Look out for a top songs of the 2010’s Spotify playlist at the end!

Top 10 Pop Culture Events of the 2010’s

Written by Kristine Villarroel 

10. The Despacito Effect:

Latin music started dominating the top U.S. charts in 2017 after the global phenomenon of Despacito. On Jan. 12, 2017, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee released their first-ever collaboration, a song that combines old-school Reggaeton with Latin Pop in a way that proved to appeal to a worldwide audience.

 The song featured established musical elements of Reggaeton as well as instruments of various Latin musical traditions like the cuatro, which shaped the melody of the song, cowbells, timbales, guache, guira and many other Latin music essentials that shape the beat of the song. 

The Despacito Remix featuring a verse of Justin Bieber singing in English rose to the top of Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 27, 2017, and it remained on the chart for 52 weeks. The record-breaking song went on to break 7 Guinness World Records and changed the game for Latin music in the U.S.

Since then, Latin-American collaborations that fuse the two cultures starting topping the charts, with songs like DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki” featuring Ozuna, Cardi B, and Selena Gomez; Karol G’s “Tusa” featuring Nicki Minaj;  and Bad Bunny’s “Mia” featuring Drake, following Despacito’s steps. The 2017 song opened the doors for Reggaeton to become mainstream in U.S. radio and media. 

9. Stan Culture:

Along with the rise of social media came the development of fandoms. Artists like Lady Gaga and Beyonce pioneered fan bases by building massive online support with the “Little Monsters” and “the Beyhive”, respectively, setting the standard for generations of fans to come. 

Twitter, predominantly, fostered these communities and became the home of thousands of “stans,” a reference to the 2000 Eminem song about obsessed fans. The community now dominates the platform. 

Throughout the decade and with the rising success of many artists, the list only grew larger. Barbz (Nicki Minaj’s fans), Swifters (Taylor Swift’s fans), the Navy (Rihanna’s fanbase), the ARMY (BTS’ fans), Directioners (One Direction fans) and Beliebers (Justin Bieber’s fans) dominated social media from the start. The craze driving the last three fan bases mentioned also defined the teenage years of many early Gen Z and late Millennial fans. 

Other media also gained a massive online following with Potterheads (Harry Potter fans), Star Wars and Marvel fans leading in the big screen and the fanbases of Game of Thrones, Supernatural, The Walking Dead and Rick & Morty leading in television. 

At first, this phenomenon seemed to be exclusive to social media platforms, as communities met and organized there but with the passage of the years, these trends only grew stronger, with fans supporting their favorite artists in real life as much as they did online. Some of the highest-grossing tours of the decade came from artists that either debuted or grew larger during the digital era, such as Taylor Swift’s 2015 “1989 World Tour” and 2018 “Reputation World Tour,” which grossed $173 million and $266.1 million respectively, Beyonce’s 2016 “Formation World Tour $256.1 million and One Direction’s 2014 “Where We Are World Tour,” which grossed $314.6 Million.

The growth of these online following gave birth to what would become known as stan culture. While many will argue for or against this type of consumer relations, no one can deny the impact that it has had on the popular culture of the decade.

8. Pride:

In late June of 1969, the LBGT community of New York City protested police raids in Stonewall Inn, a landmark gay club. 46 years later during the celebrated Pride Month, on June 26 of 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States decided on Obergefell v. Hodges and ruled that the fundamental right to marry is granted to same-sex couples by the Constitution. The landmark decision legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states and defined a major shift in the pop culture of the 2010s. 

Shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Sense8,” “Modern Family,” “Glee” and “Queer Eye” emerged in the 2010s and portrayed LGBT experiences in a positive light. The appearance of LGBT perspectives in mainstream media established a new generation that does not believe the taboo that the word “gay” carries in previous periods in time. 

7. K-pop:

During the decade, Korean pop, or K-Pop, groups such as BTS and Blackpink debuted and made their way into mainstream media. While K-Pop has its origins in the 1990s, it gained most of its popularity in the 2010s and began breaking worldwide records. For many, their first contact with the genre came through PSY’s massive hit “Gangnam Style,” which was the first-ever video to hit one billion views on Youtube. As of now, the video stands at a shattering 3.5 billion views. Since then, K-Pop only grew bigger and stronger. 

BTS, commonly recognized as the most popular K-Pop group, began their career in 2013 and experienced a global breakthrough in 2015 with the release of their third EP “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1.” The group would continue growing and in 2017 they became the first K-Pop group to perform at a major American awards show by performing at the American Music Awards. 

Similarly, groups such as Blackpink, EXO, Twice and many others have benefitted from the rise of social media to build a loyal online fanbase. The inclusion of foreign personalities in the Western mainstream during the last decade set a precedent for more countries to invest in their entertainment industry in a similar way as South Korea. 

