Today and tomorrow, many students will be leaving campus to enjoy their Spring Breaks outside of the Boston area. With the popularity of service trips at Boston College, a fair number of students will be heading to the Appalachia region, volunteering in communities from New York to Mississippi. Other students will be taking advantage of the early timing of BC’s Spring Break to hit the slopes one last time this season. Still others will be trying to flee the recent cold spell by heading south. Wherever students go, they should do their best to stay safe while away from campus.
Although Spring Break is often considered an opportunity to get some rest and unwind two months into the spring semester, students should exercise caution and use responsible judgment while on vacation, as very real risks still exist. For example, last year, a student from the University of Southern California died after a fall from a balcony while on Spring Break in Mexico. Students should be especially careful of alcohol consumption in a foreign environment-while harm can still come from poor decisions made within the BC bubble, the stakes can be even higher elsewhere, especially when other locations may not have safety resources comparable to those available at BC.
