Think back to last year. The entire student body collectively exhaled in disgust. We lamented 2016, acted as if it was a singular disastrous event. Twitter timelines rife with laughably misguided tweets such as  “at least 2017 can’t be any worse than 2016” paired with the comically recycled renditions of  “new year, new me” or “2017 is my year.”

Fast forward to today, 2017 proved to be an entirely new beast, dwarfing its predecessor in incredulity and infamy. But hey, at least 2018 can’t be any worse as 2017.

It’s easy to purge 2017 from our collective memory, but perhaps something can be salvaged of these last twelve months. Perhaps, amidst the turmoil, two thousand and seventeen was the greatest year in human history. Without any further ado, I present to you, Fleet’s Good News: Year in Review.

To begin, we have the one moment in which we looked up from our cell phones and turned our heads to the sky. The solar eclipse. It’s rare to see a scientific phenomena receive this much attention, from students and scientists alike. In a year defined by division, the nation unified in admiration for one of nature’s greatest gifts. Even the nation’s most polarizing figure, President Trump, look directly into the sun, sans-polarized sunglasses. Ironic? Yes. Profoundly metaphoric? You decide.

Continuing on our delve into the year that was, we arrive upon on Hollywood’s watershed moment. We are all aware of the #metoo movement and its specific reverberations across the film industry. But in the midst a culture marred by the consequence of power-fueled sexism, the summer’s most dominant blockbuster proved to be Wonder Woman. With a female in the lead and directing role, this DC epic is now the highest grossing superhero origin story of all time. This crown jewel validates the calls for representation on the big screen, and sets a promising precedent for the future of film.

Next up we have series of changes in the food industry worth salivating over. We often overlook sheer innovation as it develops in our very eyes. You’ve heard of Uber, and you likely have heard of Uber Eats or Postmates. For those of you who are late to the program, these services are like pizza delivery, except it blows Burke Street Pizza out of the water. You log in on your phone, and viola, you now have delivery access to every fast food access to every restaurant in town. “I mean I guess this sounds cool,” -you, just now, reading that last sentence. Stop. Think about it. Chick-fil-a nuggets? Delivered to your house in the middle of the big game. McDonalds fries? Arrives in minutes as you spend the day binge watching Game of Thrones. I know that I am often hyperbolic, but is I’m convinced the greatest thing ever invented. Sorry Edison. Sorry Al Gore. This takes the cake. And while it’s only available in big cities, it’s only a matter on time until this revolution in food service science finds its way to Winston.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for a impromptu 2017 meme ranking. The GIFS that defined the year. If any of these photos are utterly recognizable, you probably aren’t young and hip enough to be reading this.

Memes are great. There’s nothing like a universally relatable image to help guide us through the collective tumults of life. Great year for memes, 10/10.

For North Carolinian sports fanatics, this year was arguably the best year in Carolina collegiate sports history. Beginning the year with bang, Clemson captured the college football title in thrilling fashion. The dynamic duo of North and South Carolina continued to wreak havoc on the college scene with both the Tar Heels and the Gamecocks reaching the Final 4. The Heels captured their sixth national title, and Duke again signed the #1 recruiting class in the nation. Wake Forest’s soccer team proved formidable and was the top ranked team for a large portion of their season. The state hosted a major golf tournament and went a whole year without passing a piece of controversial legislation that rendered us ineligible from hosting sporting events! Big year for us as a state, big year.

Finally, RJ Reynolds High School. By all measures, 2017 was a successful year here at dear old Reynolds High. 92% of our graduating class moved on to receive higher education, and received $15,959,068 in combined scholarships. Our arts program remains unrivaled, with Syncopate, our all-female acapella team, reached the ICHSA (International Competition of High School A Cappella) semi-finals. Demon athletics dominated, per usual. John Tatter won the south regional championship, and finished as the #4 cross country  runner in the country. Boys basketball beat Tabor, courtesy of the ice in Charlie Mensh’s veins. The football team returned to the playoffs, establishing a solid foundation for future dominance. Now, more than ever, it’s a great time to be a Demon.

All things considered, 2017 really could have been worse. And however flawed, this calendar year is most definitely one to be remembered.