Spring break– the one week in March when college students get a break from school and get to party Project X-style, but the media’s depiction of this annual vacation period may not be all of what it’s made out to be.
Movies like Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers” (2012) and songs like Charli XCX’s “Spring Breakers” (2024), which alludes to the film, have glamorized the western tradition, tying it to expectations of a party lifestyle.
The concept of spring break began in 1936 when a Colgate University swim coach took his team to Florida for a week-long winter training session.
Sam Ingram, head coach of the Colgate University swim team, brought his team to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to train at the Casino Pool, the first Olympic-size swimming pool in Florida.
Two years later, the city saw a beneficial marketing move from Coach Ingram’s choice and hosted a swimmer’s event at the pool. This strategy attracted large amounts of people and soon the start of the spring break culture began.
Since then, it has gained popularity and has grown into a mainstream tradition with different versions of the week existing at every college and most schools.
At UTEP, the experience of spring break tends to be more laid-back compared to other universities.
For students like junior Marissa Patterson, it’s a time to relax, unwind and not worry about classes rather than catching flights and partying like there’s no tomorrow.
“I don’t think it does (live up to the hype) because it seems more economically unreasonable. Prices usually spike during that time, and it’s usually about vacations, partying, getting wasted and doing drugs,” Patterson said. “I’m not a party person, so I just spend most of the time working or just relaxing at home and taking a break from college rather than going out and wasting my time.”
Patterson’s week off is focused more on getting to relax from the demands of college life, similar to other UTEP students.
Sergio Solis, a junior at UTEP, also feels that the week off isn’t the wild time that is represented in the media. Growing up in Mexican culture, he says spring break isn’t something that’s typically celebrated in his community.
“I’m from a Mexican culture, [and] my culture isn’t into spring break,” Solis said. “It’s just another vacation for us; it’s just any other day.”
Solis also sees how spring break has the potential to live up to its reputation. “The days are sunny; you can go out and everything. It would be nice to go out from the city or to a beach,” Solis said.
Coming from a different school, Daphne Gabaldon, a sophomore transfer student at UTEP has been able to see the true media depiction of spring break during her time at Texas Tech University.
“My first spring break as a college student was so exciting, especially since I had no idea what to expect. Everyone was talking about how great it was going to be, and I was looking forward to getting away from school,” Gabaldon said. “It definitely lived up to like the ‘wild’ image you see in movies. If you’re down for that kind of vibe, spring break can be exactly ‘Brat’—no rules, no responsibilities, just pure freedom.”
For some, spring break means stepping back and relaxing from academic responsibilities, while for others it’s about traveling, partying, and living in the moment with friends. No matter how students across different colleges choose to spend their time, spring break still remains a week to unwind, recharge during the semester and exist outside of the walls that confine us to a classroom.
Iziah Moreno is the photo editor and may be reached at [email protected].
