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The Michigan Daily- Thursday, January 24, 2008
e:
The History of Spring Break
By Caroline Hartmann Associate Arts Editor
. . . . . .. .. . . . .. . . .1983
MIDDLE AGES 1935 Film: "Spring Break."IMDb commenter :
Religious leaders vehemently opposed According to the New York Times, Ft. Lauderdale became a popular spring Ramom Rotta writes: "SUN!!Ladies!!Beer!!! *
the Greek and Roman-born spring * break destination when the Colgate University men's swim team practiced - This movie shows exactlya dream
- breaks during the Middle Ages, castinga - there at the Casino Pool. Even though vacationing during the Depression . life!!!!What is better than spend some days ;
shadow oftChristian guilt over the event. was minimal for most, the beachfront locale was notforgotten - within 20 chasing girls, drinking beer and chasing more-
Its legacy remained buried until... years, 15,000 kids were setting up camp at Casino Pool.. . girls and drinking more beer!!!!!!!l"

M n in the Midwest

AM


' 2008
MTV heads to Panama City
: Beach this year, from March 9 to ;
" 22. Per usual, the "highly" antici-
. pated artist line-up has yet to be
announced.
-

Staying in Michigan for Spring
Break leaves you with plenty of
getaway options. Here's a few.

9W



* AVERY LONG TIME
. AGO .
Way back, when the cel-
ebration of fertility and the
god oftwine was actually
fashionable, the Greeks
- instated a short period
where young people could
- let loose and honor the
: spring season - i.e. get
" wasted and get it on, sans
theirtraditional elders. .
..... ..... ..

World War *
American soldiers take
:cues from foreign ser- .
vices that would take a
. short breakfrom warfare
during the warmer ;
" months. When the boys
were shipped home,
* spring break docked with
* them.
.: .. . .. .. .

" 1960
Ft. Lauderdale's
fame skyrocketed ;
after the hit "Where
the Boys Are," a film
- that left college-
aged coeds eager to
explore their sexual-
ity and propriety
beachside. -
......... .

1980s
When college kids realized that
Cancun bars were lessthan ;
stringent on Ils - altthe legal
limit was pushed to 21 in the
States - students flocked to the .
international hot spot in droves, a
welcome distraction for the over-
run beaches of Ft. Lauderdale and
Daytona. Jamaica and the Bahamas ;
were next, mimicking Cancun's
wonderland of half-naked, alcohol-
soaked beach strips.

lw

* 1985
* The Ft.,Lauderdale government
: decided enough was enough
* and passed laws restricting par-
ties after continued complaints .
of overt debauchery and public
* displays of nudity. Daytona fol-
lowed suit shortly after.
*............** *i .. ..

1992
" No official record has been con-
firmed, but most sources agree
that MTV's spring breakfes- ;
tivities started about this time,
later becoming the spectacle oft;
sprayed-on abs and derring-do .
* we know today.

. I

I

Get a week's worth oftAca-
pulco in one night oftWindsor;
just replace beaches with tanning
booths. Windsor is a rite of pas-
sage. This mid-size Canadian city
is Michigan's Tijuana. A Mecca
of liver damagetfor under-age
Americans, Ontario's 19-year-old
drinking age opens a world of
bars and nightclubs that only
a fake ID can guarantee inAnn
Arbor. Afew warnings: While
gambling at the casino seems like
fun in theory, fellow gamblers
look depressing and geriatric.
Buzz kill. Also, the Canadian gov-
ernment distributes all beer and
liquor. Iftyou want to pre-game
before hitting the bars on Ouel-
lette Avenue, make sure totfind
these stores. Windsor has many
nightspots, but you'll probably
be too drunk totell the difference
between any oftthem. If youlose
your friends, buy a gyro and it'll
be OK. Then, in the morning,
collect yourselfand your friends,
and rehash the night'shazy hilari-
ous momentsover dim sum.
PETER SCHOTTENFELS

-A
hle you only need one For a five-hour drive from
day to be physically present Ann Arbor, Chicago is one of
in Frankemuth, the city stays the most worthwhile cultural
with you for months, in both experiences you can find for
your thighs and your memories. spring break. It's still cold as he l
Famous for its all-you-can-eat in February, so why not bear
chicken dinners, this Bavar- the blues in what's considered a
ian hamlet is located offe -75 Midwestern safe-haven?
roughly an hour and a half Get over to Buddy Guy's Leg-
away from Ann Arbor. Though ends and check the manout. He's
Frankenmuth boasts dozens of a gift to music and only a state
chicken restaurants, the ulti- away. Then hustleon in to the
mate gorging experience can Green Mill Cocktail Lounge for
be found at either Zehnder's or some of the finest live tunes and
the Bavarian Inn Restaurant. A drinks in town before this place
family dinner includes buttered goes under. It's a landmark, folks,
noodles, mashed potatoes and arnd it's cheaper overall than The
gravy, soup, vegetables, ice Field Museum. AndClet's not for-
cream and shamelessly fried get B.LU.E.S., the Underground
chicken. Once you've pulled Wonder Bar, Blue Chicago - or
your face away from your plate, House of Blues for that matter.
be sure to cross the street to If you want to take in some
see the cuckoo clock perfor- Windy City tunes this spring but
mance of the Pied Piper of are under the legal age limit, try
Hamlen. And if dining opulence Smoke Daddy, Heartland Cafe
and consumerism go hand-in- (go early) or even the Blue Line
hand for you, go to Bronner's r Club Car. These should suffice
Christmas Wonderland, the for flavor and feel-good vibes
world's largest Christmas store. in the city.
PETER SCHOTTENFELS BLAKE GOBLE


Camping is anvobvious sug-
gestion for alternative spring
break ideas (though I don't think
our fathers consider it alternative).
But a little reminder is necessary
given thefact that Michigan is so
flat it's a bowl. There is natural
splendor - alot oftit - and I
think yourtfirst step should be
toward the North. Go North,
young student, the ocean-that-
is-not waitstfor you there. And
some snow, perhaps. Sometimes
it takes a few days of extreme
camping to bring smaller things
(like GPAs) into perspective.
Lake Michigan is rather unbe-
lievable, but, to be more specific,
just offthe shore is the popular
Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore, as picturesque a
camping site as you can asktfor.
There are trails and fire pits and
plenty of parking.The drive itself
is one long expanse oftslender
birch trees and fallow fields.It's
Michigan as it really is - not
sprawling, cracking asphalt, but a
fine cut oftwilderness.
ANDREW SARGUS KLEIN

Better known for blizzards
and Wide Right than a sun-
filled getaway, Buffalo, N.Y.
is just a five-hour drive away.
But the national media doesn't
tell the whole story - Buffalo
features a modern art collec-
tion second only to New York's
MoMA (Albright-Knox Art Gal-
lery), world-renowned archi-
tecture (Frank Lloyd Wright,
Louis Sullivan) and the best bar
fare (Canadian beer, Buffalo
wings, beef on weck), period.
The Anchor Bar, which claims
to have invited Buffalo wings, is
here. Drunken shambles won't
be a problem - you'll be bar
hopping on the Chippewa Strip,
open until 4 a.m. Crave more?
Niagara Falls is less than 30
minutes away. And if you do
happen to get stuck in a snow-
storm, you'll still have quite the
springbreak story to tell your
friends.
LINDSEY UNGAR


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