Blazers take a break

With the beginning of spring break, the only thing standing between students and summer vacation is fourth quarter. Some Blazers may have trouble deciding how to spend these wonderful 11 days off, so our SCO spring break expert share how a few students will be biding their time.

Around the world in 11 days
This spring break will be no different for freshman Ethan Amitay, who will be visiting Akabane, a neighborhood in North Tokyo, as he does every year. Amitay is half-Japanese and has many maternal relatives in Akabane. "We go every year in spring and it's mainly to reconnect with everyone there, but it's also to develop my multicultural lifestyle," Amitay says.

Akabane is known for its exciting nightlife, but Amitay loves it for a different reason: "Not to sound cliché or anything, but I'd have to say my favorite part about visiting Akabane is getting to spend time with my family," Amitay says. "My younger cousins look up to me and I love being able to teach them about American ways of life." When Amitay is not bonding with his family, he enjoys eating the local cuisine, sightseeing and observing Akabane's different lifestyle.

However, there is a downside to traveling so far away. "My least favorite part has got to be the plane ride." Amitay says. "Fourteen hours is just terrible."

College visits
Spring break is also the perfect time for juniors to visit potential colleges in order to get a feel for where they might want to apply. Junior Kathlyn Skolnik is planning on visiting either Boston or Pennsylvania this spring break to look at a few schools. "If I go to Pennsylvania, I'll visit the University of Pennsylvania and if I go to Boston I'll probably visit Northeastern University, Boston University or Boston College," Skolnik says. "I think it'll be fun and a really good experience not only to learn about the academic side of the colleges, but also to get a chance to see what the actual campus is like."

Many colleges encourage students to come when school is in session, rather than over the summer, to see what the campus is like with students are around, so spring break visits can help students see whether the schools they are interested in are the right ones for them. "Size, location and overall ranking are also important to me when deciding because it is where I'm going to be living for the next four years," Skolnik says. "Personally, after going to Blair, I'd prefer a larger college, but its overall ranking academically is a higher priority."

However, students brace themselves for a bit of a let down when visiting colleges. "It's possible that I'll be disappointed with a school, but I think that it'll ultimately be a great experience," Skolnik says.

Local adventures
Not everyone will be traveling during break. Senior Julian Lofton, for instance, will be staying in home over break and plans to work out, find a job and improve his driving. "I don't mind staying in Maryland over break because I can use this as an opportunity to get a lot of things done," Lofton says.

Lofton's plans also include practicing with his band. "I'll also be practicing and hanging out with my band, J.J. Beatz and the Swizzle Crew," Lofton says. "So far, we haven't lined any gigs for break up yet, but we definitely hope to." In addition, many employers will be hiring for spring and summer positions over break and Lofton hopes to get employed at the Regal Majestic movie theater in Downtown Silver Spring.

Whether it's spent across the globe or in a backyard, spring break should be something to look forward to in this last week of the quarter. While many students may spend their last day of break finishing up homework, the other ten days should be spent having fun, getting things done and relaxing.