CONEY ISLAND, BROOKLYN – Wearing hard-toed boots to avoid slicing their feet on broken glass, a group of Columbia students sunbathed over spring break on the Coney Island beach. “It’s really nice to get out of Columbia for a week,” said James Chang, CC ’17. “After a long winter, there’s nothing like soaking up some sun in mid-50 degree weather.”
“We’re having a pretty wild time down here,” said Jessica White, CC ’18. “You know, a classic spring break experience. We had a crazy weekend partying with the old Russian men who get day drunk on that bench over there.”
“We honestly can’t keep up,” White continued, sipping a hangover remedy behind thick sunglasses. “Yesterday, we lost Tommy in a 10 A.M. game of Russian Roulette.”
“We’re still grieving that loss,” Chang quickly interjected. “We had major bets on that round.”
The students were surprised to find a Spring Break spot so near Columbia. “It’s crazy that a vacation like this is so close to home,” said Chang. “It took less than an hour to get down here – though I admit it took a few days to get the vaccinations we needed to dip our toes into the Brooklyn Atlantic.”
Aside from its proximity, Coney Island turned out to be a cheap vacation spot. While some students paid extravagant airfares to reach spring break destinations, these students got to the beach for the price of a metro card swipe (and an Uber fare after learning one subway line was not running that weekend). There was not even an extra charge for luggage – though they had to leave all their bags behind after struggling to hoist them through the subway turnstiles. While the students also enjoyed inexpensive picnics, Chang warned: “Just don’t leave any Nathan’s hot dog leftovers in the sand. Whatever those things are made of, they hatch and crawl back into the ocean.”
The students are just happy to unwind after a tough midterm season. “I’ve got to say, it’s been really relaxing here,” remarked White. “I haven’t felt this refreshed since I took a dip in the Gowanus Canal.”
