Indeed, 2011 is coming to an end. The year has definitely gone by fast! But let’s recap some of the most significant events that have happened during the course of the year.
Let us start with the massive protests that have happened at the beginning of the year in the Middle East and northern Africa .
On January 14th, the Tunisian government falls after a month of increasingly violent protests; President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali flees to Saudi Arabia after 23 years in power.
February 11th, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigns after widespread protests calling for his departure, leaving control of Egypt in the hands of the military until a general election can be held.
The day after that, protest in Algeria has began against President Abdelaziz Boutifleka. The government has shut down access to Facebook and the Internet.
On February 15th, the protests began in Libya against President Muammar Gaddafi who has been in pwer fo 42 years. Almost no media coverage has been allowed.
March 17th, the Libyan civil war. The United Nations Security Council votes 10-0 to create a no-fly zone over Libya in response to allegations of government aggression against civilians. Gaddafi was killed in Sirte on October 20th leaving the National Transitional Council Forces taking control of the city, and ended the war.
Who would not remember the devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan , on March 11th? It caused a crippling tsunami that washed out the northern coastal cities. It killed thousands of people. Homes, roads, trains, power supplies were destroyed. There were also radiation leaks from two separate nuclear power plants near the earthquake zone that led to broad evacuations nationwide. They also noticed that water and certain foods weren’t safe for human consumption. It was the time when the whole world showed unity by helping the Japanese people.
How about some entertainment? April 29th, 2011, an estimated of two billion people watched the royal wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London . The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, with the service being broadcast live around the world, and being compared and contrasted in many ways with the 1983 marriage of William’s parents, Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. Much of the attention focused on Kate Middleton’s status as a commoner marrying into royalty.
May 1st, President Barack Obama announces that Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of the militant group Al-Qaeda, has been killed during an American military operation in Pakistan . It told the families of the victims of 9-11 that they have never been forgotten. On September 11, 2011, there were many advertisements about the tragic event that have happened ten years ago from that date, and calls on Americans to remember the unity of that tragic day.
October 5th, the world was shocked as Apple Inc. announced that Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple had died during that day. He was the creator of the products that we mostly use everyday such as the iMac, Macbook, iPod, and the iPhone. On this day, much appreciation and sympathy have been given to the innovator of a generation.
There are a lot more events that have happened throughout the year. Joscelyn Princesa, sophomore, said “Some things that I will miss about the year of 2011 is being a freshman, because I felt that it has changed me greatly. Many people just saw me as someone who just tries to do well in school and nothing more, but along the way I met people who understood me and made me see thingsin a different perspective. I will miss all the fun activities that I attended such as ASB retreat, Homecoming assembly and all other school activities that I am involved in.” Berta Manevich, another sophomore, added, “Well, there won’t be another 2011 ever again!”
Also, as every year ends, people has some kind of resolution that they want to commit for the new upcoming year. Kristopher Rumsey, Junior said that, “I would try and keep myself as focused in school as possible, probably.”
But as 2011 is having a farewell, the year 2012 is coming. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2012 is the year of the Dragon. After the peaceful Year or the Rabbit in 2011, the Year of the Dragon will seem full of energy and the spirit of the dragon will make everything seem “larger than life”. Sometimes, things will seem better than they actually are and the year will be an over-ambitious and daring one. Overall, it will be a particularly good time for people to be cautious because successes and failures will be magnified. On a larger scale, disasters and fortunes will occur on a larger magnitude with many surprises and violent acts of nature.
Speaking of disasters, I bet everyone has heard about the 2012 phenomenon that this year would be “the end of the world!” A New Age interpretation of this transition postulates that December 21, 2012 marks the start of time in which Earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 2012 may mark the beginning of a new era. Others suggest that the 2012 date marks the ‘end of the world’ or a similar catastrophe. Scenarios suggested for the end of the world include the arrival of the next solar maximum or Earth’s collision with a black hole, passing asteroid or a planet called “Nibiru.”
Stephen Cuplin, freshman, said “I don’t really believe that the world will end, but if it does no one will be alive to say ‘told ya so,’ and if I live then yey! If not, no one can say I was wrong.” He added, “I think 2012 will be pretty cool, because as a freshman, it’s going to be my first year in the best high school in the district, and I’m already having a lot of fun and it’s only been 3 months. I cant wait to see what the rest of the year will bring”
While Kimberly Pineda, senior, thinks that “I believe the world will end. It may have ended long before, now, or even tomorrow. But I don’t believe that anyone could tell when it will end. But if it would come true, I would at least graduate from high school– to be the last batch to graduate from MTHS. I am looking forward to graduate with flying colors and attend college to pursue my career.”
It’s true, no one can really tell when the world is going to end. If it just does one time though, we cannot do anything about it. But what we can do, is to try to help someone who is in need, make a change, and of course, to live the life to the fullest before the day that we’re all afraid of will come.
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