Oh, the woes of college students. We are our own subculture—we go to class, we go to work, and we stay up late on weeknights downing Red Bull and cramming for exams. This is life as only college students can understand. The only thing that we look forward to, other than graduation, is spring break. Our parents or jobs own us during Thanksgiving and Christmas, but spring break is our holiday. We count down from the beginning of the semester and then go absolutely insane during our week of freedom.

Yet how can we afford a great vacation? We all know money is scarce, so here is some inspiration for a fun and affordable spring break, whether you are staying local or traveling abroad.

Monday, March 24TH, 2008
• Whip Works with Darin and Sheila at The Citadel (8 p.m. to 10 p.m.), FREE.
Practice your whipping skills at this workshop hosted by whip experts.
• Drama and Desire at the Asian Art Museum (Tues-Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thurs until 9 p.m.), STUDENTS $7
See eighty paintings of major ukiyo-e artists—masters of a style that came out of Japan in the late seventeenth century.
• Three theater improv at San Francisco Playhouse, 2nd Stage (8 p.m.), $15.
Three actors, three stories, no
scripts. It’s a two-hour play that’s completely improvised. TUESDAY, MARCH 25TH, 2008
• The Butterfly Zone: The Conservatory of Flowers’ exhibition of live butterflies at Conservatory of Flowers
(9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Closed Mondays), STUDENTS $3
• Anna Halprin: At the Origin of Performance at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.), $10.
See an audiovisual exhibit of the famous experimental dancer’s work.
• Fences at Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, (8 p.m.), $18.
Fences is the second installment of August Wilson’s extraordinary ten-play cycle exploring the African-American experience in the twentieth century.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26TH, 2008
• The Prison Project at Intersection for the Arts (12 to 6 p.m.), FREE.
The Prison Project is a year-long series of events and programs that explore the California prison system.
• SF360 Film + Club: Spike Jonze’s Fully Flared at Mezzanine (7 p.m.), $8.
Fully Flared is Spike Jonze’s anticipated film that features topnotch skateboarders with an awesome soundtrack featuring bands like Arcade Fire, Bad Brains, and more.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH, 2008
• Romeo and Juliet & Other Duets at The Marsh (8 p.m.), $15 - $35.
Enjoy a series of dramatic and romantic duets, as Shakespeare would have intended.
• Four Breaths at Phoenix Theatre (8 p.m.), STUDENTS $14.
Four hauntingly erotic plays by Samuel Beckett, Anais Nin, Ian Walker, and Rick Burkhardt that explore the thinning line between sexuality and violence and the politics that blur them.
• TasteTV at Bloomingdales, (Thursdays 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.), FREE.
Learn (and taste) a new recipe from the Bay Area’s greatest chefs, chocolatiers, and restaurants.
• Art is My Bag at Age Song Gallery (2 p.m.–7 p.m.), FREE.
Artwork that addresses subjects such as the color of paper bags, recycling, reusing, “paper or plastic?,” global warming, trash, and identity.

FRIDAY, MARCH 28TH, 2008
• The Pandora Experiment at Exit Stage Left (8 p.m.), $12 - $20.
The Pandora Experiment is an evening of close-up magic, mind reading, and theater guided by award-winning magician and illusionist Christian Cagigal.
• ODC/Dance Downtown 2008 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (8 p.m.), $15.
Featuring its trademark athleticism, passion, and intellectual depth, ODC’s/Dance Downtown season features eleven world-class dancers and five world premieres.
• The Desire Line at Cowell Theater (8 p.m.), STUDENTS $18.
The Deborah Slater Dance Theater presents the third & final part of Slater’s trilogy inspired by the paintings of Alan Feltus.

Going Global?
Check out the following websites for great deals on flights and packages!
STA Travel is specifically designed for students and includes great packages for Europe.
• $461 to London and Paris. This includes roundtrip airfare, six nights at a hostel, and a Eurostar ticket to get you between countries. The flight is interchangeable, so you can start in London or Paris, stay for three
nights and take the Eurostar across the English Channel.
• $279 and $481, Frankfurt and Athens. This does not include hostels or sightseeing.
• The beach scene is a little more expensive. Each night in Hawaii will cost you as low as $149, but doesn’t include airfare. Costa Rica is the lowest package deal, offered at $633, including airfare, seven night
accommodations, boat transportation, shuttles, and some meals.
• Also check out Travelzoo.com and Kayak.com. These websites will search several websites for you at one time and tell you the best deal on airfares.