Happy New Year, everyone!! We hope everyone had a great winter break. Obviously, the start to 2021 was not what anyone expected, and a lot has happened in the past few weeks. Although there’s a lot of negativity in the world right now, we thought we’d cheer you up with some of the BEST things we feel are happening in 2021 and awesome things we are looking forward to in addition to some positive outlooks on the new year!
First, the history-making Georgia Senate elections. Georgia has elected its first African-American senator, Raphael Warnock, who is also a pastor at the same church where Martin Luther King Jr. served. Jon Ossof, also elected, is the Jewish son of an immigrant and will be the youngest senator! It’s really exciting to see more representation in government, and the fact that Georgia has elected two democratic senators as well as going blue for the president election is definitely notable.
Jon Ossof and Raphael Warnock
Next, let’s talk about the “Gossip Girl” reboot. We simply cannot wait for the return of Kristen Bell as Gossip Girl’s voice and for our favorite Upper East-siders to adventure around New York. The reboot brings tons of new characters into the show, and the official plot summary describes, “Eight years after the original website went dark, a new generation of New York private school teens are introduced to the social surveillance of Gossip Girl. The prestige series will address just how much social media—and the landscape of New York itself—has changed in the intervening years." That summary sounds basically perfect. Rumours are that the new Serena Van Der Woodsen will be played by Emily Alyn Lind, who was also in “Criminal Minds.” Some of the original cast members have been open to cameos or appearances on the show but not all. Also, since the show is focused on a new generation, it’s unlikely that the original cast will have a huge role. Here’s the coolest part: the creator of the original show, Josh Schwartz, when asked about the identify of Gossip Girl, said he was intrigued by “this idea that we are all Gossip Girl now, in our own way, that we are all purveyors of our own social media surveillance state.” Mind. Blown. So, when is it coming out? Unfortunately all we know is sometime in 2021, but this show is definitely something to look forward to!!
The new “Gossip Girl” cast on the steps of the Met. #iconic.
(side note: here are some more shows you can look forward to this year- Tom and Jerry, A Quiet Place: Part II, Black Widow, Jumanji: Level One, West Side Story, and more!)
The Olympics are Back! Although we were sad to see the Olympics canceled in Summer of 2020, there is no need to worry because they have rescheduled it to take place from July 23-August 8 this summer! For now, these new dates allow health authorities to have time to deal with the numerous changes and updates that might occur. They are preparing for the games to stay safe not only for the athletes but also prospective spectators. These Olympic Games will be a beacon of hope that many can look forward to after these difficult times. The IOC President says a quote that will inspire all, “It will require everybody’s efforts to make these games a symbol of hope.”
Looking into SPACE! Mars is scheduled to have NASA’s Perseverance rover land on February 18th! The rover was named specifically for the year we’ve all been through and the perseverance, resilience and grit everyone’s shown. A parachute will deploy from a spaceship after entering Mars’s atmosphere. If anyone would like to watch it, check out NASA’s Youtube channel, where the rover will take pictures and roll around Mars! Now that is cool! NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is especially excited as he notes, “With the launch of Perseverance, we begin another historic mission of exploration.” Perseverance’s investigation of “rocks along an ancient lake bottom” could lead to amazing discoveries that can revolutionize our way of thinking.
Perseverance Rover Launch
With the start of the new year, we hope these highlights of 2021 will give many something to look forward to for the year ahead. I know every year people enjoy making resolutions, but this year, I have come up with a motto to live by instead (mostly because my resolutions never stick) and it’s to “Live in the Moment.” I encourage people to pick up a small motto they can tell themselves throughout the year when they’re feeling discouraged or needing some inspiration. Here is a link with 17 motivational quotations that can help jumpstart some ideas for what you might want your motto to be (see here)! Fiona and I are so excited for this year and cannot wait to bring you all the Best of the Best articles :) .
NASA, ULA Launch Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission to Red Planet (quotes/picture)
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