslist and we have customers that
have been with us for years and they
just go and tell everybody,” she said.
“We also pass out 10 percent cards
for spring and you get 10 percent off
everything that’s not already on sale.”
The store is near the UNC
Greensboro campus, Gentry said, so
college students come to the store just
as often as business professionals.
“The college is just right down the
street and that’s where the mannequins
play the role,” Gentry said. “We have
them on the sidewalk and right near the
door, and plus I hire students and they
pass out 10 percent cards, as well.”
The new season affects people’s
appetites, too, as local businesses like
Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream on
South Church Street in Burlington rake
in the cash. Owner Amy Nakhle said
she’s often surprised by the increase in
customers.
“If it’s below 70 degrees, people
don’t really get ice cream,” Nakhle said.
“But our business will triple in a day
when it gets warmer and it happens
that quickly. It’s kind of stunning.”
Smitty’s uses social networking
as a way of attracting customers,
Nakhle said, but the store also uses
traditional media by advertising in
local high school newspapers.
“We are on Facebook and Twitter,
so we talk about the new flavors we are
featuring during spring season. We
tweet specials as well, like ‘buy one, get
one free,’” Nakhle said.
Although ARAMARK dining
services doesn’t allow Smitty’s to
advertise on Elon’s campus, Nakhle
said, there are still ways to reach out to
the college crowd.
“We put coupons in the welcome
packages every year for students
coming on to campus that (Elon) uses to
get students to know the surrounding
areas,” she said.
Additionally, many businesses use
visual elements to attract customers,
such as banners, signs and spring-
based color schemes. Nakhle said
Smitty’s colors are orange and blue,
and the staff also travels, ice cream in
tow, to various events throughout the
state to promote their business.
Even though spring brings a huge
increase in customers, the majority of
local business owners are proud to have
customers to count on year-round.
“We have very loyal and faithful
customers and we don’t want to
disappoint them,” Nakhle said. “That’s
why we remain open throughout the
year.”
Local shops use onset of spring to attract customers
PHOTO COURTESY OF GAILSCONSIGNMENTSHOP.YOLASITE.COM
KEEPING IT LOCAL
PHOTO BY WILL ANDERSON
PHOTO BY WILL ANDERSON