[ot-caption title=”New Years, Times Square, New York City “(Via John Minchillo, AP Images) url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/new-year-article-1.jpg”]

August 20th was a dreadful day in the eyes of many PC students. But at the same time, August 20th was an exciting day, as it was the start of a new chapter.  This date marked the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, initiating an unforgettable first semester. The ninth graders learned to adjust to their new high school lives while the seniors took their rightful places as the kings and queens of school. Not only has it been an eventful semester at school, but also there have been many important moments outside of school, on the local, national and international levels, that have impacted students’ lives.

During the beginning of the school year, the world was occupied with the continuing scare of the Ebola virus. The epidemic has been deadly, especially in Africa. Fortunately, the virus did not make it to Florida, but it affected four Americans. Unfortunately, Americans Thomas Eric Duncan and Dr. Martin Salia died from Ebola, but improvements in treatment helped to cure and save the other Americans who contracted Ebola.

The Ferguson shooting took place on August 9th, 2014. Later, a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson. The incident spurred public outrage and protests across the country.  Several other incidents across the nation raised tensions and sparked an urgency for assessment and change.

Throughout the semester, the country looked defeat right in the eyes during the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, in which people dumped ice water over their heads and made donations to ALS charities.  The movement spread rapidly to unprecedented numbers, with the help of technology and social media. The ALS charities raised over one hundred million dollars and awareness for the disease across the globe.

In September, Joan River passed away. Rivers was known as a multi-talented gem; she was an exceptional comedian and her sense of fashion landed her the hosting job of fashion police. She revolutionized the field of comedy for women. Rivers will be greatly missed by her fans, and her legacy will continue to live on.

This semester has been accompanied by the ongoing fight against ISIS. ISIS has caused international concern over peace and wreaked havoc among millions of innocent people in the region. The radical group executed two American journalists, as American refugees continued to flee to Turkey to escape the violence.

In October, the San Francisco Giants won the World Series of Major League Baseball in a thrilling seven game series against the Royals, led by the historic performance by Madison Bumgarner. Their hard work through the 162 game season paid off, as the Giants won their third world series in the past five seasons.

In November, the Midterm elections dominated American politics. The elections ended in favorably for Republicans, who gained control of the Senate, thus controlling both houses of Congress. In addition, the elections brought the legalization of marijuana in two more states, Oregon and Alaska, plus Washington D.C. In Florida, Rick Scott was reelected as Governor against Charlie Crist.

The movie Mockingjay, from the Hunger Games series, created tons of excitement in the box office this year. It was a huge success as the movie grossed seven hundred million dollars worldwide.

In school, December was a month of last-minute cramming for exams.  In the political sphere,  President Obama announced the start of renewed diplomatic relations with Cuba after over fifty years of isolation under the embargo.

In December, Indonesia Air Asia Flight QZ8501 disappeared, but the plane was found a few days later, devastatingly, with no survivors.

In the United States, the year was capped off with a big New Year’s Eve celebration in New York hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Taylor Swift, Iggy Azalea were just two of the many top performers at the event, broadcast from sea to shining sea.

During this year’s first semester, there were many significant events in diverse realms including politics, security, health, social change, sports and entertainment. It will be exciting to see what the second semester will bring, not just at school, but also in the world around us.