The year 2009 is finally coming to a close, but what exactly happened? Here are 2009’s best and worst events, tools, and more.

Worst Health Crisis

Nations responded in uproar to the H1N1 virus as it swept over the global population. H1N1, more commonly known as “swine flu”, originated from Veracruz, Mexico. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the rapid spread of swine flu a pandemic on June 11, 2009. From the time of its outbreak until December 1, there have been 9,634 reported deaths as a result of the virus.  Vaccines are being administered to priority groups including health care workers, pregnant women, and young children from the age of four months to four years. This flu spreads in the same manner as the seasonal flu. Stay healthy this holiday season by washing your hands, not touching your face frequently, and covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

Worst Presidential Political Move

What is a political cover-up parading as a political statement parading as an ordinary conversation parading as a miniature beer fest? Something along the lines of President Obama’s Rose Garden meeting with Professor Henry Louis Gates and Sergeant Jim Crowley, which has been commonly dubbed the “beer summit”. Though the intention was to shed light on a current issue as well as to down-play the president’s former comments on the arrest of Gates, it only drew more fire towards the president and made his policies seem even more wishy-washy. Most scoffed at the significance of the event, while others used it as ammunition to further attack President Obama’s standings on other issue

Best MSJ Student Achievement

The five finest young physicists from the United States represented our country in the International Physics Olympiad last summer. Two of them came from Mission San Jose High School.

Bowei Liu, currently a junior, and Marianna Mao, now at Harvard, competed at the event held in Merida, Mexico.

To compete, they took a series of tests starting with an open exam in the spring taken by 18 MSJ students. After two more exams, Bowei and Marianna qualified for the training camp held for the top 24 students in the country, from which the top students were chosen.

In Mexico, the physics team went sightseeing, relaxed at the beach, and participated in 10 hours of exams from which they took home four gold medals and one silver.

Best TV Show Death

If you’ve been immersed in school work and haven’t had the chance to catch up on your favorite TV shows, keep reading to spoil yourself. The best death of 2009 is… *drum roll*… Dr. Kutner on House *cymbal crash*. Kutner’s suicide, a gunshot to the head, came as a complete surprise, and the remainder of the season drew from each character’s reaction. House, in particular, went into withdrawal and developed psychological problems. Other cool deaths include Izzie and Georges’ on Grey’s Anatomy (although their “deaths” are questionable), Nathan Petrelli’s on Heroes (his wasn’t nearly as good as the others because his death was leaked a month before the episode was released), and Juliet’s on Lost (also another apparent “death”). Actually, anything can happen on that show; I’m still convinced Michael Dawson survived that point-blank C-4 explosion in season four.  

Best Green Achievement

This year has seen officials developing new renewable energy projects, Obama commanding developers to consult environmental experts, and the administration rolling back numerous Bush-era decisions on pollution. But ironically, the best green achievement of the year may be from the misfortune of the recession and the stimulus bill that resulted.

Of the $787 billion distributed in the stimulus bill, more than ten percent went to clean energy, including investments in new technology and grants for improving energy efficiency.

But this is only a start. The biggest chunk of money for green energy in the stimulus bill went to upgrading the nation’s electric grid, and even that will only pay for a tenth of the $100 billion expected cost. Still, it’s a start. While the recession ended jobs and livelihoods for many, it means a new beginning for those working to improve the environment.

Worst Scandal

There’re probably more top contenders in this category than the Smoke Signal can count, but the biggest of them all is Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. Madoff is believed to have started his Ponzi scheme in the 1980s, using investors’ money to pay others in the cycle. The amount missing from clients totaled nearly $65 billion, the largest scam in the history of Wall Street. His scheme was discovered in March 2009; as a result, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison (the longest sentence possible) and is expected to be out on Nov. 14, 2139. Honorable mentions include Tiger Woods with his relationship numbers above par and two politicians, John Ensign and Mark Sanford, who were charged with sex scandals this year (both called for Bill Clinton’s impeachment after the Lewinsky scandal).  

