TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — While thousands of college students flock to Florida for spring break, leaders here at FSU and neighboring FAMU put a plan in place this week to stop COVID-19 cases from climbing locally.
"It didn't give me a mental health that I usually get during the spring semester because spring can be really hectic," said Jordan Fleurigene.
Fleurigene and her best friends are about to graduate from Florida State University.
Although they have experienced spring break before they were hoping for some type of alternative.
"I wish they could've figured out another way where students could have gotten the mental break that they needed," said Fleurigene.
And while many students understand why FSU and FAMU canceled the breaks, that doesn't mean students aren't finding ways to have fun.
"I've heard about a lot of Spring break activities," said Aaliyah Anderson, a freshman at Florida A&M University.
Those activities are potentially spreading COVID-19. Medical professionals in the Big Bend say both universities made the right decision to keep infection numbers down.
Dr. Temple Robinson is with Bond Community Health Center in Tallahassee.
"I'm pretty sure there's going to be some stay-cation going on and group gathering but nothing like we're going to see down in south Florida," Dr. Robinson said.
Dr. Robinson says with different variants surfacing traveling to hot spots like that would pose a higher threat to students and Leon County if they returned.
But students are upset they didn't get time to step away from their studies.
"Step back from classes and recharge yourself," said Cameron Chisolm.
Health experts are urging them to think about the bigger picture.
"Thirty years from now it will not matter whether you had one spring break or three or four during your college time," said Dr. Robinson.
As everyone here works to keep the campus and the community safe.
