CHEERS: To a decade filled with hope, tragedy, triumphs, and joy all we can say is cheers.
By Kathleen Lynch, Staff Writer
Cheers to the past ten years that we will never get back and to a new decade. One even more hopeful than the last. The last ten years of our lives has been spent making strides culturally, socially, politically, and economically; but all of that is in the past now, and we can only hope to use it as inspiration to guide us into the future.
Looking back, the last decade may seem superficial. For many of us it was the era of the mantra “You Only Live Once” or “YOLO” and the birth of Instagram and selfies. But the 2010s were so much more than that. It was a time of activism. From the #MeToo Movement to marriage equality, the technology of this decade brought us closer together as a people.
Despite the many tragedies that occurred during this decade, including the Boston Marathon Bombing of 2013 and the progression of terrorism, we have gained several political victories, one of the most notable being the death of Osama Bin Laden. But the closer to home victories must also be acknowledged. The Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as “Obamacare,” set in place by the Obama administration, has allowed citizens all across the nation the ability to attain the healthcare they desperately need at a cost they can afford. Throughout the decade, our political system has become more polarized, as expected. Two terms of the former Democratic President Barack Obama brought President Donald Trump to the platform. However, before the decade is out, proceedings of impeachment take place calling into question if the new decade will bring about the first President to be removed from office. Of course, as with anything, there are no clean breaks. Several of the issues plaguing us in the 2010s follow us into the 2020s. The issues of climate change becoming ever more dire, along with the war on terrorism, and the closer to home threats of gun violence increasing every month. All we can do is move into the future with our sights set on solving these problems.
On the cultural side, many songs reflected the atmosphere of the 2010s, such as, “Uptown Funk!” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock, and “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran were claimed to be the top songs of the decade according to Billboard.com. The decade was also celebrated for its movies. Marvel’s Avengers released in 2012, and new additions to both the Star Wars and Harry Potter universe. All of these films commanding a huge following and driving people to the box office. Another thing to consider is the world of sports. In 2017, Katie Ledecky broke the world record in the 1,500 meter freestyle, which she had previously set in the 2015 olympics, but beat by five seconds. The women’s national soccer team won their fourth consecutive national cup in the year of 2018.
Looking back at the accomplishments and struggles of the decade, the only thing we can do is strive to right past wrongs and build upon the foundations we laid in the last decade through our activism. We must not let our fears of the future define us, but rather let the lessons of the past mold us.