It’s Spring Break

During Spring Break, many students travel to warmer destinations to take a break from school and relax. This is particularly common among students who are close to graduation and are preparing to enter the workforce. Spring break activities often include partying, drinking, and playing games. For instance, Ann, a typical college student, had a spring break experience with her friends that led to some trouble.

Spring Break for the average A’s

As the midterms are looming, Ann also had a part-time job as an office assistant, who works as a student’s financial aid. She worked hard to save money as her roommate thought of spring break with other best friends. Her roommate named Dow and Nini, living in the same dorm together. As discussing their trip plan, they got excited.

“What’s up, doc?”

“Nothing. We are heading to Miami, Florida, on Saturday. We already booked a Spring Break Package from the Campus advertisement.”

“Woohoo. I am so excited.” Ann exclaimed.

Just then, Ann finished her midterm. She went back to her dorm to pack her swimsuit and her clothes. Luckily, she was surprised her roommate wasn’t home, so she packed her clothes for a week trip.

“Whew! I am relaxing.”

She was done packing.

Later in the evening, her roommate came back from the midterm exams.

“Hey bro, How was your midterm?”

“It was alright, how was yours?”

“It was easy. The material I studied was on my critical thinking. I knew that it is going to be easy.” Ann laughed.

Packing, both Dow and Nini heard the doors knocking, and her best friends came into the dorm. It was another girl named United, who was also going on a week trip to Miami.

“Sup?”

“Nothing much.” United shakes her hand with Nini.

“Have you pack just yet?”

“I am done packing. We are leaving tomorrow morning so we will have to leave here at 5:30 in the morning. Our flight to Miami is 7:45.”

“Woohoo!” They jumped.

They are super excited.

On Saturday, they flew from Philadelphia to Miami with other schoolmates.

As the group of 50 local college students arrived in Miami, they settled in the hotel. Ann and other collegemates planned to party at the beach in the warmer environment, ready to dance.

While Ann and her friends are dancing, something was going to happen. Ann and her schoolmates have exposed to alcohol. Ann regretted drinking with her roommates Nini and Dow after the group of boys wanted to pressure her to join into the wild. Ann and Nini are both 19. Dow is 20. None of the group of boys are yet 21.

Ann saw a group of boys who drank several cans of beer in a beer bong.

“Come on, let’s drink.” A man pressured them to drink.

“No thanks. I don’t. I am only 19.”

“Ooo, that’s cruel. What a [expletive]. You are so young. 19 is legal to drink,” he said sarcastically.

“No! 19 is too young to drink. Sorry.”

A minute later, the conversation turns to verbal violence.

“Dump her, dump her right now.” Another man shouted to another boy in the group. Her roommate Nini and Dow watched. She saw her two girls drank then spit them out to others.

“Ooo!” They shouted after both girls drank from the beer bong.

Ann felt bad about her roommate was engaging in underage drinking.

Then a man threatened them if they refuse to drink.

“Look hon, if you don’t drink, you are not cool. I am going to [expletive] you and dump you right now. You ain’t cool, hun.” The same boy betrayed.

Ann tried to look away but to no avail.

“Come back here!” and threw a can of beer can at her.

“Ann, drink it all up.”

“Why did you threw this to me?”

“This is not all that cool.” Ann tried to run away.

“I am not allowed to do it. This is illegal.”

“If you think this is illegal, then why are you here?” The group of boys make Ann uncomfortable.

“I am threatened to call the cops if you make me drink.”

“Shut the [expletive] up and drink. You ain’t cool, bro.” a group of boys laughed.

The group of men laughed and pointed at Ann.

“Please, come on! Drink this. You can do it.”

Another guy opened a can of 12-oz beer and gave Ann a beer bong.

“Stop doing to me, bro. I am in trouble.” Ann tried hard to stop her underage drinking.

Minutes later ticked by, Ann forced to drink a can of beer he got from the liquor store with his fake ID by saying, “C’mon, you can do this. I promise you won’t get in trouble.”

