Students do not have to go home, and many of them will not be staying here for spring break this semester.

With spring break quickly approaching, most students already have their breaks planned. Several students are planning on traveling for break.

“I’m going fishing in Kentucky,” said Dustin Johnson, freshman environmental health major.

Johnson said he goes fishing every year for spring break, but this will be the first time he will go to Kentucky.

Jessica Deatrick, sophomore elementary education major, said she will join the women’s track team in Florida over spring break. There the team will compete at the Florida State Snowbird Invitational in Tallahassee, March 19-20.

“I’m going to Texas with my family,” said Katie Leiter, freshman psychology major.

Leiter said she has family in Texas and is planning to go to Six Flags while there.

While some students will be traveling, they may just be traveling to go home.

“I’m just going home, said Heather Henderson, freshman political science major. “[I’m going] to see my family and visit my sister.”

Travel was on one student’s mind, but his plans were thwarted during the winter.

“I’m not going anywhere this spring break,” said Coby Utter, sophomore CIS major. “I was planning on going to Panama City.”

Utter said his plans changed during the recent icy season. He said he hit a car and the $600 he had for spring break ended up going to pay for repairs.

Other students have different plans for this year’s break.

“I’m just working – lots of work,” said Brooke Schuster, freshman psychology major.

Joel Roush, sophomore physics/pre-engineering major, said he would also be working at his job at Braum’s.

Missouri Southern will also send four groups to Europe during spring break.

Two groups will be going to Paris for the week. Brenda Kilby, instructor of communications, and Dr. Chad Stebbins, director of the Institute of International Studies, will make an annual trip to the International Media Seminar with a group of communications students.

Dr. Paul Teverow, professor of history, will take a group for his History and Splendors of Paris, Part 2 class.

Sheila Hart, instructor of nursing will lead a group of nursing students to London to study the origins of modern nursing, and Kelly Larson, assistant professor of communications, will take six members of Southern’s forensics team to Madrid. The team will compete in the International Forensics Association tournament, which the team won in 2002.