Next week, while some students enjoy fun and sun outside Illinois and others try to get in extra hours of work or relaxation, most will forget the existence of instructors — and vice versa.

Faculty members say they appreciate the time off, too.

“I think I look forward to spring break as much as [undergraduates], if not more,” French teaching assistant Lisa Mammel said. “I’m sure we all look forward to it for the same reasons — to take a deep breath, relax and do nothing.”

Mammel will travel to Portugal over the break to study Portuguese with the Alumni Association. She’s looking forward to the trip but dreads the stress traveling can create.

“It’s about 10 days long. I’m leaving Friday, so there isn’t really any time to really breathe,” she said. “It won’t really be like a vacation because traveling can be stressful.

“I’m going to avoid picking up hoof-and-mouth disease when I step off the plane in London,” Mammel added, joking.

Associate political science professor Dan Unger can relate to Mammel’s interest in getting away.

“This is my first year at NIU, and I’ve never lived anywhere that is this cold,” Unger said. “My promise to myself, in coming here, was that I was going to escape as much as possible.”

Unger grew up in Southeast Asia and went to college in California, both places where temperatures are significantly warmer.

“I’m really horrified that I may be trapped here the entire time,” he said. “I’m extremely busy, so I might not get away this time. I’d like to do what a lot of students are doing, go somewhere warm.”

English instructor Terri Bourus will use spring break to get things done.

“In addition to that, I try to do something fun,” she said. “One year I went to Baja, Calif., with my best friend. We went to see the California gray whales in San Ignatio Lagoon — where the whales calve every year. It was a wonderful adventure.”

This year will be a “stay home” year, but Bouros doesn’t regret it.

“Since I am presently involved in writing, I plan to spend a few days at the Newberry Library in Chicago,” she said. “I know that doesn’t sound like fun to most people, but I get a lot of personal satisfaction out of research.”