“You can’t do this to me.” Ann regretted herself to drink in front of her group of boys. “That is illegal and underage drinking.”

“Haha! you aren’t that teen’s bro anymore.”

“I am only 19. I can’t drink.”

“Shut up, you [expletive].”

One boy forced Ann’s hand into her beer bong into her mouth. Then after Ann threw them into the ground, they began to fight and hit Ann on the back, punching and kicking her.

“Stop fighting, please!” Ann got a minor injury while another good Samaritan group called the cops.

Suddenly, incident breaks on, fights at the beach late in the afternoon. The police portal has arrested several spring breakers (including a group of boys) in swimsuits. They are all influence by alcohol and drugs that cause them to fight.

Into the wild evening, it was early in the morning as the Miami residents heard there are partying down the street.

Deafening music from the party club has impeded residents from falling asleep.

“I can’t sleep.” A resident said, feeling tired.

It was 12:06 am as the party goes on. Ann and other schoolmates have exposed to hard liquor and drugs that make them high.

Another resident dials 911 for disturbance.

“I think I heard the noise down the street, where the party club is one block from my home. We are living at [address redacted]. They are partying wild and we can’t sleep because of the loud noises. I think it should be quiet hours. Can we help the party noises? Thank you.”

More police cars came by. It was not a typical party scene. It was the rough night where alcohol throwing, drug expose, and illegal behavior distract the Miami community and the safety of others.

It’s 1:14 am on Wednesday and…

As Ann and other roommates were in the car with an alcoholic driver, another police officer started to chase after him.

They are headed back to the hotel for the night.

“Ahh, flashing lights behind us.” Nini shouted.

“Oh no, we got busted,” Dow shouted.

“Don’t worry, everything will be okay.” Ann said.

The officer first greeted the driver, and seconds later.

“What’s going on here.” police asked the driver.

“Nothing much. We are all having fun down here.”

“Alcohol?”

“Nope! No alcohol,” A driver lied to the officer.

“Smelled like you are drinking, eh?”

“No, I am not,” he lied.

“It smelled like a batch of alcohol.”

As police request a male driver to take the test, he refused, and a police officer has an option to arrest him and the passengers.

“Step out of the car, please.”

“Why?”

“Because you refuse to cooperate with the police officer. Now, you are under arrest.”

As police were looking for the bottle of alcohol, Ann and her roommate were placed in handcuffs and told them to sit on the street curb.

It was found underneath the driver’s seat.

“Do you have your driver’s license?”

“Yes.”

As police were looking for his driver’s license, he was heartbroken. He told them he did not do anything to harm himself or others.

Just than the officer was search the driver’s driver license from his pocket and the driver’s ID stated that he was only 19.

The boy whined, “I am 19 years old. But I have a valid driver’s license. I am the only excuses to get me arrest…”

Others felt unemotional.

“You are under arrest for underage and illegal possession of alcohol and driving under the influence.”

Then the driver finally gets a breath test, and the officer was shocked by the results.

Unfortunately, the driver’s BAC is .12, according to the alcohol testing, which is way over the legal limit.

As Ann and others roommates were headed to the police custody, her spring break vacation turns into trouble.

The police officers have notified their parents about the related arrests of Ann and other roommates. Thus they are agitated. Some are very disappointed.

It took days to sent them back to the hometown to perform community service and to pay fines for law-breakers.

What are the effects of a typical Spring Breaker?

With typical spring breakers, things were chaotic and crazy; they typically have done the following for average young adults who traveled with a group (unlicensed spring break package):

• Underage drinking and/or binge drinking
• Doing unprotected sexual activities
• Using illegal/illicit drugs
• Mixing alcohol with drugs, substances, other alcohol
• Driving under the influence
• Jumping off balconies
• Lawbreaking
• Doing other risky and dangerous behaviors

Ann and other schoolmates have exhibited the following from the story:

