Springing to life

Thursday, March 13, 1997

The call of spring is a loud one for many who entertain dreams
of sunwashed beaches, ocean cruises, or just a week at home.By
Carol McKay

Daily Bruin Contributor

Every afternoon Natalie Wang and Jen Pendergrass go to a room
somewhere on the eighth floor in Dykstra Hall, put down their books
and scream.

"We are really excited about spring break," said Wang, a
first-year sociology student.

The routine continues with Pendergrass, a first-year art history
and Italian student, dancing and Wang cheering. "We’re going to
Hawaii! Going to Hawaii!" they sing in unison, waving their arms
and clapping their hands.

Spring break, which marks the end of both Winter Quarter and the
dreaded finals week, is heavily anticipated by students, whether
their plans are of luxurious trips to tropical islands or simply a
return home.

"I can’t wait for spring break, and I’m not even going
anywhere," said Faby Barragan, a first-year economics student. Like
many other students, Barragan plans to return home in order to find
work for the summer.

"I need to get money to pay for summer school ’cause it’s so
freaking expensive," Barragan said.

Students who do travel over break often visit popular locations
such as Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Maui, according to Rosa Lilien,
an employee of STA Travel, which is aimed toward student
clients.

Lilien, who estimates that 80 percent of STA’s customers are
UCLA students, said that a lot of students who wish to travel
farther distances "still end up at Palm Springs (because) people
just can’t afford the packages."

Vacationing at far-off places can be very expensive. A trip to
Maui for the week, including airfare and hotel accommodations, can
cost up to $1,200, according to Lilien. "And at this point right
now, they’re going to pay a lot more," she said of students
attempting to make last-minute arrangements.

Even students who make plans early find themselves spending more
money than they may have intended.

"We began planning this over Christmas break. I’ve been saving
up since," Pendergrass said. "The only reason I got a job was to
pay for the clothes I need to get to go to Hawaii."

"And for the trip itself," added Wang, who also decided she
needed to get a job on campus to save money for their vacation in
Waikiki.

Clothing is a big issue for the girls, who plan to spend the
majority of their time "in the sun, looking at cute boys,"
according to Pendergrass.

"I’m not planning on eating there," Wang said. "I’ll spend my
food money on clothes."

Preparations for the vacation have included extensive weekend
shopping trips for plenty of "Hawaii clothes" and careful
eating.

"Hawaii is a place of bikinis," Pendergrass said. Her dorm room,
decorated with visual reminders of the bikini she plans to squeeze
into on the island, is proof that the trip is constantly on her
mind.

Students travelling in groups are common, Lilien said. Although
her company does not provide group rates, students "almost always
travel together."

LA Ski and Sun Tours, a company which organizes group trips, has
been working with UCLA fraternities and sororities to "get people
excited" about a trip to San Felipe in Baja California, according
to Jen Roden, a representative for Alpha Delta Pi.

Roden, a first-year political science student, said students
will leave by bus on the last day of finals and stay until Tuesday
of spring break.

Going through the Greek system was a way for the company to
reach as many students as possible although the trip is not limited
to students who belong to a fraternity or sorority, Roden said.
"It’s totally packed."

Roden, who was rewarded with a free trip for working to sign
students up for the vacation, said she is looking forward to
"relaxing in the sun. The water there in the ocean is like bath
water," she said. "It will be so much fun."

Other student groups organized themselves for a spring break
vacation. Some members of Alpha Epsilon Phi (AEP), after having
unsuccessfully attempted to vacation together last spring, started
planning this year’s cruise in early fall. According to Dana
Ostomel, although the trip is not exclusively an AEP event, there
are approximately 20 to 30 members of her sorority attending the
Royal Caribbean cruise to Mexico.

Ostomel, a second-year communications studies student, said that
the cruise, which will stop in Catalina and Ensenada, will include
dancing, gambling, bars, aerobics classes and a formal night.

Despite the opportunities that await many students travelling
over spring break, most expect to spend their time in the sun.

"Laying by the pool and getting a tan is definitely goal number
one," Ostomel said.