February 25, 2022 | LIFE| By Katie Rowley
Block Break. The long-awaited, always-too-short respite from the hectic three-and-a-half weeks that always feel too long. It is a chance to escape from the stress, and, for some students, a chance to escape from campus. This recent block break was no different.
As I settle into block six and begin rebuilding my routine of perfecting the time I need to leave my apartment to get to class on time, I find myself reminiscing about my block break.
I traveled home to Longmont, Colo., for four and a half days. Not that exciting, I know, but there’s nothing better than not sleeping in a twin-xl bed, hugging my dogs any time of day, and having my parents send me back to campus with groceries they paid for.
Going back home wasn’t the only way some students spent their block break, others found themselves as far as 800 miles away from campus or as close as zero — and everything in between.
Emmaline Hawley ’24 spent her block break on a 27-hour road trip with her dad to Austin, Texas to see the indie rock band The Greeting Committee who are currently touring their latest album, “Dandelion”, across the country.
“I originally planned [the trip to Austin] as a trip with my cousin because we both love Austin, but unfortunately my cousin couldn’t go, so I took my dad,” Hawley said.
The road trip didn’t come without its complications, though. Hawley and her dad were supposed to equally split the driving, but instead, she slept for most of it. The sleep was not the rest she needed to refuel for the upcoming block, and instead she was wracked with guilt over not driving.
Despite the fun of this adventure, Hawley fears the transition into block six, feeling more exhausted from her block break than from her actual previous block.
Another way students got off campus was by partaking in Colorado College Outdoor Education trips. Bridget Walter ’24 found herself in the mountains of Colorado, snowshoeing with a group of other CC students.
Walter is no novice at snowshoeing. “I had been snowshoeing with Outdoor Ed before, which is why I was so excited to go again,” she said.
This trip brought her the excitement she was looking for. Spending three days in the mountains exploring and bonding with some of her peers was the perfect way to completely de-stress in between her two-block Educational Psychology class.
The only downside to this trip was the freezing weather and the lack of running water in the cabin. Walter and her companions had to boil snow in a pot to stay hydrated.
Some students’ break escapades kept closer to home, as they opted to stay on campus.
Marina LeVarn ’24 took block break as an opportunity to complete her EMT clinicals at local St. Francis Hospital, which advanced her in her journey to become an EMT. This journey began last semester through the completion of the EMT adjunct offered on campus.
These clinics included two eight-hour shifts shadowing people in the hospital and interacting with patients, which allowed LeVarn to take vitals and practice some of the skills she learned in her EMT class.
“I got to learn what a hospital looks like and how it functions and how the staff interacts with one another,” LeVarn said.
She spent the rest of her block break relaxing with her friend, Amalia Manning. This quality time included shopping downtown as well as attending CC hockey games.
LeVarn enjoyed her block break, and the quiet of campus, with so many fleeing to the mountains or Austin, Texas.
“It was nice and quiet. There was nobody, it was much less stressful.”
Making block six less stressful is a sentiment we can all take part in, no matter how rejuvenating our block breaks were. And, plus, there’s only one more block until spring break.