U. students head for the hills for break

Oh, the places they'll go. Taking a cue from Dr. Seuss, many University students' plan to get as far away from West Philadelphia as they can tomorrow, the first day of fall break. From Los Angeles to Tampa to Binghampton, students -- some sick of the filth, frost and freshmen -- are taking off to just about anywhere for the four-day weekend. College junior Harlan Levy said he plans to drive to Binghampton in upstate New York today, in order to "rage with my boys." "We were supposed to have a pig roast, but I might have missed it," Levy said. Levy added that he was sick of the city and "seriously" needed some time away from the seething metropolis. Some University students will span the globe in their Fall Break travel plans. For College freshman Phil Covits, he plans to return today to his hometown Los Angeles for a family reunion today, eager to "sleep in my own bed." Tired of the West Philadelphia's drastic temperature shifts, Covits added that he was looking forward to the consistantly pleasant weather of the Golden State. "I am going to the beach for Saturday, Sunday and Monday," he said, citing 100-degree heatwave temperatures on the West Coast this week. And just as most University students work hard while classes are going on, they also play hard whenever they can. College junior Deb Enegess said she and five friends will visit her house in Richborough, Pa., with intentions of "female bonding." "We are going to rent movies and drink and hang out and sleep a lot," Enegess said. Other students had more amorous intentions for fall break. Nursing senior Diane Machens said that she and her boyfriend will spend the weekend in a Baltimore bed-and-breakfast before he leaves to attend Army basic training in Louisiana. "This is the last time I will see him before Christmas," Machens said. And while most students plan some kind of excursion this weekend, one College freshman has more altruistic plans. Douglas Levy said he will spend fall break building houses for the homeless in West Philadelphia, as part of a program called Habitat for Humanity, instead of returning to his native Dallas. "I love [building homes]," said Levy. "It gives something to everyone, it's a good workout, it's fun to do . . . and you are really providing something for someone." Getting away from school is a major theme for many students' trips but for David Fleischer, it's an opportunity to mix work with play. The College senior intends to visit his family in Tampa and has an interview with University of Miami Medical School. Despite the diversity of fall break activities, most student agreed on one key aspect of the October two-day pass. "I'd love [break] to be longer," Covits said.

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