March 13, 2020

Students Plan to Travel, Work for Spring Break

Erin Hinkle

Spring Break 2020 is just around the corner, and students across campus are looking forward to their various plans. While some students are going to enjoy their breaks at home, others will be traveling to a number of different places.

This year, the Manchester softball team will be traveling to Orlando, FL, for Spring Break. The team will fly out from Fort Wayne on Sunday, March 15. The team will arrive in Orlando where they will play their first game at 10:30 that morning. The Spartans will play a total of 12 games while in Florida. They will face teams from a number of states including Massachusetts, New York, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The team will be staying in a large rental house while in Florida. The girls will be able to bond together on and off the field, cook dinner together and play games or hangout. Traveling to Florida allows for the team to play in warm weather against a variety of teams they would not normally get to see during season. It also allows for the team to get to know each other more and bond together. It is not all softball all the time while the team is in Florida. The team gets an off day where they can decide to hang out with family if they traveled, too, or go together as a group to do a fun activity. Page Magner, a junior on the team, said she is lucky enough to have her family travel down to Orlando again this year. She says she plans on relaxing by the pool, doing some shopping, spending time with her family and maybe celebrating her birthday since it falls on Sunday, the day they travel back to Indiana. “The trip allows for the team to come together on and off the field,” Magner said. “It’s a great opportunity and provides for a fun time away from school and great bonding experiences.”

The Spartan baseball team will be traveling for Spring Break, too. This year the team will be going to Fort Meyers, Florida. The team will leave after classes on Friday, March 13 and will return the morning of Friday, March 20. Once the Spartans return to Indiana, they play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 21 at Ohio Wesleyan. Unlike the softball team, the baseball team will be staying in a hotel. That week for the Spartans will consist of seven varsity games and one junior varsity game. The team will stay busy, as they do not have an off day, with a double header every day. Since the team will be driving to Florida, the guys look forward to playing games on the bus, such as Mafia and the Travel Game, to make the time go by faster. “Just being on the field and around the all guys is something I look forward to with these trips,” said Nick Rush, a senior on the baseball team. “This is probably the closest team I’ve been on in my four years here.”

Bridget Nash, a sophomore, will be working at the NCAA Division III Final Four in Fort Wayne. She will be creating the videos that will show in the big screen, so her Spring Break will consist of a lot of editing. On Wednesday, she will travel to Fort Wayne to help set up and attend meetings. Thursday will consist of dinners and Friday will be filming. On Saturday, Nash will get to film the semi-finals game. “I’m really excited for this opportunity because I never would have thought I could do things on this big of scale,” Nash said. “I will get the chance to fly to Atlanta for the Division III championship game. I never would have thought in a million years that I would have these amazing opportunities and learning experiences.”

Trevor Johnson, another sophomore, will be staying at home this Spring Break. He is going to take advantage of the time he will get to spend at home with his family and friends. Johnson, too, is volunteering for the Final Four, but before that he plans on relaxing at home and is excited to get back on the golf course. He is also a member of the Manchester Tennis Team and will return to campus to compete in a home match on Sunday, March 22 against St. Francis University.

Spring Break is a time for students to get away from school for a week and provide them opportunities for travel and a chance to spend time with friends and family. Some will travel with teams, others will use the break as a chance to take advantage of new opportunities.