The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 5A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, Fahruary 27, 2014 - Top Five Student Destinations By Ahmed, Weekend Contributor I Photos by Adam Glanzman, Daily Staff Photographer A much needed (spring) break There's only one day left before it's officially spring break (Congrats! You made it.)! After weeks of frantically writing pa- pers at the Fishbowl and studying for exams at the UGLi, everyone is more than ready to leave cam- pus for a few days. The Daily asked around to find out where students were headed this week. Florida With a record-break- ing 26 million visitors last spring, Florida is one of the most popular vacation places in America accord- ing to Visit Florida, the business section of the Florida Commission on Tourism. Contrary to pop- ular depictions in movies and on MTV, however, the state is more than just a sunny locale filled with clubs and bars. "Florida has things like the Harry Potter World, Disney World and warm beaches" said LSA sophomore Fabiana Diaz. "There's just so much to do there." It's also one of the cheaper locations on this list according to Public Policy senior Erin Free- man. "We decided to go be- cause we got good deals on Orbitz," Freeman said. Cancun Cancun, with its pris- tine white sand and low (legal) drinking age, is the ultimate spring break des- tination for many college kids. Like Florida, Cancun is also more affordable for students, which was a big pull for LSA sophomore Catherine Uglietta. "Cancun is a good spring break destination because of its reputa- tion for being a fun party destination and because of how many college stu- dents actually go there for their spring breaks," Ug- lietta said. Puerto Vallarta If endless tequila and a gorgeous view of the ocean is not enough for you, but you'd still like to visit Mexico, Puerto Val- larta is the place to be. The scenic destination offers visitors more activities to do and a greater exposure to Mexican culture. The town has elaborate sand sculptures adorning its shores as well as art gal- leries and restaurants. "We wanted to explore a new town and a new culture," LSA senior Sarah Gilberg said. "We're going to spend a day propelling down a waterfall and after that we'll go snorkeling." The Bahamas Another popular tropi- cal destination for spring breakers is the Baha- mas. Comprised of more than 700 islands, islets and cays, the Bahamas are filled with gorgeous beaches, grottoes and la- goons to visit. "I'm hoping to explore alittle, eat some good food and relax on the beach with my friends," LSA se- nior Chelsea Hoedl said. "We're looking in to para- sailing or maybe renting jet skis." New York City Even though the pull of sunshine and the need to escape from Michigan's hellish weather is strong, some students are more attracted to the glitz and glamour of the Big Ap- ple. New York City is the perfect location for those looking for something different from the usual student-infested, boozy beaches. "I want to experience a big city and all the things everyone always says about New York City," LSA sophomore Alice Hou said. "I plan on vis- iting Times Square, go shopping and experience the NYC nightlife:" Finally: It's the time of the year when we say our farewells to the cold weather, even if only for a short-lived amount of time. Many will take luxury trips to Flori- da, where they'll be waited on at the best fe-star hotel money can buy as BRAD they lie in WHIPPLE bed watch- Daily Weekend ing televi- Columnist sion. Other students will gather with friends to take that long dreamt-of trip to Las vegas or Mexico, not wanting to get out of bed in the morning for otherrea- sons - hope you youngsters like orange juice. As for me, springbreak has been very low key the past two years. The last time I truly kicked hack and made the most of my weeklong mentalbreak was2012, when Iwent to visit my sister, who had just grad- uated from Arizona State University and was still living in Scottsdale. For me, this trip represented everything good about springbreak and whyitissuch anecessaryhiatus My sister picked me up and brought mebackto her place. Forget my family, because there was one thing on my mind: March Madness. As my sister's hoyfriend pan- icked at halftime - Kansas was tiedwithNorthCarolinaat47--we thought the best course of action was to chow down at Buffalo Wild Wings. Well, it might have failed the Tarheels in their 80-67 loss that brought John's head crashing down on the table, but that's totally fine. we visited oregano's after- wards to eat some gaucatoni, pizza bread covered in a guacamole and avocado dip. Whether or not you're easing the failure of your March bracket, eating is central to the ideal spring break experience. After working hard throughout half of the semes- ter, we deserve to kick back and eat without guilt. Eat everything in your path, even if your mom says, "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach." Later that night, we visited Tempe Marketplace, full of a vari- ety of shops. There was a sports clothing store, restaurants and a candy shop called "IT'SUGAR," full of everything your inner child desires. By the end of the week,my checking account had hit an abys- mal "0." There will be temptation to buy a souvenir wherever you go, hut try to limit how much you actually get Next thing you know, you're stressed trying to pack it all in a tiny