Eastern students return to classes today with memories of the

past week fluttering through their heads.

Whether they had the advantage of basking in the sun all

week, helped serve others or just simply laid back and enjoyed

the time off, spring break 2001 was a unique week for all.

Mathew Schrampf, a Granite City native, visited the south

side of Chicago for a St. Patrick’s day parade.

“It was a real cultural experience, to say the least,”

said Schrampf, a junior business management major. “There was a

lot of green and a lot of beer, sometimes the two got mixed

together.”

Other students such as Amy Burke, a freshman undecided

major, experienced a bit more of an adventure.

“I took a trip to Cancun, Mexico,” Burke said. “I have to

say I’m not to happy to be back, but I’m real glad I got a

chance to go.”

“You look at life a little different in Charleston after

spending some time across the border,” she said.

Florida proved to be the perfect place to escape the

frigid Illinois weather for Laura Palella, a freshman

elementary education major, who traveled to Panama City with a

group of friends.

“We tanned all day,” Palella said.

During the nights, she and her friends frequented the

night clubs, Palella said.

She said one of the highlights of her trip to Panama City

was dancing at the biggest nightclub in the United States

called La Vila.

Palella and her friends also spent their week shopping and

visiting a variety of restaurants in the area.

However, although Aleksandra Kryza, a freshman Spanish

major, spent her spring break engulfed in the warm weather of

Mexico City and San Miguel, it was not for recreational

purposes.

Kryza’s involvement in Eastern’s alternative spring break

program allowed her and her group to travel to Mexico to assist

children in a daycare for children of single mothers in Mexico

as well as work in an orphanage every other day of the week.

In her group’s spare time, Kryza said they saw the

pyramids in the city of Teotihuacan as well as many other

memorable sites.

She said it was a very rewarding experience and hopes to

do it again in the summer.

Lisa Rose, a freshman graphics design major, utilized the

week off to visit her friend at Baylor University as well as

sightsee in Dallas, Texas.

“We went to clubs,” Rose said.

She said cowboys were not out of the ordinary to see at

dance clubs.

Waco was another part of Texas Rose visited.

“It was not a small town like I expected,” she said. “It

was actually a really nice town with a lot of restaurants and

stores.”

Maureen Cox, a freshman marketing major, spent her spring

break relaxing around her house.

“It was good to just be around a familiar place with

nothing to do, especially after a rough semester,” Cox said.

“It also gave me a good chance to catch up on family events.”