At the start of a new year, there is often a sense of renewal. It can feel like a cleansing from everything that took place in the year before. It’s a fresh start waiting to be taken.

As 2019 came to a swift close, there was something more than a new chance at stake. There was a feeling that this was to be a monumental time as a new decade was upon us.

In these past ten years, the world and its people, have witnessed a number of transformative events. Some of them were inspiring and uplifting, while others were tragic and truly heartbreaking.

During that time, millions of people got married and started families. The Pew Research Center reported that nearly 30 countries and territories legalized same-sex marriage. Others lost loved ones in gruesome acts of terrorism, lost the feeling of safety in their classroom, religious centers and even movie theaters.

Americans witnessed the first African-American president to complete not one, but two terms in the Oval Office. He was then followed by a television personality star, who has since divided our country with his tweets.

Powerful social movements highlighted the inequality of human rights and need for constitutional changes. Black Lives Matter, the Women’s March, and March For Our Lives, among others, were able to show that despite our differences, people will stand together to fight for what’s important.

Speaking for myself, the last ten years have been a trip to say the least. I struggled with the ups and downs of puberty in this new age of technology and social media — where my duck face selfies will forever follow me in life— while I also graduated high school. I then realized I had to make decisions that would become consequential.

When 2019 came to a close I wasn’t sure what to expect and now that I have spent some time in 2020, the energy of things being “monumental” is beginning to dull. But I continue to remain positive as there is still the possibility of that anything can happen.

The beginning of 2020 can mean many things to different people, for myself it means a new semester, year and decade.

With this new semester, I will proudly help lead The Recorder to bring newsworthy content to the Central Connecticut campus and surrounding area, in hopes to better our community.

With this new year, I pray that positive, wise constitutional change takes place as I vote in my first presidential election. I also look forward to seeing more of the Lil Nas Xs and Greta Thunbergs of the world surface to help redefine and shape our world.

And while this may sound like an answer for a beauty pageant, I hope that in this decade there are discussions on improvement that will become actions to help build a more peaceful, united world.