#Tidepodchallenge
In January, a viral joke encouraged brave teens across the nation to attempt eating the laundry detergent pods. While it was hardly more than a meme, some took the challenge seriously and had the adults of America worried.
However, not only do the pods supposedly taste disgusting, but they can also cause a wide range of medical issues and even result in death. Despite these consequences, thousands of people still participated in the challenge, making the iconic meme live throughout the year.
#Timesup
On Jan 1, Hollywood celebrities founded the Time’s Up movement in response to the Weinstein effect and #MeToo. The movement was founded to fight against sexual assault and has a focus of harassment in the workplace.
As of December, Time’s Up raised more than $22 million for its legal defense fund and had almost 800 volunteer lawyers. TIME magazine named the Silence Breakers their Person of the Year, in support of the movement. The faces of the movement include Alyssa Milano, Tarana Burke, Selma Blair, Taylor Swift, Terry Crews and many more.
On Oct. 2, Lisa Borders stepped down from her position as the President of the Women’s National Basketball Association to become the CEO of Time’s Up. Click here to read more about the movement in this issue of the Marquee
#MSDstrong
The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting occurred on Feb. 14, when a former student started to open fire in Parkland, Florida. He killed 17 staff members and students and injured 17 others. The shooting was named the deadliest shooting at a high school in US history. The survivors encouraged the public to fight for stricter gun control and they began the March For Our Lives movement. Also in response, Never Again MSD was founded by survivors. The organization demanded legislative action on gun violence. The Marquee covered the gun control debate, click here to read more.
#Thaicaverescue
On June 23, 12 boys and their young soccer coach got trapped in a cave in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province. The boys ventured into the cave to write the names of new members of their team on the walls. However, the cave started to fill up with water from the recent rainfall and the boys were unable to escape.
The parents of the missing boys grew worried when their children didn’t arrive home and traveled to the cave only to find the bikes, shoes and bags of their children. A rescue operation began immediately, with help from the Thai Navy Seals, the national police, other rescue teams and local volunteers.
By June 28 international help arrived, including rescuers from the US, UK, Belgium, Australia and Scandinavia. On July 2, the rescue divers found all of the boys alive, but couldn’t rescue the boys until they detailed a solid plan. The boys were all rescued throughout July 8 – 10.
#Midtermelections
The midterm elections were Nov. 6 and resulted with one of the largest voter turnouts in history for a midterm. When the votes were counted, Republican Ted Cruz came out on top above Democrat Beto O’Rourke by a close margin. The Democrats ended up winning the majority of the House of Representatives, while Republicans took the Senate. Click here to read about the Beto vs. Cruz race.
#Californiawildfires
The California wildfires resulted in the destruction of thousands of structures and the deaths of dozens of citizens. This devastating disaster started on Nov. 8 but was contained by the end of the month. The Camp fire in Northern California is considered the deadliest wildfire in state history as well as the most destructive. The fire completely destroyed the town of Paradise. While the fires are currently contained, the state of California will continue to suffer as the debris cleanup is speculated to reach $3 billion, and 79 lives were lost.
#GeorgeHWBush
George H. W. Bush passed away on Nov. 30 in Houston after living with Vascular Parkinsonism for several years. He died seven months after the death of his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush. He was the 41st President and World War ll veteran and was well-liked for his folksy, southern charm. Soon after the announcement of his death, President Donald Trump declared a National Day of Mourning and ordered all flags in the United States to be lowered to half mast. Bush’s funeral was held over the course of three days from Dec. 3 to Dec. 6, where his son and former president, George W. Bush, delivered an emotional eulogy for his father that was watched by citizens across the country.
