USD Magazine, Spring 2002

dedicated to the event. The media, he says, pressures students to go wild and crazy

how they'll get over the obstacle of nor hav– ing a houseboat. Alves says not co worry. "Everyone is really friendly with everyone else and you just ask around for someone co give you a lifr and then just hang out with them," he says. "Ir's cool. When I went freshman year, we always had random people on our boat." So the new plan is co get co Lake Havasu and simply bum spots from other houseboat

"Calculator. Write that down," Shea says co Guerrero. "We'll be in trouble without it." Shea plans co bring $600 in spending money, mostly donations from friends and family for her 21st birthday. Guerrero will bring the $1,100 she's been saving. That, they say, should be enough co see the sights in London, plus spend a few days in Dublin. The stop in Spain is off the list, but they're now on the fence about whether Scotland should be added co the mix.

during their trips if they expect to be part of the glamorous, in-crowd.

"But chat's just a produc– tion, it's not real life," Gual tieri says, "and students could be disappointed when their trips don't look like the television versions they're used co seeing." While some students may be subcon– sciously seeking a choreographed television version of spring break, Guerrero and Shea's trip is anything but. Shea's mother, Christina Azevedo, says chat while it's nerve-racking knowing the pair are going overseas without much of an itinerary, she is proud chat they're gutsy eno ugh co do it. Although she knows there's a chance they won't use it, Azevedo had a fami ly friend who cakes students on Europe trips write up a list of places to stay and things to see. "If I had things my way, I would like co know that someone is meeting Erin at the airport and that she has places co stay, or at least know which towns she would be staying in," Azevedo says. "You're protective of your children, even when you know, deep in yo ur heart, chat they'll do fine. But knowing Erin, and how nothing stands in her way, she'll be all right. She's a dynamo. " Three days before they leave, Guerrero and Shea go over their co-do list. Shea has purchased a warm coat and a pair of tennis shoes, a travel purse and a disposable camera - which reminds Guerrero chat she needs co buy film - which then reminds Shea that she can't leave home without a calculator.

"I don't know, " Guerrero says. "It's just a bunch of cold, dark castles. Plus, I don't know if we'll have the money co get there, or the time co enjoy it if we do. " One week before break begins, Chavez says the Lake Havasu plans are officially in the hope-ic-works-

"Trying to schedule things is such a hassle, so maybe we should just let things happen."

passengers, hopping from one co the next so as co not overstay their welcome. If not, Alves says there's always Las Vegas or Rosarico, Mexico. The two of them figure they'll need a mere $200 each. "We could do a little bit of everything," Alves says. "We could go to Rosarito, and then co Vegas for a few days and then end with some time on Lake Havasu. Oh yeah, we should do chat." It matters nor co Chavez. All he cares about is being out in the sun. "The most important thing is co have a great experience," he says. "You just want co come back and have a great story co cell." +

out stage. The houseboats at Lake Havasu are booked - and have been for months. The fraternity friends with whom they were initially going bailed our, and ocher friends failed co put down a deposit co help pay for the essentials. 'Tm the organized one, so everyone's putting everything on me and aski ng me co front the money because I have a credit card," Alves cells Chavez between classes. "But I'm nor about co put down money if it's nor going co work out. So, I figure we should just go and work it our when we gee there. Trying co schedul e things is such a hassle, so maybe we should just lee things happen. " Since hanging out on the shore isn't half as cool as kicking it on a boat, Chavez wonders

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SPRING 2002