Students find ways to escape the Hill

Students return from break not only with suitcases, books, and winter clothes, but with big plans to leave as soon as they get the chance.

There are many options for Tufts students looking to take a brief escape from Medford and Somerville. With some careful planning, and a little research and organization, students plan economical weekend getaways that make every weekend this semester their own miniature spring breaks.

Upon returning to sub-zero temperatures and several inches of snow, senior David Hendler immediately decided he had to escape the winter weather. "I plan on going back home to Florida President's Day weekend. With no school on Monday, I figure I have enough time to go back and get in a few rounds of golf," Hendler said. "I just really miss the 80 degree temperature."

Junior Kimberly Boehler, on the other hand, enjoys the cold weather and relishes any time she can spend skiing on the weekends. "I go on weekend trips to various resorts around Massachusetts with the ski team all the time," Boehler said. "We stay overnight at mountains like Mount Snow in Vermont or at Dartmouth Skiway."

Boehler finds that these weekend ski team trips brake up the monotony of weekends on campus.

Students also use the weekends to go visit family and friends who live outside of Massachusetts. "I like to visit my friends at other schools," sophomore Ilana Kahn said. "Visiting them during the school year is a great way to see how they experience college."

Freshman Steven Green tries to go home WHERE? to visit friends but says it is tough because of scheduling conflicts. "I like going to see my buddies at home but a lot of times we can't work out a weekend that is good for both of us," he said. Green also says that weekend getaways can be rough without a car. "I am lucky because I have an older brother who also goes to Tufts. He can usually drive me where I need to go, or sometimes we go home together," he said.

Indeed, one of the biggest challenges to going on a weekend trip is vehicular transportation. Without a car on campus, many students feel trapped. However, there are many options for students who wish to travel on the weekends without them.

Junior Melissa Ventura says she used to go home twice a month to visit her boyfriend on Long Island. "I would take the Delta Shuttle from Logan airport into New York. It would cost me around $120 for a round trip ticket but well worth it because the flight is only about 50 minutes long."

On a college student's budget, keeping travel costs down is a concern. Discounted transportation, such as air carrier JetBlue, provides affordable options. JetBlue flies to locations such as Burlington, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and several cities in Florida. JetBlue has flights out of Boston for under $100.

With South Station only a few T stops away, Amtrak trains are another great option, especially for nearby destinations in the northeast. With a Student Advantage card rail fares are discounted by 15 percent. Doing your research online can save you money as Amtrak.com and other companies' websites feature special savings and promotions.

Escaping the daily grind of college life is enticing to many students, but even a brief respite can be damaging to one's academics.

Junior Jessica Gioia recalls a bad experience when she decided to take Greyhound bus service to Ithaca on Valentines Day weekend to visit her boyfriend at his school last year. "I had a huge biology exam the Monday I was scheduled to return. But because of a massive snow storm that hit the Northeast, I wound up stranded for nearly 48 hours in random cities along the Ithaca-Boston route," she said. "The experience was awful, but I am just lucky my biology exam got cancelled.

Two-day weekends sometimes turn into three-day weekends when Saturday and Sunday are just not enough. Several students admit to taking off Fridays so that they can get the most out of their trips. Most professors discourage unnecessary absences, but policies vary from class to class.

Child Development Professor Kathleen Camara says students are capable of making responsible decisions regarding class attendance.

"Certainly, there are legitimate reasons why a student may have to miss a class- illness, family situations or emergencies," she said. "But in my opinion, visits to friends and families should be arranged around classes and during breaks."

As a courtesy, Camara likes to be informed when a student has plans to miss a class. She also believes it is the student's responsibility to check in with his classmates or check the Blackboard site to obtain missed assignments.

English Professor Lee Edelman says he has a clear attendance policy spelled out for his courses. "Most students I deal with understand the tremendous value of a Tufts education and make it to class in spite of mild illnesses, terrible weather, and looming deadlines in other courses," Edelman said. He adds that if students fails to take responsibility for their actions, they will see the consequences in their final grades.