Occupy Wall Street

On September 17, 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement started in New York. It soon spread from coast to coast. People felt indignant over the social and economic inequalities that existed and looked to protest against the 1 percent in this country: the richest class in America.

Sandy Hook Shooting

On December 14, 2012, while Staples students were in class on a cold, winter morning, Adam Lanza went into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and took the lives of 20 children and six staff members. This massacre sparked controversy and debate over the use of guns and led to Connecticut becoming one of the most progressive states with its gun laws in the country.

 2012 Election

On November 6, 2012, America voted Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president, for a second term. Even after being outspent by his opponent, Mitt Romney, Obama was able to utilize a strong get-out-to-vote campaign and eventually win the election with 332 electoral votes and about 5 million more votes than Romney.

Malaysian Airlines Mystery

The class of 2015 was witness to a television-esque-drama mystery that occurred in March of junior year. A Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared while flying from Malaysia to Beijing and has yet to be found over a year later. While there is still worldwide intrigue and many conspiracy theories, the plane and its missing passengers and crew have yet to be found.

 World Cup and Winter Olympics

The year 2014 was a year in sports to remember for the class of the 2015. With the World Cup in Brazil and the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, students didn’t have to look far for some world-class athletics. A round-of-16 appearance for the U.S. soccer team paired with 28 total medals from American athletes in Sochi had patriotic students extremely proud.

“Watching the world cup was a complete blast,.With all of the top class players, there was a buzz among people that you can’t find anywhere else,” Gabe Pensak ’15, a varsity soccer player,  said.

Police Brutality

With notable killings by police in Ferguson, Staten Island and Baltimore, the class of 2015 have seen unprecedented modern-day riots and tension between citizens and the police. These killings and the controversy have provided the country and the class of 2015 with the opportunity to examine society’s view of law enforcement and the stereotypes that exist for African American people.

“I think racially motivated police murders show society that racism has not been eradicated,” Jess Shaw ’15 said. “In fact, it is still a big issue in society today. Hopefully, this awareness will move us one step closer to erasing all forms of racism in society.”