Terps have officially survived their first two weeks of the 2015 Spring Semester! As students are getting back into the groove of waking up for classes, scribbling down homework assignments and snagging rides on shuttles to avoid the frigid February temperatures, some miss those lazy days of Netflix binding, hanging out with friends and carefree living with no Canvas alerts to interrupt their blissful, winter days.
Reflecting back on the month-long break, we asked several students at the University of Maryland how they spent their time away from school.
After coming home from a semester studying abroad in Australia, Aashima Gupta, junior business major, spent part of her break catching up with her family in Austin, Texas. “I’m really close with my grandparents and after spending a semester abroad, it made me realize how far away I was from them, and how much I missed them,” said Gupta.
Gupta went to Texas on a solo trip for a week-long visit, soaking in all the wisdom her elders had to offer. “I ended up having the best week of my winter break because I really got to learn about their daily lives and listen to all the great stories they had to share with me.”
Unlike Gupta who sported her sunglasses a couple times during her visit, Chase Pyke, sophomore journalism major, bundled up in warm, winter gear as he cheered for the Capitals during the NHL’s Winter Classic.
“Every year the National Hockey League holds the Winter Classic, which is a hockey game that is played outside on New Year’s Day. And this year it was in Washington, D.C., and the Capitals played the Chicago Blackhawks in Nationals Park.”
Pyke kicked off the new year in an Ovechkin jersey, rooting for his favorite hockey team. He sat among 42,832 red-clad fans who celebrated the defeat of the Blackhawks with a Capitals 3-2 win. “It was by far the best part of my winter break and the best sporting event I’ve ever been to,” said Pyke.
Another dedicated Capital’s fan, James Dorrian, junior business major, also ended up watching the game, but from his warm and cozy home in Frederick, Maryland. Instead of traveling and making extravagant plans this winter, Dorrian winded down from the stressful fall semester by catching up with friends and riding the slopes.
“All I did over break was snowboard, hang out with friends, read and play video games. Nothing exciting really,” said Dorrian.
Sometimes, a break away from school was just what UMD students needed.
Brandon Wong, junior journalism major, spent time on the slopes as well. He skied at Whitetail over break with a group of 8 friends. “I went on Wednesday, College Night, and ran into a UMD student who went to my high school. I haven’t talked to him for a while so I didn’t really bother saying hi,” said Wong.
Senior journalism major, Sung-Min Kim, stayed in his College Park apartment and watched 500 Days of Summer on Netflix. “I also went to NYC for my birthday weekend and hung out with my brother who goes to SUNY, Binghamton,” said Kim.
Students reminisce on their fun, winter break experiences as they mark their calendars for future group meetings and study sessions in McKeldin. Although many students love being back at UMD, some are nostalgic for their relaxed and carefree days not having to worry about assignments, deadlines and notifications on Elms.