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Best photos of 2018:

Kim Prahinog is a transgender woman who is participating in a transgender beauty pageant in the Philippines.  While the country is very religious, Roman Catholic, to be specific, the Philippines is one of the most accepting Asian countries in the world, and has no laws against being LGBTQ. Right now, lawmakers are taking steps towards creating laws to protect LGBTQ people. This is one of my favorite images because it is very visually pleasing to me, and it really shows our progress as a world as we slowly move in the direction of love and acceptance. We are all people; it does not matter who we choose to kiss or how we choose to identify. It only matters to be a good person who focuses on making the world a better place.

Sudan was the last male Northern White Rhino on the planet, and he died with Joseph Wachira at his side in March. This image is very melancholic, and it may very much signal the end of the Northern White Rhinos, driven to the brink of extinction by horn poaching. However, as he moves from the world of the living into an afterlife of peace and rest, new hope is born from his passing. Now, scientists are looking into ways to perhaps repopulate Northern White Rhinos by experimenting with rhinoceros eggs and frozen sperm. We may be moving into a new era of science, and we may be able to save species from extinction in the future by this method.

The Jefferson Memorial was reflected off of the frozen Tidal Basin's surface in this picture. The colors are pleasing and the memorial is beautiful as ever, honoring the achievements of Jefferson in life. He was no perfect man, and he possessed slaves and did some horrible things, but we cannot forget the good he also brought to the United States. The colors of the sky make me feel as if we are sunsetting 2018, and moving on to a new year, which I accept happily.

Prompts:

Best song of 2018:
"Perfect" by Ed Sheeran.

I think that "Perfect" is the best song of 2018 because of the sweetness and purity that went into it. The song was made by Ed Sheeran as he was reminded of a high school love he had, and he worked tirelessly to beat his earlier "Thinking Out Loud," which he was aware he was known for. I personally enjoy the song because of how it sings of devotion and unconditional love, and how it captures an ideal romance despite how lighthearted it may come off. Along with this, the singing is well done, and the melody is pleasing, so it's also a fun song to listen to even if you don't really connect with the lyrics.

Best movie of 2018:
"Black Panther," produced by Marvel Studios.

Black Panther was the best movie of 2018 because of its compelling cast, amazing visuals, and entertaining story. It was a movie made almost entirely of African actors, which is a very important step in the direction of representation, especially because of its great success. The movie has a wonderful balance of internal an external conflicts, and has mostly three-dimensional characters that can all be sympathized with--even Erik Killmonger, the main antagonist. Overall, it is a movie that can easily be enjoyed by anyone, and a wonderful addition to Marvel's humongous collection of movies.

Most important news story of 2018:

The back to back suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade.

Though this may have flown under the radar for those who either do not check the news often or do not know these two public icons, Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade both committed suicide in June, very close in date to each other. This helped raise awareness for mental illness, and may motivate us to work harder to understand people with them to prevent such tragedies from happening. Every life is equal to another, no one person is more important than the other just because they are more well-known or have achieved greater things, but when these famous names and the announcements of their deaths fly into the headlines, it will give us warning bells. It is truly devastating, what has happened to Bourdain and Spade, but from their suicides, our world can work towards helping each other in order to prevent these events in the future.

Most important person of 208:

Christine Blasey Ford.

Ford came forward and stood against Brett Kavanaugh, then a nominee and now a judge for the Supreme Court, and accused him of sexually assaulting her in the past. She is important because she provides a voice for sexual assault victims who have been in hiding for years after their incidents, braving in the face of criticism and publicity. Even if she couldn't ultimately prevent Kavanaugh from becoming a judge, he won by a very slim majority, and many people still regard him with disgust at the allegations pressed against him. She has made an impact nonetheless, and I think it's a positive impact that holds greater weight than some others.

Biggest entertainment story of 2018:

"This is America" by Childish Gambino.

Childish Gambino released "This is America" on May 5. Immediately, people began to pick up on the references in the music video; this was what life is like for a black man in America. It portrays some rather disturbing images, but that is undoubtedly what black people had to deal with in the past, and still deal with today, even if it is a little less extreme. It's important for something like music, which can reach the ears of everyone, to touch on sensitive topics, such as racism, in this case. 

1. During Winter Break, I went up to Virginia from Maryland to see three of my closest friends. It was amazing to finally get to meet them and talk to them after waiting to for so long, and we all clicked perfectly and had tons of fun together. The experience is dear to me, and truly unforgettable. 

2. In 2019, I aim to be more on top of my studies, so I can avoid procrastinating and suffering because of it. I want to study hard and raise my GPA, but I also want to recognise that a life outside of school is also important. I aim to get involved and be as social as I can. 

3. I look forward to a fresh start and a new year, where there's plenty of room for me to grow, learn, and change. I want to make new friends, keep my existing friendships, and charge into the new year headfirst with all of my energy. I look forward to it.