SPRING BREAKDOWN

The lines at the tanning beds are getting longer, skirts are getting shorter and the weather in Bloomington has finally peaked over 40 degrees. This means one thing: Spring break is days away. \n"Spring Break Countdowns" are down to hours or even minutes by now, but before packing up the car or catching a flight, it's important to take a few minutes to make sure everything is accounted for. Money, passport, bathing suit, sunscreen. Got it? What about some last-minute tips and advice for those who have been there? Don't 'got it?' Weekend might be able to help. \nSpring Break has long been a college staple next to beer drinking, wearing hooded sweatshirts and the occasional exam or two. Each time March rolls around, students' conversations are flooded with talk of the week-long vacation which promises tropical drinks, laying on the beach and lots of quality time with friends. But is it all fun in the sun? \nDon't be naive to think spring break disasters can't happen. Before you know it, a well planned spring break can turn into a nightmare. Just ask junior Jim Shin. \n"We planned to spend the first half in New Orleans to enjoy the cajun food and craziness and then the other part we would go to Gulf Shores, Ala. and have fun at the beach," Shin says. "When I made the reservations at the hotel in Gulf Shores I didn't know I had to be 21 to check in."\nAfter enjoying the New Orleans nightlife under 21, Shin didn't bargain for his age to become a problem when he got to Gulf Shores. But the hotel did have a problem with none of the six travelers with Shin being of age. Without an "adult" (or at least someone over 21) the boys couldn't check into their hotel. \n"I wasn't too worried about it," Shin says. "I said we should just sleep in the car, but the rest of the group didn't seem too keen on it. They didn't think it was safe."\nThe guys took an hour to call home and regroup, and decided to head to Panama City, Fla. where they could get a hotel room without being 21. Shin's advice when hotel stays don't go according to plan is to just relax and try to enjoy your vacation anyway.\n"Take a step back and don't stress about it," he says. "There's no reason to get all pissed off at the situation because there's nothing you can do about it. You could get stressed or find something else to do." \nFinding an alternative spring break when things go wrong can be harder if you've already committed to a vacation package. Seniors Sally Phillips and Katie Powers know the pitfalls of the sometimes shady vacation packages all too well. \nThe women thought they had a good deal. After hearing about a vacation package including a three-day cruise and four nights in a Florida hotel, they decided the $300 package was too good of a deal to pass up. \n"If it sounds too good to be true, it is," Phillips says. \nAfter an 18-hour drive to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a couple hours of sleep in the car, a statewide search for their hotel, lots of Dramamine on a small boat and three shitty hotels (none of which were the hotel they were originally assigned to); the two seasick women returned home to Indiana, but not without a new hatred for the Ramada Plaza Resorts, the company which sold them a "wonderful" vacation package.\nThey thought they'd done everything right. Phillips and Powers decided on a vacation package after hours on the phone with a company representative, checking with their parents and doing research, but ended up getting suckered in the end. Phillips says their huge mistake was not calling to confirm their plans before departing for Florida. The two were treated poorly, sent from hotel to hotel in Fort Lauderdale and nearby Palm Springs, Fla. and experienced a boat so small it would make a pirate seasick.\n"They will screw you any way possible," Phillips says of vacation-pushing companies. "Make sure the plans are iron-clad. Ask so many questions it makes them sick, so there's no way they can dupe you."\nOne way to play it safe is to plan a trip with a large, well-known company. Deciding where to go, what airline to take and which place to stay can be easier when you can trust the source (or at least see them face to face). STA Travel, the student travel agency located in the Indiana Memorial Union and on Kirkwood Ave., can plan a trip on a budget faster than you can say "frozen margarita." \nFor those that favor procrastination, don't worry -- STA still has vacation packages available. According to Erika Funston, IMU branch manager, trips to Jamaica for less than $1,000 are up for grabs and they can also organize trips to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.\nTo avoid some of the common spring break disasters, Funston stresses that students make sure they have all travel documents, including a driver's license or birth certificate for identification. Another quick but important task not to forget is to confirm with the travel agency or airline before the trip. And in case trouble is inevitable, make sure there's a way to get some fast cash. Funston says travelers checks are great, but to also have an ATM card in case a bank's not open at 3 a.m. and your roommate is in a scary Mexican jail. \nBut the most important advice Funston has for spring breakers is to remember having an open mind is the best way to have a great vacation. \n"Be careful, be safe, be aware," she says. "But have an open mind and you'll have a great time"