I usually wait until the day of my deadline to begin the writing process for my articles and then actually submit them the next day, usually sometime around 5 p.m. I think I have submitted each of my three columns precisely one day late. However, I have inexplicably made the decision to attempt to submit this piece to the editors the day it is actually due, even in the face of several tests and a substantial amount of other work on my horizon. It is a deceptively hectic time of year. The February doldrums bustle with spring sports diving into their long seasons, the continued academic grind, various artistic engagements, and the emergence of Westminster students’ favorite carrot-on-a-string—the hint of spring break. With a slight breeze, you can even get a whiff of the electrifying anticipation that surrounds it, the leaves whispering “Jamaica,” “Turks,” “all-inclusive.” But that may just be those really bad-smelling trees.

Despite all of this, I find myself with an utter lack of inspiration. I have kind of taken it upon myself to make this the “creative” column (largely due to the fact that I hate doing research and conducting interviews), but since my life has recently consisted mainly of sleeping and watching animated cartoons, I am having a devil of a time summoning any creativity. My mother will be glad I used that phrase. It doesn’t help that my column doesn’t really even have a set topic. Raw? What does that even mean? I guess it is my duty to keep the Bi-Line as “raw” as possible, but I’m curious as to if that’s really a good thing at all. I highly doubt that “raw” is in the top hundred words any administrator hopes to use to describe the school newspaper. Imagine two high school principals at some sort of conference, and for some reason, the conversation turns to their respective publications: “You guys’ paper is so raw!” “Aw thanks!” An extremely unlikely situation.

Spring break seems like something everyone will be interested in reading about, because if I’m not mistaken, this issue is due to come out the Friday before we leave. My own mind has been drifting toward it for the past month or so, especially now, as I am trying to write this column. Unfortunately, I’ve probably already doomed this column to being published in the online edition of this paper, buried in HTML, but I will press on. Many of my peers will be jetting down to some island for a week of Caribbean frolicking; “fun in the sun” really is the best way to put it. This has been hyped up to immense levels. A new kind of stress has actually emerged in the weeks (months?) preceding spring break.

Specifically for those heading to Jamaica, or the Turks, or wherever, there has been endless talk, often escalating into drama, about roommates, plans, and bathing suits. I have heard, “I just dropped $300 at Victoria’s Secret on bathing suits and I don’t know if I like any of themmm!” and similar complaints multiple times. I would recommend just going to Target. There’s going to be so little fabric actually purchased, why worry about quality? One thing that agitates me is the unnecessary hubbub created out of very insignificant things, and Westminster students have a knack for doing just that. It’s as if they are so accustomed to running off of stress in order to perform academically and in extracurriculars that they need a stressful environment to fuel their desire to do anything, even to relax, if you catch my drift.

Members of Ensemble will be hopping across the pond over to Prague and Central Europe in order to sing in a bunch of old buildings and cathedrals while wearing scarves and looking very elegant. I can never really tell if they are happy to do this or if they would rather be sitting on a beach somewhere, but they tend to smile regardless of their opinion and carry on. It is their choice to go, and I applaud them for doing something productive with their free time.

I will not be going abroad for Spring Break, instead staying in the good old U., S., and A. visiting my sister in New York City with a friend. Hopefully this will be an opportunity to find some inspiration for my burgeoning hip hop career or at least consult some authentic-looking locals on how to add some much needed urban grit into my everyday steez. I hear the city has some pretty serious culture going on. So maybe that will be just what I need to pump some life into my column—a week off, spent carousing around an unfamiliar urban landscape and soaking up whatever it has to offer. Next month, I promise that this column, just like me and you, will be energized from a long and refreshing nine days off. Until then, SBXII y’all.