Spring break

The wind is howling, the snow is still falling, and the temperature has yet to climb above freezing. In many students' minds, it is the perfect time to pack their bags and head for warmer weather.

But not everyone will spend the next week on beaches in the sun. Many students not heading south are going home or staying in Buffalo to spend a week with their families and friends, work, or just kick back and relax.

"I'm ready to enjoy a week off to go hunting and party with my friends from high school," said Matt Rowe, a sophomore exercise science major.

For Phil Jacques, a senior English major, going home, even if it's not Cancun, still means heading for much warmer weather.

"Our heating bill was really expensive in our house last month so we had to turn the heat down to 60 this month," Jacques said. "It'll be nice to go home to a nice warm house."

A large number of students have accepted that staying in Buffalo and working as much as possible is their number one option.

James Skelton, a junior business administration major, said going home isn't even an option for him.

"I have a job here and I live in the on-campus apartments so it wouldn't make sense to go home," Skelton said.

For students planning on staying in Buffalo next week, Western New York could seemingly make for a boring vacation. But with downtown right around the corner, there's something for everyone during the break.

Highlighting the week in Buffalo are a number of St. Patrick's Day activities ranging from parades to heavy metal bands.

The United Irish-American Association of Erie County is sponsoring Buffalo's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on Delaware Avenue at 2 p.m. this Sunday.

The celebration continues into the week at Broadway Joe's on March 17 with Mr. Ected, Minutes of Hate and Thoughts Lost featured in the St. Patrick's Day Metal Showcase at 10 p.m. That night there is also a much-anticipated performance at Mohawk Place, where 7 Seconds will perform in Buffalo for the first time in over 10 years with The Dead Hearts and The Briggs. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is $12 at the door.

If heavy metal thrash sessions aren't quite your thing and side-splitting laughter sounds like a better option, the The Comix Caf?(c) is featuring Tim Kaminski and Steve Kramer in "Full Impact" Thursday through Saturday. Admission is $10.

Sunday night, following the St. Patrick's Day parade, the Buffalo Peace People are holding a candlelight vigil for peace at 7:30 p.m. to celebrate peace with music and poetry readings at Delaware Park.

And for those looking for more hits and less peace, HSBC Arena hosts major league lacrosse March 18 as the Buffalo Bandits take on the Minnesota Swarm at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $17 to $25.

Rounding out the week's events on March 18 is Albright-Knox's Gusto at the Gallery. "Art on the Hyphen: Cuban-American Artists of Western New York State" features artwork from both Cuba and the United States in the 21st century, along with a musical performance by Rhythms and Steps of West Africa, Cuba, and Brazil. The show is at 6 p.m. Admission is free from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.