Spring Break has arrived. Congrats to everyone who survived midterms! Now students can turn their attention from studies to some much needed relaxation! I interviewed two students on their Spring Break plans and brought their stories to the Clocktower.

Jack Daniel, 28, will graduate in May 2019 with a degree in English literature, an emphasis in writing and speaking and a minor in youth ministry. When asked why he decided to come to Union, Jack explained, “I never thought I'd be at Union but about 4 weeks before school started God opened up a lot of doors very fast and Kim (my wife) and I moved quickly from Arizona to Nebraska.” Kim Daniel, Jack’s wife, works in Student Services as Office Manager.

Jack and Kim will start spring break in San Diego, California (a dream trip for many spring breakers), and then will travel two hours with his parents to Yuma, Arizona, Jack’s hometown. “We will drive to my hometown to visit family and meet my newest great nephew. Other than that, the thing I’m looking forward to most is the wonderful Mexican food! My goal is to eat at least a taco a day.” According to Jack, the best place to get tacos in San Diego is called Mike’s on Ocean Beach. I, personally, am adding this to my list of places to go because I trust Jack’s taste in tacos!

Along with a taco a day, Jack expressed his excitement to see his two dogs. “Seeing my dogs is actually better than Mexican food!” One of Jack’s dogs is a Basset Hound/Lab mix named Pierce and the other is a German Shepherd named Kerra. Pierce “is the best dog. He loves food and me, in that order. He hates water and being in trouble.” Kerra “loves squeaky toys and her soft bed. She hates loud noises and sleeping outside.”

Maren Miller, 18, will graduate in 2021 with a degree in emerging media. Her family travels to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, every Spring Break. “We visit my mom’s family”--which for those of you who don’t know, Maren’s mom is Humanities Adjunct Professor Dr. Morstad. “We always go shopping to small boutique stores. Some of my favorites are Simply Perfect, Lot 2029, Sticks and Steel, Unglued and the Great Outdoors Store.” Maren explained that they always go to her favorite restaurant, Grille 26, which is only in Sioux Falls. Her favorite item on the menu is Honey Almond Chicken and “it’s literally the best!”

The best thing about Sioux Falls to Maren is connecting with family members she doesn’t get to see that often such as aunts, uncles, and cousins. “I’m really excited to just be in Sioux Falls because the town is so pretty and everyone is so nice and I just feel so welcome every time I’m there.” Maren is also looking forward to the road trip up with her mom, “we don’t get to spend much time together since I started college and moved into the dorm.” One thing that Maren and her mom do during the road trip is play the alphabet game. The rules are that you find words that correspond with the sequence of the alphabet on billboards, and the first one to finish wins. “My mom and I also just talk and catch up while we make that transition from parent/child to more equals/friends since I’m growing up and more of an adult now.”

I hope that Jack’s SoCal adventure and Maren’s northern trip are wonderful and filled with memories! That’s what Spring Break’s all about, right?

Melissa Ratter is a senior studying language arts education.

A Break For Reconnection

Questions or comments?