The Spring Break That Broke — The Lexington Line

Spring Break is known as the precursor to summer, and a time to be wild and free. That means a road trip to the beach, flights to Cancun, a cruise around the Bahamas, or even staying home and celebrating no school. Spring Break 2020 was supposed to be the highlight of my freshman year of college—a 10-day trip to Miami, Florida. That’s right, the classic spring break getaway for thousands of college students all over the U.S. to party all day and night at clubs, bars, restaurants and best of all… the warm beaches. I escaped the chill of the city to experience some Florida heat. I was so excited about this trip especially because I was staying with my two roommates and their families, not just a sketchy Air BnB or packed hotel room. I was going to experience my roommates’ day-to-day lives and the ultimate Spring Break party life of Miami for the first time.

Now, I’m sure you’re aware of the cancellations, curfews, and bans on any social gatherings that started on the second week of March. The novel coronavirus has spread into a pandemic, resulting in thousands of cases in the U.S. and counting. It has created mass hysteria and closures of most public places. Take the hysteria from the virus and add in rambunctious spring breakers? You get the worst Spring Break.

Miami: Closed to the Public

In Miami, each day became more scarce until I was no longer venturing the Miami streets and shores. First, the clubs and restaurants had curfews and capacity rules. Then they were completely closed. Next, all small businesses—aside from grocery stores—were closed. Finally, and most devastatingly to a poor spring breaker, the beaches of Miami were closed to the public. After a few days into my trip, all of my plans were cancelled. No going out for me. I didn’t worry though; while I have yet to go to many of the fun places Miami has to offer, I knew I would still have a wonderful time. And, I did.

I’m sure you’re thinking, What a privileged Gen-Z mentality—to be upset about Spring Break being ruined when people are dying from the virus. I can assure you, I understand why everything had to close. It is absolutely for the better. Social distancing and self-quarantining or isolating allow for the spreading to slow so we can flatten the curve of the virus. Fortunately for me, even though I got stuck in Miami for a few days, I was with my roommates' families. I was able to enjoy quality time with my roommates, and time alone to take care of myself. We ordered food instead of going out to restaurants and spent our days tanning. I’m sad I did not get to have the typical thrilling experience of spring break in Miami, but I’m happy to say I did take part in social distancing regardless, and ended up getting the rest I needed.

Ocean Drive Shooting

On Saturday the 14th, a man was shot by police on Ocean Drive. When spring break rolls around, rowdy college kids from all over crowd the streets of South Beach, often resulting in altercations with officers. A 22-year-old from Georgia was caught in a fight on the packed street of Ocean Drive, and it ended in him being shot. He spent the rest of his break in the hospital.

I was on Ocean Drive that night. Before learning of the shooting, I was eating dinner outside on the patio at the Sugar Factory with my roommate and her mother. We spent our dinner people-watching the crowds and judging the odd variations of thong bikinis. Then, all of a sudden, a tsunami of people screaming rushed down the street. They were jumping over chairs and flooding the restaurants. Not knowing what was going on, we ran too. As we made it inside the restaurant and hid under a bar, we were assured by the waiters that it was “probably just a cop breaking up a fight with a paintball gun.” We returned to our seats, but then the running and shouting started again.

Many things rushed through my mind in those moments: Was there a bomb? Did the coronavirus mutate, like in a zombie movie? That last assumption sounds stupid, but with media spreading hysteria and being a part of the terrified crowd running for their lives, you would’ve thought the worst. Fortunately, it was not the start of the apocalypse, and there were no fatalities—just a few broken chairs. As of now, the man who was shot is recovering, but will be okay.

This situation should be seen as a teaching moment about respect for the law, if not only to ensure safety of locals and visitors. It should also show the power that the police have, which can lead to brutality that we are all too familiar with.

Spring-Breakers or Super-Spreaders?

As for other spring breakers who did not take it upon themselves to distance themselves socially, they are considered rude, rowdy and unwanted by Florida locals. Miami and other major cities around the world took the safest precautions of limiting social gatherings in public, which may have switched up my vacation plans, but was ultimately for the safety of the public.

Other counties in Florida regretted to follow suit. Tampa, Florida, another hotspot for broke college kids during spring break, did not close their beaches. They were also late in comparison to closing restaurants and bars. Over the past few days, images and clips from news teams in Tampa have been filming the mass congregation of spring breakers on beaches that refuse to end their party.

Many of these party-animals claim they spent months planning these trips, or a couple hundred bucks. One guy suggested that he didn’t care if he contracted the virus—he wasn’t going to stay off the beach or out of the bars. Whatever the excuse is, it is unacceptable to not take part in social distancing. It’s especially dangerous to have the mindset that just because you’re young and the virus will likely not kill you, it’s okay to risk spreading it to others. It’s not okay. Many people under age 35 are likely to be carriers but not exhibit symptoms. These spring breakers have no respect for the senior citizens that run the risk of dying from COVID-19.

The lack of respect for other people and the law is upsetting, and a horrible reflection of the Gen-Z generation. Being a part of this generation, and also being a spring breaker who went to Florida, it was upsetting to witness this. It is hard for all of us to cope with the new regulations and social practices we now must take part in to contain this disease. None of us wanted to stay inside during spring break. We must learn to adapt to limited social gatherings.

As the spring break comes to a close, I’m sure we are all in high hopes that the rowdy spring breakers will return home—and stay at home. Spring Break 2020 in Miami may not have been the one I was expecting, but I’m glad that me and my friends are safe and healthy, and I hope everyone else will remain safe, healthy and clean during this tough time in the world.