suitcase. My sister wisely bought the game Dirty Minds, "the world's cleanest dirty game." You're sup- posed to guess a clean and appro- priate wordbased off of dirty clues. It gets interesting, but also a little weird if you're playing with your sister and her boyfriend. The rest of the trip went exactly as expected. I spent a lot of quality time with my sister, who I rarely get to see throughout the year, and finally got her into the "The Walk- ing Dead" (she now thanks me after initial resistance). This is the last greatest thing ahout spring hreak, and any hreak for that matter. You get to spend valued time away from school with your family and friends. This springhbreak, getcyour work done early and enjoy the rest of it The week will go by fast and you'll be back in the home-stretch for another two monthsbefore you can take a break one more time. to try over So you're not lucky enough to travel to Mexico or even take a weekend trip to Chicago over the break. No fear! The Daily is here with plenty of options for those of you who choose to relax on your parents' couch or in the sanctuary of your Hill Street abode for the next week. On your Staycation: 1. Watch the first season of "Orange is the New Black" With the Season 2 premiere just around the corner, use your spring break to catch up on this popular Netflix drama. As an added bonus, there are exactly enough episodes in the first sea- son to watch one episode a day for the whole break. 2. Spend one day sorting through old clothes It's almost spring, and you may have accumulated a lot of things you don't need over the past few months. Sort thorough your old clothes and donate what you don't need - fun, relaxing and charitable! Every- one could use a little spring cleaning. 3. Attend a cultural event in your city Chances are you've been very busy this semester and haven't had time to see many cultural events. Find an interesting event in your city and attend with friends or family. Hang- time is a great resource to find events in your area. 4. Brush up on your foreign language skills Forgetting all the Spanish you learned in high school? Finding it increasingly difficult to hold a conversation in a lan- guage you used to be fluent in? Buy the Rosetta Stone program and brush up your reading, writing and vocab in almost no time. Or if you're strapped for cash, download some music in the foreign language of your choice and sing along. 5. Read a classic book If SparkNotes is the only thing you ever read in high school and you feel like you missed out on classic Ameri- can literature, revisit those old reading lists and spend the week with an English teacher- approved novel. The best part is many classics - ranging from Jane Austen to Jules Verne - are available to download for free on Kindle. - Maya Kalman Institute of Art or the numer- ous restaurants and bakeries in Mexican Town. If you decide to make the venture on Saturday, don't miss Eastern Market, the historic six-block long farmer's market in the heart of the city. The market, which has been around since 1891, hosts over 250 different local vendors. 4. Enroll in a workout class at the CCRB The CCRB is hosting vari- ous workout sessions all week, which students can join for $5 each. Classes include vinyasa, Pilates, Zumba and more. 5. Volunteer at the Arb on In Ann Arbor: March 8th Your competitive advantage is at Rutgers. With over 130 alumni connections as partners and principals in the Big Four firms - and many more at regional and local CPA firms - Rutgers Business School accounting programs are leaders in educating highly sought-after accounting graduates. All Rutgers accounting programs meet the 150-hour requirement for the Uniform CPA Exam. Rutgers MBA in Professional Accounting > 14-month program > No previous business or accounting courses required > No previous work experience required > Successful placement with attractive salaries 1. Partake in a poetry work- shop and slam competition The Neutral Zone and InsideOut are hosting the event, Michigan Louder Than a Bomb Competition, where you can learn and practice poetry in a group setting on March 1st. The event will begin in the morning at the UGLi with various poetry workshops and end in the eve- ning with a poetry slam at the Neutral Zone. 2. Go cross-country skiing in the Arb Cross country skiing is a great way get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful winter weather. But don't fret if you're not traveling to a ski resort over break - there's plenty of win- ter sporting opportunities right here in Ann Arbor. You can rent cross-country skis and boots at Sun and Snow, located on W. Stadium Blvd. 3. Take a day trip to Detroit There are so many interest- ing places to visit in Detroit and Spring Break can be a great time to learn more about the city. A few places you may want to visit include the Detroit Nichols Arboretum hosts an Eco-Restoration workday twice a month during which volunteers can learn about the natural areas in Ann Arbor while helping restore the natu- ral landscape. This is a great opportunity to give back to your community during your break. The event lasts from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Adam Glanzman DON'T GET BORED OVER BREAK* Check out more content ONLINE! We'll keep you updated on pretty much everything. *The Daily fits comfortably in most carry-ans. R1!,.TGERS Rutgers Business School Newark and New Brunswick