During the holiday break, students travel from campus to a number of destinations, leaving a small community of those who stay over break. Many are international students and student workers either staying on campus for convenience or to put their free hours to work over the month classes aren’t in session.

Within the campus dining department, only 25-30 students work on both Grand Valley State University campuses over break in locations like Papa Johns, the Lobby Shop and the Plaza Café. Others stay to work in at the Mary Idema Pew Library and a few other locations and many live in off-campus apartments.

“Student employees agree to work over break—we ask who will be around and available to work—and we offer ‘shift sign-up’ so they can choose times that work for them,” said Deb Rambadt, campus dining marketing manager. “Sometimes, student managers may be required to work a minimum number of shifts.”

There’s no requirement for students to stay, though some do to get started on saving money for expenses that come up during the semester. Work schedules for these students are usually flexible and low-stress due to low campus traffic.

One such student who stays to work on campus is Amanda Pippin, a third-year therapeutic recreation major. Pippin, who has been working over the holiday break for the past three years, said that campus in general is slow but that this puts other things in perspective.

“I volunteer a lot over break and it’s easier because there’s no one here really. It works out well,” she said.

Many students are used to volunteering for the purpose of obtaining class volunteer hours, but volunteering over break allows those who stay to have first picks on where to volunteer and which hours to do it.

She also uses the break and the free space around campus to decompress and do her job diligently. Though the Kirkhof Center is mainly quiet and empty compared to the lively gatherings it is known for during the semester, Pippin enjoys an uncrowded environment working at the Lobby Shop.

For around 40 hours a week, she deep cleans different parts of the Kirkhof Center, a job most students don’t consider while running through the center during busy semesters. While doing this, she is able to interact with staff members who are still around as well as split her time between small roles in other jobs on campus since things are so flexible.

Apart from work, Pippin enjoys break activities that other students do such as decompressing with Netflix, spending time with roommates and celebrating holidays with family.

Many students who stay over break also have access to different campus events including the recurring “Flowing Forms” art exhibition which is showcasing work from the Chicago-based artist Herbert Murrie. Students are also welcome to watch the GVSU women’s and men’s basketball teams host Ashland University Monday, Dec. 19. Another unique holiday event, the Christmas Eve carillon concert, is a holiday tradition for GVSU showcasing university carillonneur Julianne Vanden Wyngaard.

Whatever students’ holiday plans may be, GVSU hosts a number of events and makes a warm shelter for those looking to spend some quiet time relaxing after a long fall semester.