Best Student Tool

Need to check the latest scores of a UEFA match? Forgot what the math homework was? When a computer or iPhone may not be accessible, an iTouch is convenient. It doesn’t just play music and videos; its wireless internet capabilities allow users to check web pages anywhere with wireless access, namely school. Numerous applications available provides anything from geometry help and periodic table information to amusing games for those blessedly carefree post-AP class periods. Concerned about the price tag? Try your hand at Facebook poker, accumulate enough virtual chips, and you can cash in for a free iTouch.

Best Campus Food

The student store has offered a variety of appealing snacks throughout the years, but one treat out of many stood out from its neighbors this year. It is evident from the long lines in front of the slushie machine that the sweet drinks are quite popular amongst the student body.  The quality and the prices of the drink make it the best student store snack of 2009. The slushies come in two colorful flavors: lemon lime and strawberry-kiwi. The small size costs $1.50, the medium size costs $2.00, and the large size costs $3.00. Don’t forget to try the slushies next time you plan to buy a snack from the student store.

Worst Campus Disaster

Though there were plenty of other fiascos that happened in the past year, the overflowing of the N-wing toilets in November topped them all. While it has been widely known that the facilities at MSJ are sub-par, having the plumbing back up and regurgitate bodily waste was unacceptably horrendous. As a result of this, the bathrooms were shut down and students were forced to use the M-Wing bathrooms instead. Thankfully, the N-Wing bathrooms have since reopened. We can only hope that a repeat will not be coming soon.

Worst Academic Fiasco

After weeks of preparation, MSJ students were shocked when the AP US History test scheduled for May 8, 2009, was postponed to May 20, 2009.  Details as to why the test was moved to a later date were not released except that the action was a direct order from College Board. The rescheduling of the test came as a pleasant surprise to those who were unprepared but a disappointment to the students who were ready to take the test. The change of the test date not only caused students to add to their study schedules but also forced the AP US History teachers to move around the end-of-the-year projects in order to accommodate more practice time. Hopefully, next year will not hold an unfortunate academic event of such magnitude.

Best Fashion Trend

Scarves, big or small, square or circle, are the quintessence of versatility and easy yet cost-friendly accessorizing. Seen on both guys and gals continuously throughout the seasons, these ubiquitous neck warmers are the ultimate trend for 2009. Whether it’s a summer boho-chic, a silky chiffon number, or a voluminous winter wool knit, scarves easily add personality and panache to any lackluster outfit. Such affordable accessories, adorned by both celebs and students alike, can also be worn in a multitude of ways, such as in a single knot, a criss-cross, a double wrap, or freestyle. From dainty patterns and prints, like plaid and peace signs, to endless fringe to plain solid colors, the diversity in its design assures that there is a scarf for everyone.

Worst Fashion Trend

The year 2009 brought back the 80s and (even worse than shoulder pads) the metallic leggings. Any type of leggings, especially pleather metallics, should stay leggings and not become pants. These popular skintight staples make cute outfits with skirts, dresses, and tunics, but no matter what they are  with, always keep them covered and in combination. Leggings create an unseemly silhouette on the crotch and the behind, so why flaunt the faux pas to the public? The garish metallic spandex does nothing but attract more attention to unwanted areas. Too shiny and tight to be chic, leave these tragedies to Lady Gaga; at least she has her music to defend herself.  

Best Tech Tool

Etherpad is an online text editor that lets you type on a text document, working with people as if you were sitting next to one another.

Starting from www.etherpad.com, it takes one click (no signup required) to create a new document. Inviting collaborators is as easy as sending them the URL over email or IM. Then, the text that each user types will instantly appear on everyone else’s screens, highlighted in a color of his or her choice. Users have access to basic formatting, a chat box, and a “Time Slider” that replays the creation of the document, keystroke by keystroke.

In December 2009, Google acquired Etherpad to support its new project, Google Wave, but announced that it would shut it down. Fear not, though: all features will remain fully functional until April 2010, and Google is taking steps to ensure users can find a replacement.

Best Words of 2009

From the Internet to the VMAs, 2009 has given birth to a medley of phrases which have comfortably planted themselves into everyday vocabulary.

change

friend (used as a verb)

epic fail

QQ

FML

MLIA

boss

vampire

werewolf

you’re a jerk

I’m on a boat

Obama

furlough

budget cuts

tweet

like/dislike

swine flu

king of pop

stimulus

health care