Some local college students calling off spring break, blame economy By Erika Wurst, March 7, 2009
The Beacon News
Spring break.
The words alone evoke thoughts of lazy, sun-soaked days away from the stress of school, and work and life. That is, after all, what a "break" is intended to be.
"With school and being a student, it's just hard," said Renae Lawson of Oswego, a nursing student at Waubonsee Community College. "I wanted to use spring break as a time to get away; to be able to take off of work, relax and get everything out of my system."
And she came pretty close to doing just that.
"I was going to go to Michigan with my brother," Lawson said Wednesday. Though no cross-country adventure, it would have been a welcome getaway. "But I was like, 'You know what? I can't afford it right now with this economy.' I can't really do anything right now."
With tuition to pay, and a car note coming monthly, Lawson said the list of bills is simply too long. Lawson works at Zimmerman Ford in St. Charles where she spends almost 30 hours a week as a customer service assistant.
The dealership is where she can be found when her school is on break later this month. That's because instead of lounging around, miles away from her everyday monotony, this college student will be working overtime with hopes for a hefty paycheck instead of a killer tan.
"I just paid off a bunch of bills, and now I'm pretty much broke," she said.
And that seems to be the case with many of the students Lawson knows. She struggled to think of a single friend headed to the tropics.
The photography major said while she's looking forward to home-cooked meals and family time, she can't help but wish she was frolicking with her friends in Panama.
"It's like a ritual every year," she said. "Everyone goes to Panama. I wanted to go this year because I'm a senior and I've never gone, but I couldn't choke up the money."
But even those who did take the trip didn't exactly do it in style, she said, packing "ungodly amounts of people" into little rooms to cut costs.
"They've got the whole thing worked out to where gas money, hotel and food will only cost them $250 a person," she said.
"I'm going home because I'm flat broke," Schmedeke said with dismay. After losing her job in December, money, even the $250 it would cost to take the trip, is hard to come by. So instead of taking the opportunity to work overtime like some, Schmedeke will get to enjoy her lazy days, leaving people like Lawson green with envy.
"I know one girl who took the entire week off and she said she's going to do absolutely nothing," Lawson said, her voice ripe with jealousy. "Gosh, I wish I could do that."
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