6. iTunes and Streaming:

While Apple released iTunes way back in 2001, the prominence of digital music truly took over the music world in the 2010s. Many remember using websites such as Limewire and Ares Galaxy to download music from sketchy sources onto their computers in the 2000s and early 2010s. In the early years of the decade, the trend became clear: physical album sales were dying. 

Artists began to look for new ways to digitize their music in order to adapt to the trend, and in December of 2013, the game was changed with that digital drop: Beyonce’s self-titled album was suddenly released exclusively on iTunes. The album amassed 800,000 sales within the first three hours of its release, setting a Guinness World Record as the fastest-selling album on iTunes. The lack of promotion prior to the release (later denominated as the “surprise release”) and the online exclusivity of the release set a standard that would become the norm in the following years. Starting in 2014, most popular artists released new music on Fridays, instead of the traditional Tuesday release. Beyonce’s self-titled album rearranged the traditional release week and popularized the modern Friday release, which became the Global Release Date in 2015. 

Paying for music in order to legally consume it remained the norm for part of this decade, which meant that some people would still resort to consuming it illegally on sketchy websites; then came Spotify. The streaming giant marked a before and after on the music industry. While it rose to popularity during the first half of the decade, many claim that the streaming era for music began with the release of Spotify’s main contender Apple Music in 2015. However, the era of free music streaming did not benefit the creators of the music as much, and it took figures like Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj to stand up for the rights of the artists. Swift stood up to Apple’s Music unfair payment to artists during the 3-month free trials of the streaming service and Minaj fought for streaming to count as album sales in relation to charts.

However, streaming grew to also support other media. In 2013, Netflix, which began streaming movies on an online platform in 2007, released its first originally produced series “House of Cards”. Other streaming platforms such as Hulu, Amazon Prime TV, Disney+, HBO and many others followed. The departure from cable entertainment has become a crowded field, and the “Streaming Wars” have begun this year. 

5. Challenges and viral content:

The 2010s gave birth to one of the internet’s finest traditions: viral content. In 2012, the Harlem Shake really shook the world with its virality. The jump cuts, hypnotic beats, quick setups, and fun performance made this challenge easy to replicate and fun to watch. During its peak, 4,000 videos were produced a day and spinoffs videos gained over 700,000 views. The Harlem Shake recreation videos gained over one billion views in total and started the trend of improvised flash mobs. 

Another shape of viral content came in challenges. Some were equally dangerous as entertaining, such as the Cinnamon Challenge, the Kylie Jenner Lips Challenge and the infamous generation-defining Tide Pod Challenge, while others championed good causes, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge. Other dare challenges that became viral during the decade included the Mannequin challenge, Planking and the recent Bird Box challenge. 

4. Feminism:

The 2010s was the decade that brought back widespread feminism. The decade saw an increase in the female voices being expressed worldwide, with women speaking up agaisnt sexual assault in multiple environments. Widespread campaigns, like the groundbreaking #MeToo movement —  denounced sexual assault and harrassment by men in positions of power in Hollywood and that quickly expanded to academia, workspaces and life in general. 

The movement, which got its name from a 2006 MySpace post by civil rights activist Tarana Burke, gave women a voice to tell their sexual assault experiences, and encouraged millions to come forward and report their abusers. Sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood giants like Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby impulsed the founding of the Time’s Up movement in January 2018. 

Over 30 actresses accused Weinstein, the most notable name regarding allegations of sexual misconduct in Hollywood, with high-profile stars like Angelina Jolie, Cara Delevigne, Rose McGowan, Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow and many others coming forward to tell their stories. 

While girl-power anthems had been released all through the past decade, in 2013, the concept of unapologetic feminism entered the pop scene with Beyonce’s groundbreaking “***Flawless” which went much further than simply a female empowerment song and became a strong pro-feminist statement. Sampling Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2013 TED Talk “We Should All Be Feminists,” the song brought the concept of feminist as a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes to the forefront. The TED Talk by Adichie is known as one of the most representative pieces of feminist media of the decade, as Image explained, because it brought approacheable feminism to new masses. 

In 2014, pop singer Ke$ha accuses producer Dr. Luke of sexual, physical, verbal, and emotional abuse and seeked to void her contract with the producer, as Rolling Stone reported. The case built massive empathy online and became largely representative of the #MeToo movement. 

3. Memes:

The internet’s own, Gen Z’s lifeline, the beloved. Memes became a huge component of popular culture in the 2010s. With the rise of social media, the sense of humor of the internet as a whole gained a standard format: random pictures with funny text over it. However, as social media expanded, the definition of meme did too, becoming a general term for humorous content tailored for social media. A meme can be anything that causes widespread laughs online. 

