UPB takes on spring break

Alivia Cook Staff Writer

The University Programming Board (UPB) finds many ways to engage students around campus, with programs like Thwing Tuesday, UPB Bingo, UPBeats and more. Now that COVID-19 regulations are relaxed and more people are able to travel, UPB has brought back its annual trips for the second year in a row since the pandemic shut them down.

This spring break, I was lucky enough to be chosen through the lottery to go on the UPB Orlando trip and I am going to tell you about my experience. There were two options for spring break trips; the first was to Orlando, Florida and the second was meant to go to Mammoth Mountain in California. Unfortunately, the Mam moth Mountain trip was canceled due to extreme snowfall that buried the resort—participants instead went to Disneyland Anaheim and Los Angeles instead. Fortunately, the Orlando trip ran as intended.

To enter the lottery, you could submit either a group of two or four to travel with. Groups were then randomly selected and UPB would contact you if you were chosen. UPB sent excursion and payment options later on. Nothing on the trip’s itinerary was required for guests, with the exception of transportation, staying at the provided hotel and a mandatory midweek check-in.

The trip was heavily discounted. For a quad occupancy, hotels and flights were $275, and $375 for a double oc cupancy. The group flew Southwest, so everyone was able to have two free checked bags if they so desired. We flew into Tampa, Florida which was a bit weird because then we then had to drive two hours—with heavy traffic—to our hotel. However, UPB did provide charter buses to and from the airport.

They also provided excursion tickets that you could purchase at a cheaper rate than public prices. For Walt Disney World, a 2-Day Park Hopper ticket costs $285 for participating students— public prices are $374. For Universal Studios Florida, a 2-Day Park-to-Park ticket costs $150 with the trip versus the $351 public price. A 2-Day ticket was $125—public price was $292— and a 1-Day ticket went for $90 versus $137 for regular visitors. A day trip to Cocoa Beach was only a $25 round trip.

The hotel itself also had some accommodations. Seven outdoor heated swimming pools and hot tubs, an activities center, arcades, nature trails, barbeque grills, picnic areas, a fitness center and a business center were all provided by the hotel. There were also shuttle services to the theme parks, two grocery stores and ample restaurants located within a one mile walk of the hotel. They did not provide breakfast or have restaurants on the property, so you had to either order in or walk to the surrounding places.

UPB sent an advisor, Marc Hartmann, and multiple UPB members to accompany the lottery winners.

Throughout the trip there were excursions such as voyages to Cocoa Beach. Funnily, that particular trip as the dates were mixed up, leading many people to miss the trip because they weren’t made aware of the change. Another mixup was that transportation was provided to the airport from Case Western Reserve University’s campus, but not upon our return to campus. We did arrive around 2 p.m., so it was still light outside for those uncomfortable taking the RTA in the dark.

Overall, the trip was full of fun experiences, and the price was very reasonable. UPB plans to do more excursion trips like this in the future so be sure to follow their instagram @upbcwru, look at CampusGroups and check your email for more information on trips to come.

Alivia

A spring checklist for CWRU students

With the very unfortunate end of spring break, we must once again put our nose to the grindstone for another six weeks of semester struggles. With midterm grades recently released and summer right around the corner, we should reflect on how we want this academic year to end and what personal goals need to be fulfilled. Do you need to make changes to your study habits to get those ever elusive A’s? Do you need to make a comprehensive plan of your course list to prepare for fall registration and the rest of your time in college? Or do you just need a fun summer bucket list to detox? Whatever your end of semester needs are, we’ve got some tips and tricks to help you make the most out of these last few weeks.

Keep up with your course load

This should be your highest priority. Midterm grades are, for better or for worse, a reflection of your academic standing. So, if those results do not look as great as you’d hoped they would, don’t hesitate to ask professors for advice on how to im prove for upcoming exams or proj ects; in fact, many often encourage students to drop in for office hours. Additionally, consider attending S.I. sessions and T.A. office hours when applicable because they have likely taken the class before. If you’d like more private, one-on-one help, Case Western Reserve University offers both individual and group peer tutoring services, which you can schedule for one-time homework help or on a regular basis. Moreover, if you feel that any of the classes you are enrolled in won’t be advantageous in the long run, there’s nothing wrong with considering dropping it. Your academic advisors are great resources to discuss your options if this is the situation in which you find yourself.

Organize your academic plan

Course registration for the summer 2023 sessions and fall 2023 semester are fast approaching and the Shopping Cart is now open. To ensure you continue on the right track, we recommend meeting with your academic major advisors to figure out which classes are best suited for on how to accomplish them. Having this tangible plan will help you to make sure you’re on track to graduate. However you choose to plan, you can apply for summer courses on April 3rd.

Plan for extracurriculars inside and outside of school

In addition to planning your future courses, it’s important to keep an eye on your future extracurricular activities. For seniors, this could mean looking forward to life after college and the responsibilities which accompany that or mentoring underclassmen with the knowledge you’ve gained in college. For the underclassmen, it could be taking on more responsibility in clubs or finding activities that better suit your future. And for those who just want time to travel or meet up with friends, now is the perfect time to look into future travel expenses and accommodations.

Get outside and take care of yourself

Speaking of relaxing times, now is be used to prepare for the fast-ap proaching beach season. Some might want to slim down, while others may prefer to build a bit of muscle before hitting the sand. For those looking to trim, more cardio and a healthy caloric deficit is recommended, while those building muscle should have a high protein intake and more anaerobic exercise, such as weightlifting. Creating positive eating habits, engaging in consistent exercise and getting enough sleep are crucial for any goals that you might have for the summer. No matter what you hope to achieve, keep in mind that any goal should be realistic and attainable.

So, as the weather begins to warm up and the semester draws to a close, it’s important we don’t lose sight of our goals. Take advantage of this time to have one last look at the semester and see if there’s anything you want to improve on or changes you think you should plan for. But make sure to find time for self-care and to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.