As the chill of winter descends, Pitt students are abuzz with plans for their upcoming break, each looking forward to a unique way of unwinding after the stress of finals.
Tyler Neffield, a sophomore majoring in architecture, has chosen an adventurous week-long escape, opting for a scenic seven-hour train journey from Greensburg to New York City. “We’re gonna discover the small little stores and coffee shops, because we’ve already done all the sightseeing,” Neffield said. “We’re also gonna see ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Hadestown’ on Broadway.”
New York City’s allure is hard to resist, even for students like Abby Harwell, a first-year student who hasn’t yet declared a major. She plans a brief but exciting visit to the city to marvel at Macy’s Christmas windows. “It’s the biggest Macy’s in the country,” Harwell noted. “It’s also my first time going alone with my friends.”
For some, warmth is the ultimate escape. Lauren Bortner, a first-year psychology major, is heading to Miami to enjoy the sun. “I hope it’s hot,” Bortner said. “It’s going to be a nice break from Pittsburgh winters. For my parents … they wanted to get us all together and have a break from everything.”
Family gatherings are a focal point for others. Cameron Kaplan, also a first-year psychology major, anticipates celebrating Hanukkah with loved ones. “I like seeing my family and celebrating that time because we don’t get to spend as much time together anymore as we live in different areas,” Kaplan shared. Kaplan’s traditions include cooking Hanukkah staples like latkes and kugel. “We make a kugel with a graham cracker crust on top and latkes,” Kaplan said. “Latkes are one of my favorite foods in general. They’re salty and savory and delicious.”
Baking provides a creative outlet for students like Lauren Colpetzer, a first-year biology major. Influenced by her favorite show, The Great British Baking Show, she spends her break baking with her family. “We make meringues, we make cookies, we make log cakes,” Colpetzer said. “I love it because I feel like the difference between American baking shows is they don’t care about winning. They just want to have fun, and it’s so refreshing.”
For Carter Law, a first-year finance major, the break is about reconnecting with family and his farm animals. “I’m gonna go home and take care of all of my pets. They’re farm animals, so pigs, goats and chickens,” Law explained. Despite the work involved, Law finds joy in tending to his animals, which he affectionately names, like Penny and Coco. “I brush them, clip their hooves and take them out to walk them around the yard. It’s an all-day job,” he added.
Some students pursue unique hobbies, like James Cerny, a first-year electrical engineering major. Cerny is excited to continue building and driving his go-kart in the snow. “It’s very difficult — especially because of all the difficulties you run into along the way — but the end goal drives you to keep going forward with it and getting it done,” Cerny stated. Alongside his engineering project, Cerny will participate in a safe and legal fire drill with the local fire department, practicing victim extractions using the VEIS method. “With the Plum house explosion and another house explosion in Ohio … It’s a real thing that could happen,” Cerny said.
As the fall semester concludes, the pressure of final exams weighs heavily on students like Maura Brositz and Jason Gao, both sophomore information science majors. “I’m looking forward to the break, and it’s always exciting to see my family and friends, but finals are definitely at the forefront of my mind,” Brositz commented. Gao echoed the sentiment, voicing his concerns about the exams. “For calculus, I’m gonna just pray and hope I don’t fail,” Gao admitted. “Finals is gonna kill me first, and then after being killed, break will come and I can relax.”
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