Mid-way through the semester, students are broken down, sleep deprived and in a constant state of stress as they look toward the light at the end of the tunnel: spring break.
“I can’t wait to go to the beach and relax, playing some Kenney Chesney while the wind flows through my hair,” Nick Bockstanz, sophomore business administration major, said.
Spring break trips can often be quite expensive, but Bockstanz said that he and his friends have a group large enough to drive down the cost of housing on the beach to a little under $100 per person.
Organizing a group of students for spring break allows students to go on trips that would otherwise be too expensive. Financial help over break broadens a student’s possibilities for traveling, whether it be to the beaches of Florida, The Grand Canyon or the Rocky Mountains.
Another great way to relax on your break and save money is to go to your hometown for a week. Many students, including sophomore biblical studies major Nicholas Hazel, have chosen to go home this spring break.
“I’m not doing anything too exciting. I’m going back to Omaha and will probably just watch Disney channel with my little sister,” Hazel said.
On the other hand, some JBU students do not plan on taking a break at all. Instead, select students have chosen to use their time off to serve others.
Frank Huebert, Director of Service and Outreach Ministries, said that the average cost of the mission trips is around $450, but several students took advantage of the early—bird prices that were offered if they registered by January 18.
Huebert said that the cost covers “all food except for travel, transportation, lodging, and program costs for the entire week we are onsite.”
A group of rugby players plan to serve over break by driving 16 hours to serve with churches in Thunder Bay, Canada for a week. The team will partner with Coldwater Foundation to work alongside missionaries supporting Native American and First Nations churches.
Senior Dom Esposito, rugby president, said the boys were excited to go as a group and grow spiritually and also as men. “It will be a good opportunity to grow together but also give back at the same time,” Esposito said.
Junior Clare Warrington, director for Student Ministries Leadership Team, encourages students to consider JBU mission trips when looking for a way to spend their break.
“Spring break mission trips are a great way for students to serve others and be better disciples of Jesus,” Warrington said.
Warrington will join the team traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to work with “Friends of Refugees,” a refugee resettlement agency that was founded by two JBU alumni.
Students across campus have the opportunity to participate in missions trips, watch endless hour of Netflix or catch rays at the beach without breaking the bank.