As Saint Mary's students complete a week full of midterms, papers and assignments, seniors look forward to relaxing during the final fall break of their college careers.
Senior Kara Quillard said she plans to head home to Needham, Mass., a Boston suburb. "[I'm excited for] my mom's cooking because being a senior in Opus, I don't have a meal plan," she said. "So I have to cook my own food that I don't know how to cook, and mac and cheese is getting old."
Quillard said she and her friends from home have planned activities to make up for not going on vacation.
"Me and some of my girlfriends are going to have some spa days because we aren't going anywhere [for break], and we want to have the illusion that we are going somewhere," she said.
Senior Sidney Corso said she looks forward to outdoor activities at her family's farm just outside Chicago.
"I'll be getting a little adventurous and going to a shooting range and doing some off-roading just to enjoy the fall weather," she said.
Corso also said she and fellow student Joy Johnston will attend a Josh Abbott concert. Johnston said she is looking forward to spending time with family members.
"I'm going to my little brother's parents' weekend [at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.] and enjoying the warm weather there," she said.
Many students will also remain in the South Bend area. Senior Courtney Iversen said she will student teach in South Bend and also visit Chicago as a "mini-vacation."
"I've never been to the [Millennium Park] 'bean,' so that would be fun," she said. Cross-country runner Danni Haydell will participate in a meet in Wisconsin over the weekend, in addition to training on campus during the week. "We are turning it [the meet in Wisconsin] into a weekend-long thing, so it will be fun to hang out with the team," she said. Aside from training and competing, the team will also participate in several community service events, Haydell said, including a pick-up effort in the South Bend area.
But the team will also find time for leisure, Haydell said.
"We have a surprise event on Thursday that our coach won't tell us about, so that should be fun," she said."
