New Years Eve 2015 -2106
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New Year’s marks far more than broken resolutions and champagne. Although it may be easier to think of the holiday as a day for party and celebration, it is important to remember what we are celebrating. New Year’s is a day to reflect on the past year and think about the year that awaits. Let’s think about 2015 and our future in 2016.
It has been quite an eventful year. Whether it was the legalizing of same-sex marriage in the USA, the Women’s FIFA World Cup, or the devastating late floods in Chennai, 2015 has made its mark on the world, with events that make you jump with joy and tragedies that raise the hairs on your arm. Looking back, 2015 was a year full of change, with elections in 64 different countries. Along with that, many laws have been made and revoked in countries around the world. However, there have also been some detrimental changes, but people are starting to counter those negatives with positives. ISIS grew in power in Iraq and Syria, but 13 countries have started to fight them. The attacks against Paris devastated the world, however the city and the world is growing stronger. The year has shown that through our tragedies, we can move forward and learn. Somehow, nobody is doing anything about Donald Trump. 2015 was a year of entertainment. Movies like The Martian, Inside Out, and Star Wars rocked Hollywood, while Bollywood had a successful year with Bajirao Mastani, Tamasha, and Bajrangi Bhaijaan. “Go Set a Watchman,” a book by Harper Lee, came out in 2015, which sparked controversy because the author was unclear whether the book should be published or not, as she had dementia. Songs like Hotline Bling by Drake and Hello by Adele were stuck in the world’s heads all year long. There were viral videos galore destined to make us burst into laughter. Our year was full of Peanut Butter Baby, a man slipping on ice for 9 seconds, and a monk “running on water.” 2015 kept us entertained throughout, with its hilarious happenings, beautiful movies, and catchy songs. Even with the joy felt this year, there have been some tragedies that we have to acknowledge. The earthquakes in Nepal were devastating, killing over 9,000 and injuring another 23,000. The terror attacks in Paris, Baghdad, and Beirut on Friday, November 13th shocked the world with their scale. The shootings in a church in Charleston, South Carolina reminded the United States about issues regarding race. The floods in India affected many and hit close to home, bringing attention to my heritage. However, more important than these tragedies are the ways we recover and build from these. In each and every tragedy that the world has faced this year, we have grown stronger and built back our spirits. It is important that we remember what 2015 stood for and why it has been such an important and beautiful year. Here are a few of my favorites of 2015: English Movie: Star Wars: Episode VII Hindi Movie: Bajirao Mastani Song: Hotline Bling- Drake Viral Video: John Cena prank call People: Malala Yousafzai, Narendra Modi, Emma Watson, Pope Francis, Priyanka Chopra Website: shehjar.com TV Show: Quantico The other half of New Year’s is celebrating the year to come. 2016 is an open canvas to our future and this holiday of New Year's celebrates the opportunities that we have to make the most beautiful painting ever seen. 2016 has the potential to be the best year in history, and we celebrate that hope of a better future. I have many hopes for the upcoming year. 2016 promises amazing feats and remarkable change. With our rapidly growing knowledge of technology and innovation, people are sure to make a difference. Amazing things are expected to happen in 2016, and a few of them are already underway. I want people to change the world significantly in the next year. I hope that governments and people around the world start to tackle global warming and climate change. 2015 set up huge expectations, with the deal by 195 countries recently made in Paris promising to tackle climate change. This meeting will hopefully assure cleaner energy and efforts to restore the land that we have ruined, as well as purify the air. This is vital because pollution in major cities has skyrocketed in 2015. On Christmas day in Beijing, the pollution rate passed 500, the highest on monitors. China has also shown promise on fixing their pollution problem. In December, they issued their first red alert for pollution followed by their second, taking many cars off of the roads and suspending school in an effort to remind the citizens of the unhealthy air. In 2016, I expect there will be more governmental efforts to keep global safety at its highest. This includes attempts to take down terrorist organizations, as well as provide a safe home for the refugees that are a result of the violence. I am sure that many countries will reach out to help those in unsafe areas and stop dangerous powers from growing. Next year is also the United States presidential election. The frontrunner for the democrats is Hillary Clinton, and the frontrunner for the republicans is Donald Trump. Many think this is a very important election as both parties have very different ideas about where the problems in America lie. Democrats are focusing on climate change, police brutality, and the need to raise minimum wage. Republicans are putting their efforts in immigration restrictions, religious liberty, and reversing President Obama’s actions. Whoever wins will have their problems addressed, and the opposing party’s ideas of issues will not be represented as much. This election will determine where the United States government focuses their resources, time, and effort. There are big things expected to happen in 2016. Along with others, there is predicted to be the first hotel in space, a pill to prevent sunburn, automated mining, microchipping of all dogs in the UK, and an expansion of the Panama Canal. The year will be full of technological advances and new innovations, as well as old classics like the Summer Olympics that will be taking place in Rio de Janeiro. On New Year’s we think about the past and the future, and see how they relate and connect. I am proud of the year that we just had and excited for the new year to come. As we leave behind a wonderful year, it is our duty to make sure that we make the next year many times more wonderful through our thoughts and actions. |
Shyan is a 14 year old 9th grade student at the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He enjoys music and sports. |