February is the shortest month of the year, a mere twenty-eight days. One might wonder what could happen in such a short amount of time. Well, February 2026 proves that so much could happen in a short time period. This month, film and album releases had fans going to theaters and listening anytime they could. However, nothing captured attention more this month than people across the country–and even the world– being glued to their TV.
The 2026 Winter Olympics took place from February 6th to February 22nd. The games were held in Milan and Cortina, with additional events taking place in Verona and Valtellina, all within the host country of Italy. Some of the sports that were a part of the games include figure skating, ice hockey, curling, and several skiing events. Throughout the three weeks, the events were broadcast nationally on channels such as NBC and CNBC, as well as streaming platforms like Peacock. Due to the immense amount of publicity towards athletes representing the United States, many in the country kept track of the games as they progressed and celebrated the victories of their favorites. Some of the most impactful athletes this year belonged to the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating team, including Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu. Malinin was soon deemed the “Quad God” for his nearly impeccable ability to perform a quadruple axel (an incredibly difficult feat for figure skaters). The 21-year-old won a gold medal at the Figure Skating Team Event. While Malinin did not win more medals, he secured a place in many people’s hearts; he won an award for Fair Play and Sportsmanship despite the stress that came from competing in the games. His teammate Alysa Liu was also a big winner at the games. Liu, at 20 years old, earned two gold medals for her outstanding performances in the Figure Skating Team Event and the Women’s Individual Singles Event. She continues to be the 2025 World Champion! The Winter Olympics Team for the U.S. went home with 12 Gold Medals, only second to Norway, which had 18. The games additionally emphasized the bonding and natural excitement between the athletes, even in high-stress situations. Claire Shamiss ‘29 said, “I really enjoyed how much fun the athletes, especially the skaters, looked like they were having while competing.” The next Winter Olympics will be held near the French Alps in 2030!
When people wanted a change of pace from the Winter Olympics, they shifted their focus towards the Super Bowl, or as it was later dubbed: “Benito Bowl.” The name comes from the attention and praise given to Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, who performed at the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. Bad Bunny’s emphasis on love and unity during his performance captured the attention of many throughout the country. Izzie Roshi Rubinshteyn ‘29 said, “Aside from being wonderfully entertaining, his halftime show represented the beauty of diversity in the country.” The Halftime Show drew about 128.2 million viewers nationally, and the views on social media were estimated to be about 4 billion. The actual football game was a tense matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, with Seattle securing the win with a score of 29-13.
Lastly, theaters saw much buzz this month, especially with the release of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. The film was set to be an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s beloved classic of the same name, published in 1847. However, the adaptation faced some backlash from fans of the book due to historical inaccuracies and misinterpretations of the story. The film, however, inspired renowned artist Charli XCX to create an album (also sharing the same name as the movie and book) to serve as the playlist for the movie. The film made an estimated $82 million on its opening weekend. The complementing album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 charts.
People were certainly kept busy during the month, constantly switching channels, witnessing history, and watching books be transported onto the big screen. Excitement and joy were present in many homes while there were so many teams and people to root for! Certainly, March will bring more for everyone to enjoy as the year quickly progresses!
