The holidays are over. The snow is no longer new and clean. The excitement of the beginning of the term has started to wear off. Mid-January can often seem like one of the least desirable times of the year. For everyone who wishes that spring would hurry up and arrive, here are five things to look forward to in the next month.
1. Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre: Lion in the Streets
When: Thursday January 26, 2017 – Saturday February 11, 2017
Where: Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
Who/What: Judith’s Thompson’s Lion in the Streets is a surreal play that follows Isobel, a young girl attempting to tackle the mysteries lingering in her dark past. As her discoveries both change how she sees the world and give her the strength to move forward, the audience is encouraged to reflect upon the best and worst that humanity is capable of.
Why: Tickets are $20, which may be a little pricy for most university students, but Judith Thompson is an award-winning Canadian playwright (who also teaches at Guelph University) whose works never disappoint.
For more information, click here.
2. Chinese New Year
When: Saturday January 28, 2017
Where: Everywhere!
Who/What: As January rolls to a close, let’s welcome the Year of the Rooster. As people light firecrackers and give money in red paper envelopes, let’s take a moment to wish each other good luck and health through the coming year.
Why: For those of you born in 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, and, of course, 2017, this is your year. Make it count!
3. Oprah Winfrey’s 63rd Birthday
When: Sunday January 29, 2017
Where: Everywhere!
Who/What: Oprah Winfrey hardly needs an introduction, but many of you may know her as the famous American talk show host who has revolutionized the media industry. An inspiration to us all, she continually reminds us that people of colour have a place on TV, giving us the hope that, one day, people in the media will be so diverse that they will simply be known as people and not defined by their race, sexuality, gender identity, ability, or appearance.
Why: Who doesn’t like birthdays, especially for a role model such as the one who gave us The Oprah Winfrey Show?
4. James E. Curtis Memorial Lecture: Canadian Counter-Terrorism In the Age of Trump
When: Thursday February 9, 2017 (5:00 p.m.)
Where: PAS (Room 2083)
Who/What: The Department of Sociology and Legal Studies’ Dr. Kent Roach will present a lecture critically examining Canada’s counter-terrorist laws, focusing on the pressures that the recent U.S. Federal election has placed on Canada.
Why: Who here has ever had to wing their way through a conversation about politics because they know absolutely nothing about what’s being discussed? Not only will this lecture prove to be informative, but it will also help you seem worldly and educated. Also, a reception will follow after the lecture.
For more information, click here.
5. Valentine’s Day
When: Tuesday February 14, 2017
Where: Everywhere!
Who/What: Everyone! Regardless of whether you have a significant other(s), everyone deserves a day where they can eat as much chocolate as they want without guilt or social judgement. Even if the days seem long and cold right now, Valentine’s Day will insert some colour into the never-ending bleakness of this typical Canadian winter.
Why: Chocolate. Love. Chocolate.