Mid-winter break

Students make plans during their time off from school

ALEX SCHMIDT MANAGING EDITOR

Mid-winter break typically refers to a school holiday that occurs in the middle of the winter semester. It is a brief period of time when students and teachers are given time off from school to recharge, relax, and rejuvenate.

“Over break, I went to New York. We wanted to go to the city but we have family upstate, I was there for about three days,” senior Joshua Rhodes said. “We did a lot of shopping and just walked around the college town where my family lives and it was really fun. We usually go often, but this was the first time since COVID, so it was really nice to be back.”

The exact timing and length of the break can vary depending on the school district and region, but it usually takes place in February or early March and is typically three to five days long.

“I hung out with my friends Carley Davis, Theo Thomson, Jersey Williams, and Caitlyn Seal. We went to go see Ant-Man in theaters,” sophomore Charlie Dobson said.

Some people, especially teachers, have even begun asking students to name a certain amount of songs or list facts about the band to prove they’re a real fan.

This questioning isn’t appreciated by all students; some finding it irritating to constantly be asked to name songs by the band whose logo they’re wearing.

“I’ve been asked to name songs so many times,” Lawrence said. “It’s really annoying. I do really love the bands I wear, I just suck at remembering names on the spot.”

Not all students share the same mindset as Lawrence, however. Others don’t mind the questioning and even find humor in it.

“I think it’s hilarious that teachers do that,” Monteleone said. “They should do that.”

Monteleone has also been asked to “name songs” on numerous occasions.

“I’ve been asked that by Mr. Haley when I wore a Pink Floyd t-shirt and I named their whole discography,” Monteleone said. “I named all their good albums and all their members.”

Teacher Jeff Lapratt is one of the teachers that asks students to name songs to prove they listen to the band.

“When I see kids walking down the hallway wearing band t-shirts of what I would consider ‘classic rock bands,’ I think ‘fraud’,” LaPratt said. “I’ll ask them what their favorite song from that band is, and they reply ‘oh, I don’t know, I don’t listen to them,’ thumbs down right there, because that’s a great band and a great t-shirt, but you’re only going 50% of the way. Wear the t-shirt, go throw the record on, check out the band, and take that final step, because whatever shirt you’re wearing is probably a pretty good rock band.”

During mid-winter break, students and teachers may use the time to travel, spend time with family and friends, or engage in other activities.

“I went to Amman, Jordan, for a week.” junior Chloe Fashho said. “I went to Petra and hung out with my family there. I don’t go there often, but it was my second time.”

Some families may take the opportunity to go on a vacation, while others may use the break to catch up on schoolwork or prepare for upcoming exams. However, those who use the break to neglect their studies may fall behind when school resumes.

“I went to Indiana during the break for four days,” senior Allison Felice said. “While I was there, I learned how to drive a stick shift. I’ve been there a few times to visit family but haven’t been there in several years.”

There are many fun activities that you can do during mid-winter break, whether you are looking to relax at home or go out and explore.

“I went to Florida for a week over break,” junior Morgan Gibson said. “While there I split my head open at our Airbnb. We go to Florida every year around this time.”

Overall, mid-winter break is seen as a welcome respite from the academic demands of the school year and a chance to unwind before the busy spring semester begins.

“For mid-winter break, I was here even though you guys weren’t. I was even here when we had that bad snowstorm and the power went out. It got a little cold in the office while I was here,” officer Gabe Aceti said. “A part of what I was doing here was just going over some policies and whatnot. Officer Leslie left me a lot of material and a lot of threat assessments to go through. A lot of plans for the building, so I tried to make sure that I’m familiar with all this stuff in the building.”

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