As the holidays roll around, they bring in a mix of traditions and emotions—the art of gift-giving, spending time with family, and of course, the 2024 countdown. Many things happened this year but in the end, what do we have to show for it? As the year progresses, every little moment feels most monumental until they all blur into one. From the election, Olympics, celebrity allegations, and less serious moments like rap beef, Roblox games, and Brat summers, this year was filled with momentous highs and lows. To honor the whirlwind of events that took place this year, we decided to compile all of our favorite moments of 2024.
From political to pop culture
The first thing most people think of when the topic of 2024 comes into conversation is the presidential election. On July 21, 2024, current President Joe Biden announced that he would be dropping out of the race. Mere hours later, Vice President Kamala Harris stepped into his place. As many know, this caused a divide within America. Would we be getting our first female president? Or would public speculation play out with the regression of rights for people of color, reproductive health, etc? The race to win quickly turned from political to pop culture with the help of social media edits praising Harris for her ‘flawless’ silk press and policies while the past president Donald Trump was turned into meme after meme due to his felonies and public speculation. When the results came in, many were shocked because of the social media engagement, while others were not surprised at all.
2024 Olympics
The summer 2024 Olympics were not only a sporting event but a global and cultural display, blending athletics with entertainment and fashion. The event ran from July 26 to August 11 and was held in Paris, France for the third time since the 1900s. The USA came out on top with the most medals, finishing with a total of 126 medals altogether, 40 of them being gold which tied with China. But this was not even close to being the highlight of the event. This year, for the first time, the Olympics introduced breakdancing as its newest event, surprising many. While some people thought this was a step in the right direction for a more inclusive future of the games, others believed this new addition strayed too far from the history of the Olympic games, thinking it was too different from the other more “classical” sports. Of course, this was not the only event that gained traction in the media, gymnast Simone Biles made her return after not participating in the 2020 games to focus on her mental health. By the end of her comeback, she went home with 3 gold medals in the women’s individual all-around, women’s team competition, and vault event.
Changes in ELHS
While these global and political events were happening, ELHS has been evolving and creating a few changes of its own. We’ve seen a few of these changes ourselves with the transitioning of our contracted DK security guards to in-house security hired by ELHS. This change has received positive feedback from staff and students alike.
“I like our new security,” Layniee Nixon (12) said. “Since they were hired by the school, you can tell they care more about us and continue to put in the effort.”
Along with welcoming new staff, we also noticed a few changes regarding other individuals in the building. These include student support staff like Jerry Jones, Katie Smith, and Nate Colon. With the new security staff, names have now become a part of the conversation. In addition to the security being addressed by last name with honorifics like Mr. and Ms. instead of “officer” like they have been called in other schools, a reminder to also use these honorifics for our student support staff was released.
“This is just a clarification to ensure all staff members are given the same respect and esteem in our building,” Principal Ashley Schwarzbek said. “[The clarification] also helps to promote healthy boundaries between staff and students.”
As some changes happen right away, others take time to ensure student’s high school experience will be the best it can be. One of these projects includes the proposal and passing of the $23.5 million bond that is stated to expand the student union as well as strengthen the security of not only ELHS but Macdonald Middle School as well. It also includes moving our administration to an off-campus site to make room for new projects in the upcoming year.
“Part of it [administration offices] is going to be taken over by our technology office because the space that they had been occupying is now going to be opened up as our Ingham County Health Center next year,” Schwarzbek said.
Rewinding time
It’s always nice to look back on what we have experienced over the years. Through the ups and downs, it is important to see how far we have come from years prior. Now, it will soon be time to say goodbye to 2024 and welcome 2025 and all it has in store.
