South Padre gives students a break from the economy

By: Lynn Brezosky - Express-News

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — The economy may be tanking and post-graduation job prospects thin, but when it comes to that week off in March, college students on Spring Break said nothing would stop them from taking in the sun and the sand.

"With my major, I'm absolutely worried," said Kris Griswold, a 22-year-old finance major from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, standing guard over the "SAU Couch," a huge circular seat that took 20 guys to dig from the sand. "But right now, I'm at South Padre."

The carefree spirit seemed universal as the latest group in a monthlong wave of students gathered around the Coca-Cola Beach stage in their bathing suits.

March 13 marked the beginning of the big "Texas Week" that brought students from the University of Texas and Texas A&M. The students hailed from private Texas schools as well as the Midwest and East Coast.

Many said they drove 20 hours or more, jammed into vehicles with friends or got low airfares.

Griswold said the week would cost him about $600 with transportation.

"But it's probably the best money I've ever spent," he grinned. "Lifelong memories."

South Padre remains one of the most popular Spring Break getaways, thanks in part to the town's efforts to woo students.

This year's marketing campaign focused on the lower price of gas, which when split between a carload of friends, makes for a cheap getaway.

Whether because of the economy, cheap packages to fancier destinations, or competition from "alternative" Spring Break activities such as volunteering, reservations over the years have steadily declined.

Dan Quandt, spokesman for the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, said rooms for Texas Week still were available as late as March 11, despite three resort hotels - the Bahia Mar, Sheraton and Padre South - still closed after Hurricane Dolly.

But he said bookings were coming in fast.

Cheap beer and cheap food mean the South Padre atmosphere wasn't exactly elegant, but it certainly got the job done.
"We obviously looked for a better break this year, but we all wanted to come to Spring Break this year so we made it work," said Hannah Davenport, a 21-year-old public relations student from Middle Tennessee State University.

Original Source:  [ WEB ] [ PDF ]