2020 has been quite an interesting year. Like a Netflix drama series that we all had front row seats to with twists and turns some never thought possible. And while 2020 actually has had a few positives, including new forms of unity, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, the Vienna Rustic Love project, etc., as well as vaccines for COVID-19, there were also downsides, such as the pandemic, which has led to over 1.81 million fatalities worldwide, the (non-pandemic related) deaths of many famous and beloved celebrities, and the over 50 lawsuits alleging voter fraud, of which all but one were promptly dismissed. Luckily, the homestretch is near, and many people are hoping for 2021 to be much better.

In a Hawk Talk survey of 188 Madison students, 75.6% said that 2020 was definitely interesting and it would be hard to forget, but they could take it or leave it. 21.3% said 2020 was horrible and the worst year of their lives. Some, however, had a more positive outlook.

“So many bad things happened, but there were also so many things that changed my life forever in the best way possible,” Avery Canedo (’24). “I wouldn’t want to repeat it, but I don’t regret a minute of it.”

Personally, I didn’t love 2020, but there was enough that I think I would be willing to repeat, but would prefer not. I was able to make the most of it, thanks to my friends, many different Netflix and Apple TV series, the summer pool and mostly, my family, even though they are currently the bane of my existence. I think that 2020 taught me and many others a valuable lesson. It helped many of us see how fortunate we are, which is what some of us really needed, myself included. 

In another survey question asking if participants could think of anything positive from 2020, 46.3% said they could think of at least one thing, and 52.1% could think of a few positives from 2020 leaving only three people saying that there was absolutely nothing good from 2020 and two people saying that it was the best year ever, which I think is absolutely mad and makes me really worried about what your lives are like. 

“I think COVID really showed me how everything can change at the drop of a hat,” Gwen Setia (’21) said. “Going into 2021 and my final semester of high school, I’d like to take more time to reach out and make sure the people I care about are doing well. Everybody really struggled this year in different ways, and letting someone know that you’re thinking of them can make a huge impact.”

Also on the survey, 26.6% said they feel like they could have done something to “soften the blow” of 2020. 27.7% there was nothing they could have done to soften the blow, and 45.7% said they have no idea if they could have done anything. Many students also explained that they think the government could have done a better job with managing COVID-19.

“Even though I don’t like Trump, I don’t believe it’s his fault Corona happened,” Libby Machovina (’21) said. “I do believe he could have handled the situation better, and maybe we would have had a better outcome, but those are all ‘ifs.’ I also do believe that Trump has made it extremely difficult for our country to come together during this difficult time because he’s pinning the Democrats and Republicans against each other and won’t concede to losing the election.”

2020 was a crazy, unpredictable and unprecedented year. Things happened that were unfeasible for many people, but while 2020 comes to a close, let us reflect on how we got through it. Think about how you survived and continued on even when it looked like there was no end. Let’s work together to help make 2021 better. Even the little things can help.