Welcome back to school, fellow collegiates! I hope that everyone had a lovely summer break. Loads of exciting things happened over the summer, from Miley Cyrus’s controversial Video Music Awards performance to the Supreme Courts rulings on DOMA. In case you were too busy catching up on your latest TV show, traveling abroad in a foreign country, or attending summer school over the summer, I decided to do a quick recap of some noteworthy summer events to get you back up to speed.
1. VMA’s 2013
With every summer comes MTV’s annual Video Music Awards, and with every Video Music Awards comes a performance that stands out. Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s collaborative performance wins for this year’s stand out performance. Performing hit singles “We Can’t Stop” and “Blurred Lines”, the duo brought a provocative cringeworthy performance that left many of it’s viewers stunned.
Justin Timberlake’s Video Vanguard performance also got a fair amount of recognition from the public, where the highly anticipated ‘N SYNC reunion returned for a quick appearance amidst Timberlake’s 15-minute medley. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s hoping this isn’t the last time they’ll be singing “Bye, Bye, Bye”.
Other moments include Lady Gaga’s elaborate costume and wig changing performance to her hit new single “Applause”, and Taylor Swift indirectly acknowledging ex-boyfriend Harry Styles of One Direction, as an influence for her winning female video of the year “I Knew You Were Trouble” in her acceptance speech.
2. Possible American Intervention With Syria
Another important political event that occurred over the summer was the dispute on whether the United States should intervene with Syria. Syria is currently in the middle of a turbulent war, which began back in April of 2011. Peaceful protests against Syrian government began getting more violent as the security forces began to crack down on it’s citizens under the regime of Al-Assad. Their leaders have used chemical weapons against civilians, killing thousands of innocent lives. The United States has expressed an interest in intervening and President Obama has looked to Congress for approval on military action. For more information, I’ve included an article that breaks down what’s happening in Syria and the U.S. involvement.
3. The Royal Baby
News channels across the pond have been buzzing in anticipation for the Royal Baby and on July 23rd, George Alexander Louis, Prince of Cambridge was born. It was an iconic moment for Kate Middleton and Prince William as images debuted on the Internet of the Royal Couple holding their new baby. The photos of the lovely couple deemed reminiscent of when Princess Diana and Prince Charles debuted their Prince William in 1982 outside of the exact same hospital wing.
4. The Death of Corey Monteith
For those who are unfamiliar with the Canadian actor, Corey Monteith is famously known for the role as Finn Hudson in the musical-comedy show, Glee. On July 13th, news immediately spread like fire about his unexpected death. Monteith, having a past with drug use and recently released from rehab last April, was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada. Millions of fans expressed sympathy for the actor well as for his on-screen and off-screen girlfriend, Lea Michele who plays Rachel Berry on Glee.
5. Zimmerman Murder Trial
Another important event to note were the results of the controversial Zimmerman Murder Trial. In 2012, George Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder for the death of teenager Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman pleaded ‘not guilty’, stating that his actions were in self-defense. On July 13th, Zimmerman won his case. Media coverage was already quite heavy, but this ruling elicited a huge public response. While there was a large amount of people that took to the Internet to voice their opinions, protests broke out with supporters of Trayvon Martin believing the ruling to be unjust. Check out the link below for quick information on the case.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/justice/florida-zimmerman-5-things/index.html
6. Supreme Courts ruling on DOMA—Legalization of Marriage
“And I can’t change… even if I tried, even if I wanted to…”
– “Same Love” by Macklemore
On June 26th, Macklemore’s single “Same Love,” was heard on practically every radio station in celebration of the Supreme Courts Ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The Defense of Marriage Act was a law created in 1996 and signed by President Bill Clinton that banned the legalization of same sex marriages in the United States. Since then, many steps have been taken to address the law and whether it stands constitutional or not. On Wednesday, June 26th, the Supreme Court shut down DOMA with a vote of 5-4, stating that the law is unconstitutional. It was truly a historical day for the Untied States of America as we took a step in a new direction.
7. Miss America
And lastly, the annual Miss America competition had an interesting response from the public this year. On September 16th, it was announced that the new Miss America 2014 was Nina Dalvuri of New York. Immediately after her winning, America responded with mixed reviews about our new Miss America—particularly the fact that she is the first Miss America of Indian descent. Of course, Miss America handled the backlash very well with poise and grace, stating that she is indeed “first and foremost an American” and that she was happy to bring diversity to the pool of previous Miss America winners. It should also be noted that our Miss California, Crystal Lee, won 1st runner up to Miss America!
There you have it collegiates—a quick summer recap! Did I leave anything out?
Feel free to submit your opinions in a comment below.