While some students at Sinclair Community College may prefer going out of town for spring break, others may be staying in.
Spending spring
break out-of-town
For individuals planning to spend spring break outside of their normal surroundings, Honors Program Coordinator Derek Petrey advises them to fully immerse themselves into the culture of their intended vacation spot.
“How do you know in life what’s out there, unless you experience these other things?” He said. “We have this phrase, ‘broaden your horizon’ and what that means is go out and explore new places and look at things.”
Petrey, who teaches Spanish at Sinclair Community College, has traveled to 17 countries and hopes to visit more.
“I did a study abroad trip at the end of my bachelors program,” he said. “My first experience was an immersion; I was in Chile for four months.”
He said some colleges, including Sinclair, provide traveling opportunities to students and their financial aid could count toward the trip. In December, Petrey, as well as Sociology Professor Kathy Rowell and Communication department Chair Heidi McGrew, accompanied a group of students to Guatemala, and Sinclair is currently planning to travel to Guatemala again in December of this year with a different group of individuals.
“The one important thing people don’t realize is that when you’re in a college program, you can take a course for degree purposes, your financial aid will go toward that trip,” he said. “You can use financial aid to study abroad, and most colleges have scholarships to study abroad, especially if you’ve never traveled to another country before.”
Although language may be a barrier while traveling, he said it’s important to learn it to fully experience the culture.
“To me, when I travel I really make an effort to learn as much as I can about the people and the cultures that I’m going to visit because … I want to know more about what’s going on,” he said.
He added that upon returning home after traveling, it’s essential to reflect on the trip.
“The more I travel, the more I see the things we have in common,” he said. “I think we need to celebrate diversity, but I also think we need to celebrate the things we have in common, because wherever I’ve gone, 95 percent of the people just want to live their lives, love their families, love their children, have a job that has meaning to them and make a living for themselves and be a human being and live their life — and those things are the same everywhere.”
Making the most out
of spending Spring
Break at home
If you were to look up spring break staycation on Google, you will see pages upon pages of things to do while stuck at home during the week of no classes. For Sinclair Community College students, spring break can take many different forms.
For one student, spending spring break at home is about playing video games and taking care of animals.
“I take care of my horses and chickens,” Briana Pepilascov, a Music Education major said. “I also play Call of Duty until the wee hours of the morning.”
Pepilascov also advised students to pick up a new hobby for themselves if spending spring break at home.
Communication major Duncan Richards Bailor is unsure of what he is going to do while spending spring break in the comfort of his home.
“I don’t really know what I am going to do yet,” he said. “I’ll probably just take it day by day — maybe hang out with friends, maybe sleep, but I’ll almost definitely be playing video games.”
Taking the break day-by-day is a common theme that Blake Robinson, an undecided major, agrees with.
“I don’t know what I am going to do yet, but I’m just going to take it one day at a time,” he said.
Visual Communications major Loren Smith encourages students to experience something new in Dayton with the time away from classes.
“While you have the time off, experience some cool things in Dayton,” Smith said. “I’m a volunteering-type person, so I definitely think that could be good for spring break.”
Smith said that volunteering at animal shelters would be good for those interested in giving their time, because shelters are always looking for volunteers.
“At nursing homes, it is also good to volunteer,” she said. “They like when people come to visit.”
Volunteering opportunities for students are available in Dayton. Some places to volunteer include the Good Neighbor House, Catholic Social Services of Miami Valley and the United Rehabilitation Services.
However, Music major Michael Whitecar believes spring break should be a different time altogether.
“I think spring break should be in April when it’s actually warm,” he said. “Spring doesn’t technically start until March 21, so why is spring break so early in March?”
Liberal Arts major Ben Graham agrees, adding that it is difficult to have a spring break in Ohio.
“There’s really no spring break in Ohio,” he said. “I’d rather stay in my house; it’s warmer in there than it is outside.”
Whitecar also said spring break should be extended for two weeks instead of one.
“Don’t waste it and have fun,” Robinson said. “If you stay home and watch TV all the time, spring break is going to be gone just like that — you don’t want that to happen and wonder why you didn’t do anything fun.”