A College Career in Headline News

Visual and words by Natalie Pieterick

As I start a new chapter in my life, I felt the need to reflect on my time at Hamline. Instead of only thinking about my personal timeline, I started to think a little broader. I looked back at headlines from Fall 2015 to Spring 2019 and reflected on the major headlines that I specifically remember. Whether it was a flashbulb memory of the specific event or national news that circulated social media, these headlines spark my memory. It is important to remember the past. Without the past, we have no knowledge for the future. This timeline may not include all the major headlines in the past four years, but all that have left an impression on me.

Fall 2015

Paris Terrorist Attack

Nov. 13 | French officials have determined that this attack was connected to ISIS. ISIS took responsibility for this attack, and the head of the operation was executed five days later. This was the fourth terrorist attack in France in 2015.

https://abcnewsgo.com/US/year-review-13-biggest-news-stories-2015/story?id=35852690

2016

Flint Water Crisis

Jan. 16 | President Obama declared Flint, Michigan, as in a state of emergency due to contamination of water. Local officials changed their water source to the Flint River two years prior. Many of those affected were poor and a majority were Black residents. The local government was slow to realize that the pipes were lead contaminated, causing citizens to be exposed to lead every day for two years. Many children tested positive for high lead levels.

Rapist's Sentence Shortened Due to "Negative Impact"

Jun. 2 | Convicted rapist and ex-Stanford swimmer Brock Turner was only sentenced to six months for sexual assault. This national newsworthy story shocked the public because of the victim's testimony that circulated online. The judge's reasoning to shortening his sentence was because he didn't want jail to have a negative impact on Turner's future.

Philando Castile Shooting Caught on Tape

Jul. 6 | In Falcon Heights, Minnesota, right down the street from Hamline, Philando Castile was shot seven times in his car [by police]. His girlfriend who was in the car with him videotaped the shooting and posted the video to Facebook. This sparked a large response from Black Lives Matter, who protested on multiple occasions, including down Snelling Ave. The officer involved was charged with manslaughter.

Cubs Win World Series

Nov. 1 | Cubs won the World Series after 108 years. The Back to the Future trilogy was only one year off from predicting this moment in history.

Trump Elected President

Nov. 8 | After an eventful campaign season, Trump won the Presidential Election. This caused multiple protests and political parties to polarize even more.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/16-stories-that-defined-2016/

2017

Women Marched Against Trump

Jan. 21 | Many women (and men) marched through Washington D.C. in protest of remarks made by newly inaugurated Donald Trump. Many of the marchers wore pink "pussy hats" in response to the phrase Trump said in a 2005 Access Hollywood tape.

Covfefe

May 31 | Donald Trump [potentially] trolled Twitter with his early morning tweet, "Despite the constant negative press covfefe." Trump never followed up with the intended meaning behind that tweet and it is still a mystery today.

Solar Eclipse

Aug. 21 | During a polarizing time in America, the solar eclipse was something that was uniting. People welcomed a. distraction and camped out to watch the 1 hour and 33 minute eclipse.

Kneeling during the National Anthem

Aug.-Oct. | Many teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and Indianapolis Colts, kneeled during the national anthem in protest [of ongoing violence against the Black community]. More than 200 players participated in this protest, which generated a response from President Trump. He said, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now," at a rally in Alabama. Many coaches and owners defended the players' first amendment rights [though others ostracized their players, like Colin Kaepernick, from playing the sport].

Mass Shooting in Las Vegas

Oct. 1 | At an outdoor music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, 58 people were killed after a gunman opened fire into the crowd. This is the deadliest mass shooting in modern history in the United States.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/17-stories-that-defined-2017/

2018

Another Royal Wedding

May 19 | Prince Harry of the Royal Family married American actress Meghan Markle. The wedding reached over 50 million viewers.

Denuclearization of North Korea

June | Kim Jong Un announced that he wanted to end the tension of nuclear war between North Korea and the United States. He plans on denuclearizing by 2021, which is the end of Trump's term as President.

Thai Soccer Team Gets Stuck in a Cave

July | A group of 12 young boys and their coach were stranded in the Tham Luang Cave in Thailand. The cave flooded after heavy rain, which caused the team to be unreachable for about a week. Divers eventually found the soccer team, and they were saved by a team of international rescuers.

https://thisisinsider.com/big-world-news-top-headlines-2018

Brett Kavanaugh Is Sworn into the Supreme Court

Oct. 6 | The Senate voted to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court despite national news coverage of sexual assault accusations against him. Kavanaugh won a 50-48 vote that secured his position on the Court.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court.html

Spring 2019

Longest Government Shutdown

Dec. 22-Jan. 25 | The 35-day shutdown was a standoff as Trump demanded funds to build a wall between the United States and Mexico border.

https://www.ajc.com/news/national/when-was-the-last-government-shutdown-timeline-shutdowns/KINIFLdhfBz9FzrrlBpTI/