Sophomore Rinda Kay Scott and junior Tori Fox are two of the many students excited for spring break. Photo by: Ellen Smith
By Ellen Smith
Many PHS students are excited for a “holiday” that is only a week away: spring break. This milestone represents both the end of winter and the beginning of the end of the school year. With spring on its way, many students are eager to begin break.
PHS students have a wide range of plans for spring break, from traveling to tradition. Freshman Hannah Anderson said “I am ready for spring break because I am looking forward to my trip. [I am going] to the Bahamas. I’ve also gone to California.” Warm weather on vacation is what many students are excited for. One of the most popular places for travel during spring break is the state of Florida. Sophomore Austin Rose thinks that when people think of spring break they think of Florida because “it has a lot of beaches and is usually the warmest state.” Florida is a peninsula, meaning it is surrounded by water on three sides. Because this state is a peninsula, naturally it has many beaches, something that Rose, and Junior Tori Fox are taking advantage of this year. Rose says “my family and I are going to Daytona Beach, Florida. We have been there numerous times.” Fox adds, “Every other year my family goes to Florida.” Junior Tia Merritt agrees with Rose that Florida is typically associated with spring break, mainly because “it’s warm down there.”
However, just as popular a place to be for spring break is right at home. Many students enjoy the week of relaxation by sleeping in. Merritt enjoys being home, and says, “A week [without school] is relaxing.” Staying home opens up many opportunities for activities. Rose explains, “On the years that I don’t travel anywhere I go airsofting. My friends and I airsoft the whole week.” This tradition is something that Rose enjoys. Merritt likes to “read books by Tess Gerritsen.” There are a variety of things to do at home as well as away on vacation.
A great part of spring break are the memories that are created and shared between family and friends. Rose and Merritt both have fond memories of past breaks. Merritt says she remembers “going to Michigan to Great Wolf Lodge. We went to an indoor water park when I was in elementary [school].” Rose recounts a memory about a vacation as well. “I remember spending a whole day at a water park/go karts place in Florida. It was a blast!” Anderson also remembers a particularly good memory. “A great [spring break] memory is when I saw my brother graduate from the Marines in San Diego.” she said. Many good times and memories are experienced over break, and don’t always have to be far away to be memorable. Spring break is not only a time for a break from school. It means a lot to students as well.
Because of the weather around the time of the holiday, spring break gets many people ready for the new seasons. Rose says, “I am happier because the sun is shining more and it’s getting warmer outside.” Because the season is changing from winter to spring, there is more daylight. On the weekend of March 12, daylight savings time will cause the time to “spring forward” one hour. Then there will be more daylight hours. Merritt agrees, saying that she cannot wait because “winter is over, and I want to get out and have fun.”
Merritt, Rose and Fox all think that the week students take off for spring break is the perfect amount of time. Merritt says, “anything longer [than a week] and you don’t want to come back!” Rose says, “I think [a week] is great because you get to relax. [The length] shouldn’t change at all.” He continues, saying “spring break puts him in the mood for summer because it gets you used to the weather and you have time off of school, just like summer.” Fox adds that the weekend is a “good amount, because by the end of the week I have nothing to do and I get bored.” Spring break is the last major vacation from school before school ends, and PHS students are planning to enjoy it. “Spring break is great because you get a little taste of summer,” sophomore Rinda Kay Scott said.