We fully understand the excitement.
But hundreds of Carolina students plan to use their time to provide community service to others. That's just cool.
Service spring break trips aren't a new concept, but the idea behind them remains as strong as ever. Participating in a trip allows students to develop new friendships, experience a different climate and learn about other populations and lifestyles. It also deepens awareness of issues outside the Columbia bubble we live in. USC students are working on urban development issues in Detroit. They're providing medical support to impoverished people in El Salvador. Other students are improving water quality in North Carolina, conserving natural resources in Tennessee and impacting poverty issues in Washington D.C.
Those experiences can be found in no classroom, and the lifelong memories will remain more than a drunken haze on a beach. These students will return from trips with a desire to improve the world and a renewed commitment to service. And the trips are much cheaper than any booze cruise.
Yes, we all need a break from reading textbooks, studying for exams and going to class, and spring break is the perfect time to indulge in some "me" time. But even if you aren't participating in a university-sponsored service trip during spring break, try to do something to give back to your community during your time off or when you return to school.
Maybe consider a trip next year.
You may actually enjoy giving back.