Many SF State students will join the masses of travelers during next week’s vacation, but some will stay behind because they simply can’t afford it.
Around the country spring break has become a traditional rite of passage where many students head to the beach to relax, unwind, and party it up with friends after a long first half of the semester.
According to the Travel Channel, this year’s hottest spring break destinations are tropical escapes for students, including the Bahamas, Cancun, Daytona Beach and Cabo San Lucas.
Ryan Spork, 21, and friends will return to Mexico this March for what has become an annual trip. The group of eight are heading to Cabo San Lucas for a week of fun in the sun, and plan to stay in a private condo rented through Airbnb.
“It’s a way to release stress, like right now I am doing midterms and literally counting down the hours till I can leave class,” Spork said.
Emily Rekoon, 20-year-old communications major, will also be travelling to Mexico for her first spring break outside of California.
The SF State junior saved up her money to afford the trip, but is now living scarcely to make sure she can splurge while she is away.
“This is the first year I’ve had enough money to plan a trip like this,” Rekoon said. “It’s hard being able to save while living in San Francisco because everything is so expensive.”
As a result of the high cost of living in the Bay Area, many students are opting to use the break to make money, instead of making plans to spend money. A recent poll conducted by Statista, revealed that 27 percent of the respondents said they planned to spend this year’s spring break working.
For 19-year-old Lauren Labogin, spring break will consist of selling tickets amid the sounds of squealing kids and the smell of movie popcorn, as she could not get time off from her job at Century City Cinema in Daly City.
The SF State cinema major was hoping to return home to Visalia, California for some part of the week, but with the four-hour travel time, it would mean only having one day to spend with family before having to return to work again.
Instead, Labogin will remain on campus and use her free time to explore more of San Francisco.
“The hardest thing about staying on campus over break is that the dining center is closed, as well as the gym,” Labogin said. “It’s also rough because all my friends are leaving so I’m going to be alone most of the time.”
The campus dining centers will close Saturday, March 18 and reopen again on March 27, leaving students on campus to fend for themselves.
This is just one of the reasons Adriana Cassibba, who lives in the Towers at Centennial Square, is returning home to Morgan Hill, California over the break.
The political science major is really excited to take some time off from studying to catch up with people she hasn’t seen in awhile.
“I’m going home to visit family and have a little ‘me time’ away from school,” Cassibba said. “After all the hard work everyone puts in during the beginning of the semester, it’s nice for us to be able to have a little break away from it and go home and see family.”
