I think I speak for most of us when I say that 2016 was a horrid year that should not be written in history books. I’m not saying this because of all the internet memes, but because it was genuinely terrible for me: I had some issues with my mental health, lost a family member, and some other things in my life I won’t go too much into detail about. With all of those unpleasantries the year has produced, there have been a couple of good moments: I made some new friendships, lived my dream of going to Harry Potter World, and I even landed this sweet job of writing for The Odyssey. So instead of taking the basic route of reflection by making a list of the worst things that happened or the best things that happened, I’ve decided to compile both into this article. So while it’s true that 2016 was a never-ending dumpster fire, some great things united the world to remind us that January 1st and a new beginning is just around the corner. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this throwback.

1. The death of Harambe- It’s sad to admit that this is the first thing that popped into my head when reflecting on the past year. It all started back in May when a young boy was dragged into the gorilla pit at the Cincinnati Zoo. In order to resolve the conflict, zoo workers thought it be appropriate to shoot the gorilla, Harambe, and kill him. The internet then exploded with an abundance of memes in reaction to this cold blooded murder. Even I’m guilty of indulging in this mania, for I participated in a bar crawl arranged on my campus (drinks out for Harambe, anyone?). This death had so much of an influence on pop culture that Harambe earned a spot on 15,000 ballot slips in the US Presidential Election. So while most remember this moment in 2016 for the memes and the comedy, it actually had quite an impact on the Animal Rights Movement and once again sparked the debate of animal captivity.

2. Clowns- This has to by far be the sickest joke of the year (next to the election of course). This internet fad started in October when someone recorded a video of a killer clown on the street and uploaded it to Twitter. From then on, the clowns kept appearing all over the world in the strangest places: cornfields, outside of fast food restaurants, college campuses, the woods, dark highways. For a solid month, the internet went bezerk. Every day a new clown was sighted. There were rumors that clowns were lurking streets back in my hometown and on my campus, so I didn’t feel very safe the whole month. While many clutched their iPhones and ran from these clowns, there were those that fought back and things got pretty violent. So violent that professional clowns united in the Clown Lives Matter movement. And then the week before Halloween, a Twitter rumor went around saying that all the clowns would unite on Halloween for a purge. What started as one person’s joke sparked a worldwide epidemic. Eventually the clown craze died down and they all vanished… or did they?

3. US presidential election- Donald Trump *gag* was selected as the next president of The United States *gag*. Depending on your political views, this could’ve been a great night for you (to which I roll my eyes) and for others like myself, this was detrimental. I kid you not, I woke up and cried fearing for the safety of my loved ones. But I won’t go into detail on my political beliefs for the sake of this article; I’ll save that for another time. No matter which political party you side with, you have to admit that this election was absolutely bonkers. From all the bigotry that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth to the FBI releasing details about Clinton’s email scandal just days before election day, this was one was not to be forgotten. After the heartbreak that many across the country felt, people united to fight for what’s right. Students gathered in circles on campuses to preach why all people (of different colors, sexual orientation, religion, etc) mattered and the streets were filled with protests. Yet, history was made because of this election. Even though it’s hard to trust her, we have to acknowledge the fact that Hillary Clinton became the first female democratic party candidate, which is a huge deal with it being that politics seem to be run by white men. Not only did Hillz take a step, but many other women were elected into office as well. So while the fate of the next four years terrifies most, we have to remember to stick to our beliefs and fight for what’s right. #notmypresident

