Every year, in the middle of March, high schoolers and college students flock to Florida, the Bahamas, Mexico and other tropical destinations.
For a week, anything goes. Sunny days out on the water, packed parties on the beach and alcohol-fueled nights are common sights during spring break.
And that week, many Marksmen embark on their own week-long journey. In particular, the senior class spends the second half of spring break on a grade-wide trip to Mexico.
Last year, the Class of 2024 spent four nights in Cabo at the Hard Rock Hotel. Holden Browning ‘24 remembers his own experience as a fun way to solidify the bonds he’d built over his years at the school.
“It was a lot of fun, and I feel like our entire grade got a lot closer,” Browning said. “I would also say that the parents being there made it a lot more enjoyable. The majority of the grade was all in one place at one time for an extended period of time. It’s just a recipe for bonding.”
Browning hopes to have a similar experience this year with his new friends at the University of Virginia. Along with 40 other students, he will spend his break in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, at a resort.
“As long as I’m there with all my buddies,” Browning said, “I don’t really care where we go.”
For senior Zachary Andrews, spring break is one of his favorite times of the year, but he thinks it’s different than all the other vacations throughout the year.
“During Christmas, for example, you might see a few people from other schools, but during spring break, it’s packed with people your age everywhere,” Andrews said. “Unlike the other holidays, it’s a time when students from all over flock to the same places. It creates a different kind of experience and atmosphere.”
Despite the reputation of the senior spring break trip, Browning believes it is still a personal choice whether students want to go or not.
“I wouldn’t call it an expectation (to go),” Browning said. “I’d say it’s more something that people look forward to. Obviously, you don’t need to go on the trip to have a good spring break.”
Before this trip, Browning’s spring breaks had a different, more personal tone.
“Normally, I would visit my family in Colorado,” Browning said. “(The trip) was more friend-based as opposed to family-based, but I did spend a good amount of time with my mom.”
For Andrews, part of the incentive for spring break is the fact that it’s one of the only non-family oriented breaks throughout the school year.
“It’s a lot easier to party during spring break versus something like Thanksgiving break,” Andrews said. “Christmas and Thanksgiving are obviously big family holidays while spring break doesn’t really have that same expectation. Also, at least in my experience, parents are a lot more relaxed, so it’s way easier to meet people and have fun during the week.”
With spring break being both one of the last times for seniors to spend quality moments with their friends outside of the classroom and the last break before the final push, it holds a special place in marking the countdown to graduation.
“I think a lot of it is about just escaping from the pressure,” Andrews said. “I know for us, it’s like one of our last, long break of the year. The fact that it’s that last time to really get away from school, everyone takes it as a time to to just let loose really prepare for the last two months.”
Due to safety concerns, students are encouraged not to leave the resort property. Because of the various safety precautions taken by the trip’s organizers, Browning and other seniors believed the trip was fairly safe.
“The resort was pretty well guarded,” Browning said. “I felt it was safe, assuming you didn’t buy from vendors on the beach trying to sell you stuff. You can’t really swim on the beach in Cabo to begin with, so there’s not really a reason to be on the beach.”