Beginning this post by queuing the song "F2020" by Avenue Beat and thinking to myself, is that really the message I should be following? This song has been a staple in my walks across campus, as it is relevant to me being a teen living in this crazy world. However, something I saw on Instagram a few days ago made me question all the hate toward 2020, which was the question "why are we angry by the protesting against equal rights and the use of masks in precaution to COVID-19?"

Yes. It is not ideal, anyone can admit that. Yet, why have we forgotten about what our world was like just a few months ago? Racism has been a part of our lives forever, yet it is now that people are still fighting for their rights due to the amount of lives taken by such a belief. Just about everyone I know or follow on social media was posting and taking action, protesting or advocating for Black lives and condemning the social injustice they face each day (and by the way, still do). The fight is not over, and as I have continually been educating myself, I have been holding myself accountable for not forgetting what is happening to to people of color.

What the post I came across questioned was, "why is it F2020?" Are we angered by black injustice and the questioning of our entire society across America? Because change must happen, and each time our country seems to be getting somewhere, the trend dies. Are we actually moving forward? Or have we remained still this entire time, no matter how many Instagram posts we share or donate to, when will change actually happen?

Politics and the social justice system usually is not my "jam" and is not something I particularly pride myself in knowing much about, however, I can credit the resources I have been given by friends, trusted media, and coaching staff for teaching me about what is truly going on and how to contribute and understand to do better. It seems like our country is a big fan of trendsetting and allowing topics to come in waves, and soon be forgotten about. Think about low-rise jeans. They were a trend for a few years and now are strongly disliked by many individuals in that a new trend came along, being high-rise jeans. High-rise jeans made their return from the 1970's to modern day. Trends repeat themselves yet typically are forgotten about as new ones come along. Comparing social injustice to low-rise jeans is not the direction I intended this piece to take, but in my intellect this somehow connects. The message I am communicating is that we cannot continue to advocate for news that is currently favored at the time if our intentions are not productive.

This goes the same for mask wearing. No matter how many people think COVID-19 is a hoax, we must follow the rules. Just follow the guidelines in order to move forward! Notice we have not progressed as a country in comparison to others, simply because we as free American citizens get too comfortable with trends too quickly, and want to move on to the next big thing. If we simply do what we are told, and agree on maybe just one thing we could make some progress here. Being a college student on a campus where rules are set in place, it is nice to see us as a community attempting to achieve the same goal, to remain on campus for our own well-being. Setting guidelines in just about every setting here on campus has been productive, and I pride myself in being a Villanovan for how well we have handled these harsh times.Those partying and selfishly wandering about their lives, sorry but you kind of stink. Especially freshmen, who have a whopping three more years to live out their party fantasies. The upperclassmen would like to take the precautions now so we can socialize later, in the last moments of their college years. Let's think more productively and have some empathy for others, and to the partiers, you'll get the opportunity another time.

To conclude, I would like us all to remember that it is still 2020, and there is some unfinished business here. This year will be one in history books, if they even exist in following years, which is why we must reach some goal- whether that has to do with social justice or overcoming the coronavirus, these two events have been the backbone of this long year and it is only September. There are still 4 months left, which is why we cannot forget what has happened and use it to make a change that will be just as memorable as when these issues started. Imagine being able to tell your grandkids that us as a country overcame coronavirus because we followed the steps to which were told of us and we listened and respected our peers, leading to a more equal and multi-perspectived society. Now that is something I would be proud of, rather than admitting that we made no steps forward, just steps back.

Last thing, just be a good person. Mic drop.