Martharitaville is no more: Puerto Rico becomes the first US territory to ban Cornell Spring Breakers
On Wednesday, April 20, Puerto Rico State President Joey Byron announced that the island would no longer accept Cornell students and alumni as visitors during spring break. With the endorsement of US President Joe Biden and in cooperation with the local hospitality industry, Cornellians will no longer find relaxation and rest on this island.
“We have dealt with everything from vagrancy, litter, public indecency, noise, complete disrespect for local customs and on top of everything, almost every resident has complained about Cornell students taking the beach for bonfires,” said Sandra Lee, Byron’s secretary.
The new rule applies to all currently enrolled Cornell students. Before booking flights and Airbnbs, the government will cross-check first and last names with student data in the Cornell Student Center, which the university has provided local government access to. Students who have family in any area will need to complete a special visa application which would require them to list family members and provide a DNA test as proof of family connections.
University President Martha Pollack was the first to make a statement about Cornell’s cooperation with Puerto Rico. The move came just weeks before Pollack announced the opening of Martharitaville, a student center exclusively for Cornell students vacationing in Ponce.
“We know this is a tough decision, especially since Martharitaville was set to open its doors to another branch of the Cornell community in May,” Pollack said in an interview with CU Nooz. “But I understand that we need to respect the decisions of the island and ask the Cornell community to be strong at this time.”
Cornell students are known to fill the island with sorority and fraternity trips and regular group getaways. According to local business owners, this influx of Cornellians has forced its regulars, which include undergraduates from the Wharton School of Business and Harvard Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, to head to the Republic instead. Dominican Republic, leaving a significant deficit in Puerto Rico’s tourism revenue.
Puerto Rico isn’t the only vacation spot that has closed its doors to enrolled Cornell students. The states of Florida, California and Massachusetts have also agreed to follow Puerto Rico in imposing restrictions by the end of June 2022. However, the states will start with sophomores and juniors.
“We receive many Cornell students each spring break, so it will be difficult to say goodbye to our favorite tourists and residents,” said Governor Weasley D’Alligator of Florida. “But my family…we’re a Yale family, so I can’t say I’m too hurt.”
The new rule takes effect May 10, 2022, the official end of classes for Cornell students before the study and exam period.
Some spring breakers like Johann Schroeder ’25 are furious with this decision.
Johannson was looking forward to his first trip to Puerto Rico with his fraternity, Kappa Sigma. He is discouraged that he cannot spend time with his friends during spring break.
“My Big, Kevin, is a huge beach fan. I really don’t know where we’re going to find another one this late in the game,” he said.
However, students like Mienna Sae ’22 understand the restrictions and aren’t as disappointed. Sae is currently dating her boyfriend, who resides in San Juan and rents property on Airbnb from spring breakers.
“Yeah, he’ll make less money, but he’ll have more time to come see me,” Sae said.
President Byron hopes the restriction will benefit the island and other vacation hotspots by freeing up space for other university students. However, it sends a message to the Cornell community that if they do their best, they can come back.
“We are really protecting our tourism, our beaches, our local culture and our mental health,” Byron said at a press conference on Wednesday. “But for now, the only exception is this scientist.”
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