If you plan to lock yourself in your room this weekend with a mountain of books to study for an upcoming midterm, here are a few study-break activities that don’t require subjecting yourself to Ann Arbor’s snowy tundra.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Take a study break and see some of the Oscar-nominated films currently screening at the Michigan and State Theaters. “Philomena,” and “American Hustle” and “Inside Llewyn Davis” are all showing, and if Daily film reviews are any indication, any of the three films is sure to entertain.
“ ‘(America) Hustle’ defies genre by simultaneously being heavy and hilarious, outrageous and emotionally present, kitschy and thought-provoking,” wrote senior arts editor Natalie Gadbois in her review of the film. “The film risks ridiculousness, but grounds itself in nuanced and powerful performances from the entire cast.”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Many film adaptions of popular books are hitting theaters in the next few months. The film version of “Divergent, “the first book of the popular “Divergent” trilogy which takes place in a future dystopian Chicago, comes out March 21. If you’re overwhelmed with statistics problems or pages of a history textbook, take a study break and read a book for fun before the movie comes out. Other popular books that will be adapted into movies include “The Fault in Our Stars,” “The Giver” and “The Maze Runner.” So many great literary-to-screen options!
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23
After two weeks of ice skating, bobsledding and curling, the Sochi Olympic Games will conclude Sunday evening with its closing ceremony. Support team USA by tuning your television to NBC and invite friends over to watch the extinguished Olympic flame, a performance by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko and a performance by South Korean musicians to promote the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChange, South Korea. But in all honesty, you can forget the concerts — spectators should watch just to see if the faulty snowflake ring will open properly this time (better late than never?). The ceremony will air live on NBC at 11 a.m., and will be replayed at 8:30 p.m. And if you’d like to extend your Olympics viewing, the Sochi Winter Paralympics will begin March 16.