• Ann regrets drinking alcohol and hard liquor at age 19 but pressured to drink it.
  • The legal drink age in the USA is 21.
• Ann had experienced a threat to the boys from other universities.
  • A group of boys has taken advantage of Ann after an alcohol binge.
  • Ann tried to escape, but the boys decided to attack her both physically and verbally.
  • Alcohol poisoning is dangerous and fatal, no matter your age. Know your limit.
• The group of boys makes Ann break the law (Underage drinking).
  • Boys pressure Ann into beer bong to make sure she drank the beer.
  • Don’t. Just say no and walk away.
  • If you see something, say something.
  • If something suspicious such as alcohol poisoning, call 911 and help with the person until EMTs arrive at the sense. You can refer more info here.
• A driver did not know the laws, nor the effects of alcohol until he was arrested for underage drinking, driving under the influence, and illegal possession of alcohol. Ann and others are also arrested for underage drinking.
  • Drinking alcohol while driving is both deadly and is illegal. The maximum is BAC of .08%. The driver’s BAC is .12%, which way over the legal limit.
  • No matter the age, processing alcohol while driving is a criminal offense.
• A boy uses his fake ID to purchase a can of beer and other liquor.
  • Using the fake ID to buy age-restricted items is another criminal offense. You will get your free criminal record this instantly.
• There are no monitoring, no supervision, no guidelines, no trip policies, and no trip legal contact between Ann and her parents.
  • Without precise and careful planning, Ann and other roommates got into serious trouble that makes their parents profoundly worried.
  • Your parents are reluctant you to go on this spring trip unless it’s both licensed and have a safety plan, monitor, supervise, guidelines, policies, and have parental legal contacts.

Like Ann and other schoolmates, the spring break vacation package they booked was unsupervised, nor the proper guidelines specified in the policies. Spring Break package, like all trips, must have adequate supervision and guidance to avoid troubles. The Spring Break packages must also have an alcohol and drug policy as well as legal notices. If you want to travel solo, try not to go to the beach destinations during the time and opt for travel at other times.

How can I help to avoid troubles?

Planning a safer Spring Break requires careful research. Without research and book through the unrepetitive company (advertisement from college dorms like Ann and other roommates did), the trip became a disaster. You don’t want this to happen.

• Let your parents know the upcoming trip plan so they can work it out.
  • They will reach you to see how your trip is and the updates.
• Be sure to look for the trip policies, including alcohol and drug restrictions, curfews, expectations, emergency procedures, etc.
  • With proper policies and guidelines, you can avoid legal troubles.
  • If there are no policies regarding trip policies or trip packages refuses to, including in writing, then this is a red flag that the vacation package may be a “scam” or “suspect.”
• No matter where the destination you are heading, always research local laws, customs, and cultural influences.
  • Even though it is a safer place, always research the current crime rate, especially if you plan to travel solo.
• If possible, always travel with a buddy, especially at night.
  • Sometimes, the evening can be a deadbolt for solo travelers.
• Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, move to a safer place.
  • Know what you can do to protect yourself. Know what to do in case of an emergency.
• Be yourself. Don’t engage in any risky behavior.
  • Most insurance won’t cover risky behaviors includes balcony falls, alcohol accidents, falls from drug use, etc.
• Make sure you know your limit, such as alcohol.
  • If you chose to drive, do not drink; if you chose to drink, do not drive. Driving and drinking don’t go together.
  • Slow it down and drink in moderation. Or you can completely say no to alcohol and opt for water or safer drinks (e.g. juice or soda) instead.
• Say no to drugs, especially unknown drugs.
  • Mixing drugs (including OTC and prescription) with alcohol is dangerous.
  • Taking illegal drugs is another criminal offense. You will get your criminal record with them. 

What are the alternatives?

There are good alternatives to spend a week on Spring Break. These good alternatives include:

• Work extra hours
• Go on educational trips (such as daycation)
• Perform a community service
• Stay home and help with your family
• Educate yourself
• Update your resume (especially if you are currently looking for jobs soon)
• Develop your hobbies

There is a wonderful way to refresh your mind from your college overload, especially if you have a packed semester.