Today is the last day of March, which means a few things. First, it shouldn’t be 45 degrees and raining. Second, tomorrow is April Fool’s Day — so try to remember that spaghetti, like money, doesn’t just grow on trees. And third, we’re just two short weeks away from Spring Fling. By then, we should all be done with midterms and relaxed enough to enjoy ourselves — and it might even be 50 degrees outside.

But not everyone is über-excited about the prospect of fun and festivities at this year’s Spring Fling. Perhaps you like all your hos in the same area code and therefore aren’t stoked about SPEC’s music selection. Or maybe you’re so exhausted from a month of perfunctory bag checks that the idea of amusement seems unfathomable. It’s even possible that you’re a “good person” who doesn’t engage in rampant partying or otherwise questionable behavior.

Whatever the case may be, many of you have valid reasons not to be thrilled about the weekend of April 11th. So just as Penn offers alternative Spring breaks — for those more concerned with helping people build homes than helping people get home at 3 a.m. — I’ve compiled a short list of substitute activities that might be more suitable for this year’s non-Spring Flinger.

1. The Philadelphia Antiques Show (April 12-15). Firstly, it’s for a good cause — the show’s proceeds go to Penn’s own Health System. And on top of that, spend one hour at an antiques show and you’ll instantly have much more to talk about with your grandma. This year’s festival features maritime antiques — which I can only imagine are twice as exciting as land antiques — and you can even enjoy a Preview Gala on the night of the 11th.

2. The Philadelphia Film Festival (April 3-15). As much fun as a movie about murdering prom queens sounds, the Philly Film Festival promises more than 200 films from almost 50 countries during this year’s two-week exhibition. It’s also gained a reputation as one of the “leading festivals in the Eastern United States,” which is officially one of the most exciting taglines I’ve ever read about a Pennsylvania-area film fair.

3. Atlantic City (April 12). Good news for fans of bad comedy and bad music alike: Atlantic City features performances by Howie Mandel and Air Supply in the same night! Air Supply, who’s apparently still alive touring, may not seem like enough to drag yourself across state lines. But add in an hour of prop comedy and dirty jokes from Howie Mandel? Deal.

Tags: antiques, Howie Mandel, spaghetti

This entry was posted on Monday, March 31st, 2008 at 2:30 pm and is filed under Penn, Philadelphia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.