By Kourtney Cribbs/reporter
Spring break is just around the corner for TCC students.
College students are notorious for spending spring break on the beach in a dazed, confused state of mind. This year, many students say they will be spending the time off at home.
“I’m just going to chill,” Chris Zitoon said.
A full-time student on NE Campus, Zitoon said he is taking the week to relax and not think about classwork.
Veronica Wright, a part-time student who works in the NE Campus bookstore and is the mother of two children, will not travel either, but money is the main factor.
“My husband just got laid off,” she said. “We got married a year and a half ago, and we never went on a honeymoon. We’d probably go somewhere, but this year, I’ll be staying home.”
If you do have plans to venture out of state, it would be wise to take a look at the U.S. State Department Web site before purchasing a plane ticket or making reservations. At the end of February, the department issued a travel advisory for Mexico, particularly areas close to the Texas border. Several universities like the University of Arizona and University of Texas also have advised their students to pay close attention to these warnings.
You do not have to venture out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area to find something to do for spring break.
If you want to be in the great outdoors, some local attractions won’t do too much damage to your wallet. The Fort Worth Zoo and the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens are both great attractions for your money. The zoo is $12 for adults, and the gardens are free to visitors.
Six Flags is cutting prices for spring break. An unlimited pass for March through May can be purchased until March 8 for $10 less than the normal price of a one-day ticket.
The music scene has a lot to offer. The annual Austin music and film festival South by Southwest, which runs March 18-22, will showcase more than 1,800 bands of all genres including local bands like Denton’s Bowling for Soup. Information on the times and bands are on the SXSW Web site.
If you want to stick to the blues, the Dallas Blues Festival will feature top names like Mel Waiters, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Willie Clayton. They will perform 7 p.m. March 21 at the Dallas Convention Center. Available through Ticketmaster, tickets cost $48 and up.
Like sports? You can catch the Dallas Mavericks play basketball against the Detroit Pistons 7:30 p.m. on March 17 in Dallas’ American Airlines Center. Remember to wear a green jersey for St. Patrick’s Day.
Don’t forget the annual Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day parade and concert in Dallas. Though the name says St. Patrick’s Day, the festivities take place on the Saturday before (March 14). The parade starts at 11 a.m., and the Toadies will perform at Energy Square on the corner of Greenville and University.
