With the start of spring break just a few days away, many Temple students dream of lying on the beach during the day and partying with their friends at night. But financial constraints, primarily caused by the effects of today’s weak economy, have limited students’ options for spring breaks that include getaways.
“I really want to go to Jamaica this year, but money is tight right now, so I’m going home instead,” junior political science major Marlon Bryan said. “I can spend some time with the family and try to find a job.”
With the economy generating instability within the American workforce, cash-conscious students like Bryan find themselves settling for wallet-friendly vacations.
“My friends and I wanted to go to Antigua this year, but then, we realized how much it was going to cost and decided against it,” said Melissa Bubb, a marketing major. “It doesn’t make any sense to spend thousands of dollars abroad when I can barely make ends meet here at home.”
Instead of cancelling his vacation plans, sophomore international business major Thurston Gill is choosing to downsize his travelling plans for spring break.
Gill, who originally planned to rent a hotel room in Las Vegas for one week, is planning on going to Atlantic City, N.J., with his friends for three days.
“I’m not going to waste my vacation moping around complaining about what I couldn’t do and where I couldn’t go,” he said. “Atlantic City may not be Vegas, but I’m still going to have fun, and that’s all that matters to me.”
For students who had to change their plans for the break, New York City appears to be a popular alternative – proving to be a top choice among students who want to get away without spending a fortune.
Juniors Kareem Liverpool and Patricia Brown both plan on visiting New York City during the break.
Brown, a political science major, is going to New York for a few days to visit a salon and attend Broadway shows.
Liverpool, however, is interested in New York’s party scene, as he plans to go to a different club each night and spend his days relaxing with friends.
Liverpool refused to let the current economy put a damper on his vacation.
“Recession or not,” he said, “I’m going to make this spring break one that I will always remember.”
Stacyanne Chaplin can be reached at stacy.chaplin@temple.edu.
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