4. Gun violence- There are many incidents of gun violence throughout 2016, but some stand out more than others, one of them being the Orlando Nightclub Shooting. A man entered Pulse, a gay nightclub, and killed 49 people while injuring at least 50 others. The stories from hostages and other survivors are horrifying, making this one of the most media covered affairs from this year. This was a real hit for the LGBTQ community, with it happening during pride month, and just over a year after the gay marriage law was passed. This was also an attack on Latinos (the club had been hosting Latin night and many victims were of that descent), as did it stir the pot for the Muslim community, since the gunman was under investigation for terrorism. Many mosques were vandalized and many innocent Muslims endured hatred towards their people and their religion. It was truly a saddening time. Not long after came the Dallas Police Shooting, killing five officers. And while this is another tragedy, this did not help the Black Lives Matter movement and those protesting police brutality. These incidents, along with others, bring up the inevitable debate of gun control. But these incidents also brought people together. The LGBTQ community stood strong and many donated blood to help the victims (even though there is still a petty law that homosexuals can’t donate). It’s true that these events shook the nation, but nothing can shake the beliefs of those that persevere and fight for their cause.

5. Famous loses- The world lost some great talent this year including Alan Rickman, Christina Grimmie, Prince, Elie Wiesel, David Bowie, among many others. The absence of these people, their talents, and the great things they did won’t be forgotten even though they’re gone. Many gathered in the streets to worship these icons and if you ask me, seeing how their work has affected our lives and can bring us together is something to be proud of.

6. Chicago cubs won world series- Yes, you read that correctly. In my opinion, this is the one historically grand thing that happened this year. As a die hard Cubs fan, it seemed like this day would never come. My whole life I was made fun of for supporting the losing team, but nothing can shake the pride that I feel. I’m still in shock that this happened. After 108 years, the Chicago Cubs pulled off a miracle and won The World Series. I have never seen my city so excited than it was then. Congrats Cubbies on your historical win!

7. Music- Artists like Chance the Rapper and Drake released new albums this year that rocked our world. Of course, we can’t forget how Beyonce dropped a surprise album with Lemonade. Hell, even Lady Gaga made a comeback. Even though this wasn’t a great year, we have some sick tunes to escape to.

8. Celeb Drama- One moment I was peacefully in bed, all snug and warm without a worry in the world. The next, I look at my phone to see that Brangelina was DIVORCING. One of the ultimate power couples was calling it quits. This came out of the blue, and my heart still hurts. If their love won’t last, I’m going to be lonely the rest of my life. This is just one of the plentiful examples of celeb drama produced this year (let’s not forget Ryan Lochte’s fake robbery), but I haven’t even gotten to my favorite: the #taylorswiftisoverparty. Basically, Taylor Swift was furious that Kanye negatively rapped about her in his song “Famous” and used a naked look-a-like of her in his music video. With Kanye’s very blunt and rash behavior, I felt bad for T Swift. Little did the internet know that Kim K was about to drop a bomb. Kanye’s wife, Kim Kardashian, later posted a recording of a phone call conversation between Taylor and Kanye in which he asked for her permission and she said yes. Her reputation of being an innocent bystander was shattered and left the internet shook. Sorry, Tay. You a snake.

9. Dakota pipeline- Once again, money was valued over morals (typical America) and caused an upheaval. Some big company wanted to place an oil pipeline in the US. A positive: we could get out of the middle east and have our own oil. The catch: it would go through Native American territory. As if these people haven’t suffered enough! Along with wiping out most of their population and ridiculing their sacred beliefs, we banished them to a small fraction of the land they once had. Eventually people came to their senses and this project is not going through Native American territory and we’re preserving our history (our really dark history. Once again, really sorry).

10. Media and the Memes- So while some tragic things happened in pop culture like the iPhone 7 not having a headphone jack or that shocking ending to season four of Orange is the New Black, 2016 was the year for social media and the memes. If we look back, we see trends like Damn Daniel, Harambe, those damn clowns, Arthur, Ted Cruz as the Zodiac Killer, Michael Phelps’s angry face, Kermit the Frog, the Biden memes. The internet was on top of its game this year. But, we cannot forget that we lost one of the greatest memes: Leonardo DiCaprio. For years we’ve made fun of him for not having an Oscar, but guess what? Homeboy finally got one. It’s with a tint of sadness that I wish him congratulations.

So after a year of ups and downs (okay, mostly downs), this is all I have to say: maybe 2017 will be better?

Happy New Year, everyone!