Ohio University is a place rich with traditions, and a new one is growing in popularity. In recent years, more students have been taking advantage of the long Memorial Day weekend and vacationing to Hilton Head Island.
Hilton Head has always been known as a family-oriented, low commercialized vacation spot that’s appealing for its vegetation, four golf courses and beaches. A party atmosphere with college students is a new addition.
“Everybody goes now,” said Melissa Reihle, a senior studying business law and accounting.
“It has definitely grown over the years. I’ve seen the number of people massing in front of the Holiday Inn grow exponentially…Ohio University basically invades Hilton Head and takes over the Coligny area.”
Many OU students stay near Coligny, one of the main tourist hubs of the island. Most students choose to be on or near the ocean and then congregate at the public beach in front of the Holiday Inn. Reihle has lifeguarded there the last three summers and has also traveled to Hilton Head the last four Memorial Days.
There are mixed emotions about OU students’ self proclaimed invasion, though. The local bars and restaurants enjoy the money they make because of the influx of people, but there are those who are unhappy with the new vacation trend.
“A lot of the students are just there to have a really good time. They are respectful, they are nice, and they just want to hang out on the beach,” Reihle said. “But there are obviously those students, like you would find here on campus, that are … not respectful to other vacationers.”
The Holiday Inn could not be reached for comment.
Senior English major Colleen Boyle arrived at Hilton Head yesterday and experienced both southern hospitality and poor service.
“The people that checked us in were really welcoming and friendly,” Boyle said. However, she thought the service at Hinchey’s Chicago Bar and Grill was poor because they were college kids. She didn’t let it ruin her vacation though.
“It’s still a blast,” Boyle said.
mt360307@ohiou.edu
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