Our Voice
This is the last Colonnade before spring break, and we’d all be lying to you if we didn’t ‘fess up and say that we’re looking forward to the break.
Some of us are going to the beach, some are going to visit friends at other schools, and some of us plan to spend the entire break catching up on sleep. All the options sound like good uses of time, even if they aren’t necessarily exciting.
So for anyone who is going out on Spring Break and having a good time, we’d like to offer you a few words advice before you go. Actually, we can sum it up in a sentence; two words, in fact.
Be careful.
Students across the nation are killed every year during their Spring Breaks because of poor decisions on their part or due to bad judgment by the people around them. And the sad fact is that most, if not all of these deaths, could be prevented by exercising common sense and caution.
If you plan to drink, don’t go overboard just because you are on vacation. Know your limits, and have someone there who isn’t drinking cut you off if necessary.
As always, don’t drink and drive. Have the same sober friend do that.
Be careful on the road at all times. Interstates and other roads get packed, as many students from many schools are crowding them in their attempts to get to their destinations. Many people in one car can be distracting to the driver, and not everyone is nearly as attentive on the road as they need to be.
Of course, we expect all our students to make it back alive and in one piece. Still, there are other things to look out for as well.
Be watchful of your possessions. Thieves love to take advantage of tourists in unfamiliar locations, so be wary of your wallet and other valuables.
Be careful with people that you meet while you are there. They might be of perfectly good heart, but there are plenty of people out there looking to steal from you or otherwise harm you.
Of course, good-hearted people can hurt you as well. We know we’re going to sound like your old sex-ed teachers, but STDs are everywhere. A recent study by the CDC revealed that one quarter of all girls between the ages of 14 and 19 have at least one of the four most common STDs. And since all of these can infect men as well, even if it doesn’t damage their bodies, it would stand to reason that just as many men could be infected. What you do with your body is your own decision, but at least exercise caution with whatever you choose to do.
Finally, that tattoo that says Tampa ’08 may look really tempting at the time, but down the line, you may come to regret having something printed into your skin. And really, you shouldn’t need ink to remember the fun you had anyway.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Mar 14 2008. Filed under Opinion, Our Voice.
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