Although many students look forward to school breaks as a reprieve from cafeteria food, dorm rooms and stressful schoolwork, many Seton Hall students have no choice but to stay on campus.
According to the website, Seton Hall prides itself on enrolling students from "50 states and 54 countries," but coming from all corners of the U.S. or even all corners of the world could make it difficult to get home, according to some students.
Senior Erandi Trevino from Houston said he has not gone home since last December.
"I've been here almost a whole year so I'm really excited about going home," Trevino said.
She said that her experience staying in New Jersey during breaks has been "so weird because no one is around." She added that not flying home has its upsides.
"I've met so many new people in town, which has given me a new appreciation for South Orange," Trevino said.
It has also been several months since sophomore Naomi Endsley has returned to her home in Folsom, Cali. Endsley, who hasn't been home since July, said she is excited to go home for the holidays.
Endsley said having such infrequent trips home has made her more appreciative, especially since she will not be returning home again until next Christmas.
In the past year and a half, Endsley has had the opportunity to visit relatives in Connecticut and stay with a friend in Pittsburg.
"Although flying home is sometimes too expensive, I've always managed to find a place to stay on holidays," she said.
Trevino said moving far away from home does have its difficulties.
"When I first moved here it was pretty rough," she said. "It was a big culture shock."
Junior Mary Meg Donnelly from Chicago said the main difference for her was different colloquial expressions. For instance she uses phrases like "pop," "sucker" and she "waits in line," verses people from New Jersey drink "soda," eat "lollipops" and "wait on line."
But being away from home does have it perks, according to Endsley. She said she appreciates meeting people from different backgrounds.
"Here I've been exposed to people from more diverse backgrounds," Endsley said. "It's neat to learn from people who grew up differently than I did."
Being away also teaches many students much about themselves.
"Going out-of-state has taught me my self-sufficiency," Endsley said.
Donnelly said that moving gave her the opportunity to become more independent.
"I love trying new things, and being 800 miles away from home definitely provided me with some
Victoria Plate can be reached at victoria.plate@student.shu.edu.
