0 0 " --o- r r S 9 1 Thursday, " 2009 Daily - The Michigan Breaking the habit in 2009 A look at the more exotic spring break options offered this year through the 'U' and other programs By BEN VANWAGONER Daily Arts Writer College can be a terrible drag. It can also become over- whelming, especially when you're struggling to learn how to calculate the present value of assets, running linear regres- sions on Chinese arms trade data or conducting grinding research on hallucinogenic chemicals. Don't think an occa- sional game of racquetball will be the panacea to the deso- late wastes of academia either - no short-lived distraction is going to save you from the realities of class. The sickness can become so dire that, even during spring break, students can do nothing but huddle, fearful, in dorms or apartments across campus. Even if you don't meet this description, you probably know someone who does. Not only is this submission to fear a huge mistake, it's just unnecessary. Thankfully, the University is a force for good as well as occasional evil, and there are a couple programs either run by the University or affiliated with it that offer spring break options allowing students to be both adventurous and socially productive. Q Outdoor Adventures is one such program. Part of the Recreational Sports program, OA has the goal of providing students with the resources and guidance they need to get outdoors for a little longer than the 10-minute walk to class. OA runs a rock wall, a well-stocked rental center complete with tents and snowshoes and also organizes adventure trips. This spring break, they're sending out three groups: one to Big Bend National Park in Texas to hike in a desert basin, one to the Florida Everglades for sea kayaking and a third to Costa Rica. According to LSA sophomore Lauren Davies, who man- ages the trip programs, all but the Costa Rica trip have been filled, and that closes Monday. The programs are appropriately adventurous: The Costa Rica trip sets students river rafting, rappelling down water- falls and backpacking through cloud forests - the ambitious student's spring break, so to speak. For everyone who just hunkers down over break and for those who complain about walking through the snow on the Diag, these trips should be mandatory. Their spirit of exploration is motivated by the spirit of the OA staff, according to Davies. "All the staff has a huge passion for being outside," said Davies. "Trip leaders try to pass on their skills and that pas- sion." Although not run by the University, Alternative Spring Break has become something of an institution. It's somewhat less adventurous, but it has built a strong reputation by appeal- ing to the selfless spirit on which the University of Michigan student body has historically prided itself. ASB is hardly the campus's.best-kept secret, but the scope and the real personal value of the program may be. ASB sends out teams of ambitious, benevolent students to 35 different. sites each year, mostly in large cities and all within the United States. The projects are easy to associate with tame, familiar church group trips, but according to members, ASB offers alot more variety and perhaps much greater depth of experience. ASB offers students an option to change people's lives, according to School of Education senior David Metler. Metler visited St. Louis with ASB last year and will return this year as a site leader in Detroit. "Seven out of the i4 of us (who went to St. Louis last year) became site leaders this year," he said. To Metler, this is a sign Spring Break Reading List Bethanv Gibbons For the Daily 1. "Dreams From My Father" by 4. "The Girl with the Dragon Tat- Barack Obama too" by Stieg Larsson In case you've Originally pub- been living in lished in Sweden, a sound-proof "The Girl with closet for the last the Dragon Tat- three years, this too" has swept is Barack Obama's the globe with its first book, written engaging charac- 10 years before he ters and incred- was a presidential candidate. It ible suspense. It might not bring was highly regarded even before you to question your life or leave Obama was popular, but now it's you pondering your own personal especially relevant. Fascinating in journey, but it will definitely keep its own right, it's also meaningful you entertained - what could be and emblematic of Obama's own better than serial killers and cor- multifaceted character. porate crime? popular, vvi <- is Collins is an author from the mid-19th century that is undeserv- ingly forgotten; "The Moonstone" is the best of his many novels. It's an intriguing mystery with engag- ing characters and a stunning - albeit unlikely - conclusion. It -follows the theft and subsequent quest for recovery of the famous Moonstone, a mythical object of such significance that Hindu priests, among others, would do anything to get it 7. "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman "American Gods" is real, fantasticandeap- tivating. It fol- lows Shadow, an ex-con, and his interaction with ancient Norse gods who enlist him in their fight against the New American gods, deitys that embody technology such as the internet and media. It redeems science fiction/fantasy as actual literature. Read it. 8. "The 'Brief Wondrous- Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz Probably (and The Br f hopefully) the Wo most depress- Li ing book most Oscar ao people will ever read, "The Brief Junot Diaz Wondrous Life Li i' "11'and the role of individual and society. And if that's not enough, it's also impos- sible to put down. The quotes are -poignant and enduring: "We may be young, but we're not powerless. We play by their rules long enough er's look into life on the wrongside of the tracks. Alternating between the monotony of daily life and stunning and violent occurrenc- es, it offers a new perspective on criminals and making a living in difficult circumstances. The University provides several exciting opportunities for spring break throughout the United States. that people are motivated by their experience. "It nurtures the spirit of service that is inextricably tied to being a demo- cratic citizen." But it's not all roses. ASB has been accused of invading communities, spending a comforting week of comparatively effortless pseudo-service and leaving with falsely assured consciences onlyto finally return to a fully and carefully sepa- rated existence. According to LSA senior and ASB leadership team member Sarah Crane, that's exactly what ASB tries to avoid. "We aim for empowerment," she said. "We come into these communities asking'What resources do you have? Where can we be of help?"' The goal, she said, is not to show off how much students can do, but to emphasize the ability of communities to enact their own change. ASB tries to play to the strengths of the site. "It's an asset-based approach rather than a need-based approach," Crane said. Though two very different programs, the ultimate goal is similar. "It leads to future passion," Metler said of ASB. Outdoor Adventures, too, offers students an opportunity to learn a bit more abouttheir own abilities and build an adventurous spirit outside of that "Hey, let's go to the CCRB!" attitude. Whatever the case, both options are certainly better than just sitting around moping about exams. 2. "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger - Please, ifyou're going to read chick lit, make it good chick lit. "The Time Trav- eler's Wife" is the unlikely but irre- sistible story of modern love that begs the ques- tion of how life and love change over time, and how a relation- ship can possibly endure. And the ending is one so bittersweet 5. "How to Be Alone" by Jonathan Franzen' This is the kind of book that read- JONATHA FRANZEN ers can finish in one afternoon and then think about for the rest of their lives. It's Fran- zen's masterpiece. He explores, among other things, the dichotomy between private and public; the book forces read- ers to reexamine their public cell. phone conversations and question Why not Europe? Spring Break or Summer Expedition. Amsterdam, London, Paris, Prague, Rome. Details on trains, rail passes, electricity, the metric system, currency exchange, luggage, your packing list, travel clothes, guidebooks. Have more fun with fewer funds. Before you go, visit www. eniov-eurove.com The original do-it-yourself travel guide to Europe.'