Many Iowa State administrators and faculty and staff look forward to the holiday break as much as students do, with plans for vacations, family traditions and spending time with loved ones.

ISU President Martin Jischke will be celebrating the holidays in a traditional way. “I’ll be spending time with my family as I always do,” he said.

The Jischke family participates in typical holiday activities.

“Like many families, we exchange gifts; we eat a holiday meal, and it’s a private time of family celebration,” he said. “I look forward to it every year.”

Thomas Hill, vice president for Student Affairs, is from New Orleans, and he wasn’t able to travel south to visit family and friends during Thanksgiving break.

For the holiday break, Hill said he’s definitely making it a point to go there.

“I’ll visit relatives in New Orleans. I don’t do it every year, but I try to get together with family and friends during the holidays, and … New Orleans is the location this year,” he said.

Hill also is looking forward to getting some time off and relaxing, especially in the considerably warmer climate of Louisiana.

“It’s good to get home; it’s always good to go home,” he said. “New Orleans is a warm part of the country, but it’s home, also.”

With a busy schedule, like many other people, Hill relishes the chance to relax.

“You don’t get to go home as often as you like, but you take advantage of special opportunities like Christmas and Thanksgiving,” he said.

David Topel, dean of the College of Agriculture, also is heading to warmer weather during semester break — Austin, Texas.

Topel’s wife’s family is from that region, and Topel’s family is from Wisconsin, so the family trades off every holiday season where they’ll be spending Christmas.

“When I go to Austin, I can play golf, and when I go to Wisconsin, I can cross-country ski, usually,” Topel joked.

Topel said his holidays are very traditional, especially when the family travels to Wisconsin.

“The area that I grew up in still has a big German community, and in their traditional Christmas dinner, there’s a goose, while at Austin, there’s a turkey,” he said. “[Wisconsin] is kind of like the old German celebration of Christmas.

“It’s a great time to relax and enjoy family,” he said.

James Melsa, dean of the College of Engineering, has Midwestern travel plans.

“We usually spend time with our family in the Chicago area; several of our children are there,” he said.

A favorite part of the holidays for Melsa is spending time with his grandchildren. He has seven total.

“We enjoy being with our grandchildren; we have three in the Chicago, and two of the other ones are coming this Christmas,” he said.