Take a break from studying for some worthwhile events

We were gratified to see Graham Chapel’s seats filled this past Thursday for Matisyahu’s phenomenal performance. Given the amount of work we all have around this time, it’s great to see our fellow students prioritizing extra-curriculars beyond drinking. As the semester enters its most stressful period, so many exciting events are coming to campus. Some of them, such as Saturday’s Relay For Life, W.I.L.D. and Mr. Wash. U., have been campus traditions for years and are still likely to draw crowds regardless of exam schedules and homework. But there are some other events we think you might want to take advantage of. To make things easier, we’ve decided to showcase a few below.

Visiting Writers
Rarely can we promise a truly exciting talk from a visiting writer. Rarer still can we promise two. On March 23 and 24, poet Frank Bidart will discuss the craft of poetry and give a reading. For those less familiar with the writing world, Bidart has a reputation for provocation; his poems, like his readings, are often graphic, and his readings often have the atmosphere of a rock concert. March 31 brings bad-boy playwright, poet and memoirist Nick Flynn, perhaps best known for his book “Another Bullshit Night in Suck City.”

Holi Festival Celebration and Water Balloon Fight
April 16 offers the perfect chance to blend the good karma of multicultural education with the stress-release of simulated warfare. Join several hundred other students at the swamp to learn about Holi, the Southeast Asian Festival of Color, and throw water-filled balloons and participate in a mud fight.

Gloria Steinem
Titan of feminist thought Gloria Steinem comes to campus April 12. Steinem has been at the vanguard of the Women’s Liberation Movement since the late 1960s. It is no overstatement to say that her writings and advocacy defined the movement for much of that time. While her talk on the subject of global sex trafficking should prove interesting enough on its own, anyone interested in Women and Gender Studies, or why we can even major in Women and Gender Studies, should attend.

Strauss the Younger’s Die Fledermaus
Tickets are still available for Friday and Saturday nights’ performances of Strauss II’s “The Bat.” Yes, it’s opera, but it’s one of the most commonly performed in North America. If you’re not much of a classical music nerd, Strauss II is a great composer to start with.

Factory Film Festival

In cooperation with the Tivoli Theater on the Loop, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will be screening three films from March 23-25 at 7 p.m.: Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times,” Martin Ritt’s uplifting “Norman Rae” and Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke’s celebrated “24 City.” Each film is a meditation on the relationship between human beings and hard factory labor. It might help put your English paper in perspective. Admission is free.

We know that with all the big ticket events on your schedule you won’t be able to hit all of these more niche offerings. But try to hit a few. After all, there is more to your college education than your GPA. As always, if you have an event you deem worthy of our precious late-semester hours, e-mail us at [email protected].

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