It finally feels like spring — the flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and the temperature sat in the low-70’s in the days leading up to Spring Break. For many students, this break was much needed and welcome. “This semester has been really taxing on all fronts,” said Jacob Stancil ’24. Stancil’s peers seem to agree — these first months of 2022 have been long, and the Covenant community was longing for rest.
Students have voiced their desire to experience rest. When asked about her Spring Break plans, Bethany Johnson ’22 replied, “Sleep! I want to rest and not think of things.” The consensus was pretty much unanimous: everyone just wanted a break from chaos and school — time to get good sleep, eat good food, and enjoy the presence of people they love.
Physical rest itself was a major focus for students. Students are tired from late nights and early mornings, and Spring Break gave them the opportunity to catch up on some much-needed sleep to finish their semester strong. Napping was a part of their schedules, as well as sleeping in. Grace Terryberry ’22, Timothy Tuininga ’24, and Adam Kortenhoeven ’25 all had one word to describe their plans: “Sleeping/Sleep.” Many others mentioned that they were looking forward to taking naps.
But along with physical rest, students were seeking mental and spiritual rejuvenation. In the middle of a busy semester, students can get distracted from what’s really important. So, over her Spring Break, Jemma Miller ’22 hoped to find time “for meditation in the middle of this busy life.” For Miller and many others, Spring Break was a time for contemplation — a time to shut out the noise and have the space and mental capacity to just think.
Busy semesters can also be spiritually draining, so Stancil said that he was going to use “this time to reset and refocus, especially spiritually.” When students become overburdened with assignments and stress, it is easy for them to neglect their prayer life and daily devotions. That’s why Stancil wanted to give himself “extra time to pray and read God’s word” over Break.
Spring Break also allows students to get outside after spending hours cooped up in classrooms and library study rooms. Claira Herweck ‘24 was looking forward to going to the beach with some of her friends. To find rest, Herweck said she would “spend time in nature and enjoy God’s creation.” Amber Bowles’ 23 gave a similar answer. However, instead of driving to the beach, Bowles was taking a trip to the forest. “I am going to a cabin in the woods and visiting my grandparents,” she said.
While some students had vacation plans like Herweck and Bowles, many were simply going back to their homes to spend quality time with family and catch up with old friends. Their breaks were marked by ordinary life, but that’s exactly what they wanted. Abigail Cargo ’25 was excited to “find joy in the everyday things that I’ve missed while at school.” She looked to find beauty in the ordinary and joy in the mundane.
The idea of joy in the mundane was a defining factor of students’ Spring Break plans. Cargo voiced her excitement over “the grocery runs, the football practices…” In this, Cargo represented much of the student body. Students were tired from the chaotic (albeit fun) college environment and longed for the rest found in the quiet of everyday life, including seeing pets. “I’m looking forward to seeing my cats and horses,” Elizabeth Grace Johnston ’25 said.
Across the board, the main things students anticipated were ordinary or “unexciting” things. Cargo couldn’t wait to see Batman with her brother. Bowles wanted to spend some time reading. Kortenhoeven was going to get his hair cut. Miller anticipated spending time with her fiancé. Yet in all these things, students sought and found joy in mundane plans that involved rest and normalcy.
Covenant students were longing for rest this Spring break — a week of limited school, time with loved ones, and opportunities for sleep and everyday life. Stancil said he didn’t really have any “plans” — just “resting and spending time with family.” But for Stancil and a tired Covenant community, a Spring Break full of rest and normalcy promised the most joy.