The year 2016 has left the world beaten and battered. It has definity not been the best what with so many tragedies leaving everyone feeling pretty down in the dumps. There have been natural disasters, the loss of David Bowie and other important celebrities, and a controversial election.
The year started out with North Korea conducting their fourth nuclear detonation on January 6th. The Hydrogen Bomb test was confirmed to be successful, which caused several countries, including the United States, to be agitated over North Korea’s subtle threat.
As if that was not a difficult enough start, shortly afterwards, the deadly Zika virus spread across twenty-two South American countries with 3-4 million cases detected. Families and infants were devastated by the virus, and U.S. citizens were concerned over the possibility of the mosquito-born illness being carried around the world.
Two explosions in March sent Brussels, Belgium into terror, with thirty-two dead and three hundred injured. The bombs were placed in an airport and metro station, with the results being chaos and disrupted transportation across the country.
On April 16th, the Pacific Coast of Ecuador was caught in a magnitude-7.8 earthquake, killing over 600 people and injuring 27,732. The large scale disaster is considered the worst to hit Ecuador since 1949. Yet another earthquake shocked the world, hitting central Italy with a 6.2 magnitude quake and massive damage. The initial quake overwhelmed Italy at 3 a.m, but large tremors and 200 aftershocks plagued survivors for several hours. Many were lost underneath the rubble of the buildings that were destroyed, with 247 deaths and hundreds of injuries. To this day, condolences should be offered to the families who have been broken up in the tragic events that have taken place over the year.
Like a small ray of peace amidst all the disasters, the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics gave everyone a nice change of pace. People were able to turn their minds away from the chaos that seemed to be overtaking the world.
Soon, everyone was set on edge again with news of North Korea’s fifth and largest nuclear test on September 9th. Under the dictator Kim Jong Un, the country has intense explosive power under its belt with the extensive development of nuclear and missile programs, which is a serious cause for concern.
Sophomore Tilia Lundberg reacted to news of this by saying, “It has been a surprising year.”
Hurricane Matthew tore through Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Florida, and other spots along the Western Atlantic. Haiti faced most of the hurricane’s wrath, with 1,000 casualties on their hands. Forty-six people died in the United States, four in the Dominican Republic, one in Columbia and one in Saint Vincent. Major power outages and incredible damage made it not only one of the most dangerous disaster to hit the Atlantic, but also the most expensive since 2012. The U.S. alone had damages amounting to $6.91 billion.
Last, but certainly not least, is the presidential election. Here in the United States, fellow citizens have made the choice to appoint Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. The majority of students at San Lorenzo Valley High School were shocked at Trump’s win, not knowing what sort of changes will arise when he comes into office.
Recently, SLVHS English teacher Doug Morris gave an inspiring speech to his Sophomore Honors English class. He stated, “We are resilient people.” While this seems like such a simple phrase, it should be taken to heart.
SLVHS Sophomore Sophia Swift said, “I’ve been able to have new experiences and go new places, and I got to see some really beautiful scenery.” The world has been through a lot, but will come out of 2016 stronger and wiser.
By Paris Obsidian
The Claw 