The week that all college students look forward to is less than two months away, and Syracuse University students are already anticipating March 12 and the start of yet another Spring Break.

The number one and most famous spring break destination is Cancun, according to studentcity.com. With its sandy white beaches and blue skies, spring breakers have been traveling to this Mexican party zone since the 1970s when it first became popular. But the weather is hardly the only reason college students go to Mexico: it’s the outrageous amount of drinking and partying that goes on. On a strip of nightclubs, thirsty coeds can attend bashes and consume all the drinks they want. Mardi Gras and foam parties are popular options too. These choices, as well as all-night beach parties, make it understandable that this location in particular receives much attention.

Lots of alcohol, wild nights, hookups, outrageous contests and random sex are all vivid memories from those who have traveled to Cancun.

‘We went to Cancun senior year of high school and it was insane,’ said Lauren Valerie, an undecided freshman. ‘I hooked up with a freakin’ ridiculous amount of boys and never drank so much in my entire life. I’d definitely go back.’

The Bahamas, Jamaica, Florida, South Padre, Texas and Panama Beach offer a very similar experience.

‘I went to the Bahamas last year and it was a great bonding experience between all of my friends; every place was fun, crazy and exciting,’ said Lindsay Goodman, a freshman marketing major.

South of the border isn’t the only place students are traveling this March. Skiing in Colorado and Utah also prove to be extremely popular. Aspen combines a nightlife of restaurants, bars and clubs with 2,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding.

‘I love skiing and skiing out west is better than anything in this area,’ said Abby Duffine, a freshman in the School of Management. ‘I’d rather go to Aspen than anything else over spring break.’

‘I’m really excited, it looks like a lot of fun,’ said Lauren Butterfield, an undecided freshman who’s planning a ski trip for Spring Break. ‘I hope I don’t wipe out, since I’ve never been snowboarding before.’

For students not interested in a margarita-chugging frat boy or hitting the slopes, other options exist for spring break vacation. While working with Habitat for Humanity, students not only get to travel to a beautiful area, but also work with other students. SU students have previously built and renovated houses and done landscaping work in New Jersey, Wichita, Kan., Vicksburg, Miss., and will return to Marianna, Fla. this year.

For those who don’t want to break the bank over Spring Break, chilling at home with friends from high school is a fine option – as long as they’re around. One problem with this plan is the varying weeks that universities across the country give their students off. However, there’s always the option of just visiting one special friend. Travis Dempsey, a freshman television, radio and film major, decided to travel to Florida this March because he has a friend at Stetson University. There he’ll be able to chill with a friend he hasn’t seen in a while and still be able to party in the warm weather, he said.

Published on January 31, 2005 at 12:00 pm