2020, the year many of us consider being the bane of our existences. Lately, we have concluded that 2020 has it out for all of us. What with the recent fires, tropical storms, the running protests, political turmoil, and what seems to be a never-ending quarantine. 

Ah, quarantine. The prolonged staying-indoors decree; driving our parents mad with fury, door-dashing, grub-hubbing, doing whatever we can to survive (and not burn our houses down or murder our siblings in the process).  

Along with the 28 major wildfires, 14 to 20 tropical storms, and the 4 to 6 rank 3 to rank 5 hurricanes, we also have the underlying threat of the Covid-19 pandemic and influenza. Amongst these worldly issues, each of us has one or many familial, school, and life-related problems.

The pandemic introduced in January of 2020 resulted in many schools being shut-down to protect the well-being of both students and faculty. In doing so, students were required to attend daily Zoom or Google Meets meetings. 

The pandemic not only rendered schools closed but small and large businesses alike. Threatening many businesses to close for good. The pandemic has also resulted in large and small conflicts between people. 

In the beginning stages of the pandemic, panic ensued across the entirety of the U.S. leading to intense battles between people for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bleach, etc. In history books, in the future, this will, most likely, be known as the Siege of Cleaning Supplies. 

Due to this, Siege of Cleaning Supplies, stores implemented a rule that there can only be one bottle of bleach for each household, a person can only buy a certain amount of sanitizer, soap and toilet paper, to not render other households empty. 

California has also had the worst air quality the world has seen since the Australia bush fires in the summer of last year, the Black Lives Matter’s peaceful protests have been going on since summer, and the presidential election caused more friction.  We just can’t catch a break.  

According to 11th grader, Lino Toral, “I would describe 2020 as a dumpster fire, no matter who you are or what you believe, this year is objectively bad.” This description of 2020 is spot on. 

Within these trying times, however, people have found ways to pass the time, aside from work or school. Although many places are once again under strict quarantine rules, we have found other ways to communicate with family and friends. 

To most of us, it doesn’t seem that 2020 will be ending on a positive note. 2021 is arriving soon and some of our hopes for having a good year have been utterly shattered. Freshman Ximena Jimenez had this to say on the upcoming year, “I doubt 2021 will be better. Unless we get a cure for COVID.”  With the vaccine newly approved, many are left wondering when they will be able to get it.  

Covid-19 has been a lingering shadow of fear over-top all of our heads, along with the election, protests, and the never ending amount of natural disasters, we’re all wondering when life will get back on track. 

We’re all waiting for this vaccine, for this quarantine–that has been in place for months–for the political strife to be over so that we will no longer feel pressured nor concerned about how this will affect us in the coming years. 

Bella Spilsbury thinks there is nowhere to go from here but up: “I do hope that the new year coming up 2021 will be better. I hope that we could all grow as a nation and come together. I hope we can get over this virus and schools will open back up. I have an idea that next year will be a lot better than this.”

 Although this year has been nothing but a series of mistakes and misfortune, we are all holding onto the hope that these following years will be, at least, somewhat better.