December 2016 Staff Editorial: Reflecting on the past year, looking on to the next

Sydney Evans

ONWARD. This year has had a mix of ups and downs. Memorable moments include the death of Harambe the gorilla, the Rio Olympics, and the presidential election. This last year at SHS has also been memorable, with the football team advancing the farthest they ever have, the tennis team winning their third state title in a row, and the district levy passing in November.

This past year has been a mix of both good and bad. We saw highs when it came to sports franchises breaking historic droughts and a massive discovery relating to ALS. Some of our favorite musicians released new and innovative projects. We also saw lows, with the deaths of legendary figures like Muhammad Ali, Prince, and David Bowie.

We also saw the culmination of one of the most divisive elections in the history of our country. “Hamilton: An American Musical” presented its viewers with a musical version of a different, yet oddly familiar, election, while dazzling audience members.

We saw tragedies in Orlando, San Bernardino, and Brussels. In 2016, we witnessed the worldwide reaction of support and strength against terrorist attacks.
2016 was a year of change. We have a new president. A new Harry Potter movie aired in theaters and Frank Ocean released a new album. Also, finally, Leonardo Dicaprio won an Oscar.

All in all, 2016 may not have been the most fun, exciting, nor happiest year. However, looking back, 2016 was a year of progress, and this improvement cannot be understated.

We are beginning to have an evolved discussion about the role of race in our country. New chemotherapy breakthroughs have increased the likelihood of five-year survival for pancreatic cancer from 16 percent to 27 percent.

The Cleveland Cavaliers became basketball champions and the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years.

2016 is now over. No matter what you think of the year as a whole, both good and bad, it is time to move forward into 2017.