What's in Store for 2012

UCSB’s extended winter break has come to an end and at the beginning of week four, everyone is finally back into the swing of things and ready to embark on this highly anticipated year of 2012. After a memorable year of 2011 that included the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Royal Wedding, the passing of Apple’s Steve Jobs, and the Penn State sexual abuse scandal, one can only predict the height that the social media world may reach during this upcoming year. 2012 marks a year full of significant events, most importantly the US Presidential Election and the Summer Olympics in London. These two events are sure to be the basis of what will be a monumental year in history.

The US Presidential Election of 2012
Deception between candidates is never lost among the US political races. So far, the biggest conflict has been between the two Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Although both are running as Republicans, neither Romney nor Gingrich represent the expected candidate for the Republican Party. Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts, is a registered independent and has voted for Democrats in past elections. Many Americans view this discrepancy of party alignment as a weakness and instability on Romney’s behalf. However, these less conservative views may be to Romney’s advantage as moderate voters support his perspective. Similarly, Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, has a history of aligning himself with Democrats, as he compromised with former President Bill Clinton. Gingrich also has yet to be directly involved in US politics since his position as Speaker of the House, which ended in 1999. Although many Republicans would favor another outside person to run for the candidacy, both Romney and Gingrich have proved their resilience and discipline throughout the many battles they have fought against one another and the public. The Republican primary is expected to end in the beginning of June.
 
President Obama will be contesting as the Democratic candidate for presidency against the winner of the Republican primary. In his State of the Union address this past Tuesday, January 24^th, Obama summarized how although he is working on his candidacy for the continuation of his presidency, he is more focused on the important issues at stake in the US currently.
 
The US presidential race has already reached social media highs, and will continue to grow even further as 2012 progresses.
 
The 2012 Summer Olympics in London
The London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games has been planning and preparing for the 2012 Summer Olympics since October 2005. From the construction of new venues, to the supervision of a multi-billion dollar fund, to the implementation and organization of public transportation, to the oversight of the overall management and legacy of the London 2012 Olympics, the town of London is excitedly preparing for what is expected by many to be the most memorable Olympic Games in history.

 
The competing sports in the upcoming Olympics are divided into 26 categories. The seven within these 26 categories that consist of multiple disciplines are aquatics, canoeing/kayaking, cycling, gymnastics, volleyball, equestrian, and wrestling. The other 19 categories of sports that will be competing are: archery, athletics (track and field), badminton, basketball, boxing, fencing, field hockey, football, handball, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, and weightlifting. Many popular sports that have previously been included in the Summer Olympics are not included anymore such as baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, and water motorsports.
 
The Olympics are attracting spectators not just for the sports but also because London is one of the most popular touristic nations in the world. Many students from UCSB along with students from all over the world are planning on studying abroad or finding internships in London for the summer. Tickets for the games have been sold out on many websites, and prices have skyrocketed since they first went on sale. People from around the world are preparing for these games either by making expensive travel plans or by pre-recording their televisions on the NBC sports channels.  
 
These two highly anticipated events embody only a portion of what should be a memorable year. But the biggest question is—how will your life change this upcoming year?
 
Let us in on your 2012 New Year’s Resolution in the comment section below. We love to hear from our readers!