2020: In Conclusion

2020%3A+In+Conclusion

Mackenzie Steinheimer, Reporter

On December 31, 2019, no one knew what this year would bring. And as I am sure you know, this year has been a rollercoaster to say the least. From Covid-19 to the Australian Bushfires; from killer hornets to the U.S. Presidential election, no one has known what to expect next of 2020, until it actually happened. But, there are things that have happened because of those things that have changed how we as human beings view the world. 

 

Starting off in January, things went South for the world right off the bat with the Australian Bushfires that had been raging since december of 2019, decimating over 47 million acres and killing over 30 people. However, according to OneTreePlanted (a non-profit based in Vermont), “The good news is that areas that were not overly scorched will naturally regenerate on their own, and they have begun to do just that!”

 

Also in January, as everyone not currently living under a rock should be aware of, the World health Organization announced that the catastrophic Coronavirus had erupted in Wuhan, China, which went on to become one of the most deadly diseases since the Spanish Influenza. But, human beings are resilient, leading the world to come up with surprising ways to stay connected (with the help of technology that the 21st Century has blessed us with) and make the best of this terrible state of affairs. 

 

The foreign film ‘Parasite’ won four Oscars in February, making history as the first non-english-language film to ever win Best Picture, bringing Academy representation of foreign language films. One Urbana student said, “Parasite was the best movie I’ve watched in a long time, and I was ecstatic when it won Best Picture.” In other news from February, the Me Too Movement celebrated the long-awaited verdict of Harvey Weinstein, who has been convicted of sexual assault, and rape.

 

In March, the Coronavirus pandemic took another hit at the world in the form of a global stock market crash as multiple countries around the world went into lockdown. The Wall Street Journal published an article in September, stating, “The venerable stock index, despite a recent hiccup, has nearly recovered all the losses suffered during the coronavirus pandemic, an epic journey during one of the most catastrophic economic collapses in U.S. history.” 

 

Due to the fact that he missed several events in April, rumors spread that the Supreme Leader of North Korea sparked rumors that he was either severely ill, or dead. These rumors were fueled  even more in August when an North Korean official said that all of his appearances since then have been faked and that he is, in fact, in a vegitative state.

 

Sparked by the police-involved killings of several African Americans, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, precipitated both peaceful, and violent demonstrations, protests, and riots, demanding a wide range of topics focused on ending police brutality and racial injustice. The Black Lives Matter movement has been around since 2013, but May 2020 enhanced this movement into one of the largest in American history.

 

In August, there were many note-worthy events, including the Asian giant hornet (dubbed “Murder Hornets” as they measure up to 2 inches long) arrival in the state of Washington. Chadwick Boseman lost his four year battle with cancer in August, leaving his family, and millions of fans grieving. Also in August, an explosion in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, injured 6,500 people, left over 300,000 homeless, and killed 204 people. Closing out August, was the start of extremely destructive wildfires on the West Coast of the U.S., spreading to 6 states and many areas in Canada.

 

Along with Chadwick Boseman, Ruth Bater Ginsburg, Kobe and Gianna Bryant, Eddie Van Halen, and Alex Trabek, all passed in 2020 ranging from January to November. We will keep their memories alive, and the victims of the Coronavirus, the fires, and explosions, and any other person who left behind a family to grieve in 2020. 

 

In December, however, the release of the Covid-19 vaccine has lead to much needed relief for front line workers, health care providers and humanity in general. 

 

So, in conclusion, 2020 has been devastating, terrible, frightening and unfair, it has shown the world how to stay together, comfort strangers, enjoy things we have while we have them, and cherish the memories we make. It has shown the best in humanity, and it has shown how we must work together if we want to achieve something. 

 

Sources:

Banerji, Gunjan. “Why Did Stock Markets Rebound from Covid in Record Time? Here

     Are Five Reasons.” The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal,

     www.wsj.com/articles/

     why-did-stock-markets-rebound-from-covid-in-record-time-here-are-five-reasons-116

  1. Accessed 1 Jan. 2021. 

 

ONETREEPLANTED. “GOOD NEWS! 10 Positive Environmental Stories from the

     Australian Bushfires.” ONETREEPLANTED, 30 Jan. 2020, onetreeplanted.org/

     blogs/stories/good-news-australia-bushfires. Accessed 23 Dec. 2020. 

 

Salo, Jackie. “2020 events o far; Yep, these major world events all happened

     this year.” New York Post [New York], 15 Sept. 2020. New York Post,

     nypost.com/list/major-2020-events/. Accessed 22 Dec. 2020.