According to Vox, Rebbeca Black’s “Friday,” Kony 2012, Doge, Slenderman, “This is fine,” Harambe and others top the list of the most iconic memes of the decade. Buzzfeed also listed Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Darude Sandstorm, Spongebob (which had too many variations to list), Galaxy Brain, Loss, Forever Alone, You Know I Had to Do It to Em, Dat Boi, Distracted Boyfriend and many others. 

2. Hip Hop Domination:

Along with the introduction of music streaming services, America’s default music genre shifted from rock and pop to hip hop. In 2017, Nielsen’s End-of-Year report on the music industry declared that for the first time Hip Hop had passed rock as the most popular music genre. According to Nielsen, a dramatic 72% increase in on-demand streaming services powered the rise of these genres’ online popularity. 

Genre-blending artists, like Drake, that take a pop approach to hip hop and rap played a massive role in the popularization of hip hop. With six Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits (including features), Drake established himself as a streaming force. However, his success also came with suspicions, like the Spotify scandal surrounding the release of his album “Scorpion.” Many users wondered how the Canadian singer qualified to appear on playlists like Grime Shutdown, Fresh Gospel, Indie Party, Bachata and Best of British, as USA Today reported.

Other notable hip hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Tyler the Creator, Chance The Rapper, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Cardi B gained hits during the decade. 

The domination of hip hop in the music industry is clear when looking at the Billboard 2019 Year-End Charts, where four out of the top ten songs featured came from primarily-hip hop artists, and two out of the remaining six had trap-inspired beats, like Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” and Post Malone’s “Wow.” The influence of Hip-Hop, trap, and rap on the music industry ought to be recognized.

1. The rise of social media:

Undeniably, social media dominated the decade and has left a mark in history. The invention of apps like Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Tumblr and Tik Tok, as well as the growth of platforms like Twitter, Youtube and Facebook all occurred within the last decade. 10 years ago, social media did not play a big role in people’s lives, but times have changed. According to Statista, the number of worldwide social media users went from 970,000,000 in 2010 to a projected 2,820,000,000 by the end of 2019, representing over a third of the world’s population. 

While the long-term effects of prolonged exposure to social media and its standards remain unknown for now, the ability to easily connect with multitudes in seconds continues to expand the concept of society as an interconnected web of individuals. 

Top 10 Movies of the 2010’s

Written by Katriona Page 

Over the course of the 2010s, thousands and thousands of movies were released, made larger-than-life with incredible improvements in computer-generated imagery, or CGI. 

“It’s really impressive what they are able to do nowadays with special effects…it makes it all so believable and astonishing and a pleasure to watch,” drama student and sophomore Camila Moscoso said.

However, not all these movies were created equal. Here is a round-up of the top 10, primarily chosen based off box-office success, other rankings and accolades won. 

10. “Finding Dory”

The 2016 sequel to hit animated classic “Finding Nemo” from 2003, “Finding Dory” focuses on amnesiac fish Dory in her attempt to find her parents. The film set multiple box office records after earning $1 billion, making it the 27th film in movie history to hit that mark. It was the third-highest-grossing film of 2016 and the eighth highest-grossing animated film of all time. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a critic approval rating of 94% and earned multiple accolades. 

9. “The Incredibles 2”

The 2018 sequel to “The Incredibles” (2004), “The Incredibles 2” focuses on the Parr family as they try to convince the public to trust superheroes while balancing their home life. They then have to battle a new enemy who desires to convince the public superheroes can not be trusted. The film earned $182.7 million its opening weekend, setting the record for best debut for an animated film, and grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing animated film and the 17th highest-grossing film of all-time. “The Incredibles 2” was named by the National Board of Review as the best animated film of 2018. Similar to “Finding Dory”, “The Incredibles 2” was also included for its “nostalgia value”; many young people grew up around the time the first Incredibles was released.

8. “Mission Impossible: Fallout”

“Mission Impossible: Fallout,” the 2018 action spy movie, is the 6th installment in the Mission: Impossible series. It follows the story of spy Ethan Hunt as he tries to hunt down missing plutonium while being monitored by the CIA after a previous mission did not go as planned. Fallout is the highest-grossing Mission Impossible film, surpassing “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.” Additionally, many critics consider it the best film in the franchise.

7. “Mad Max: Fury Road”

“Mad Max: Fury Road,” the 2015 post-apocalyptic action movie and 4th installment in the Mad Max franchise, follows the story of Max Rockatansky when he gets caught up with a group of survivors fleeing across a wasteland from tyrannical leader of the Citadel, Immortan Joe. The movie then becomes a high-action road chase and battle. It is the highest-grossing film in the Mad Max franchise, grossing nearly $380 million worldwide. “Mad Max: Fury Road” is considered not only one of the best films of the 2010s, but one of the greatest action films of all times for its impressive action sequences. It received ten Academy Award nominations, including best picture and best director, and won six: costume design, production design, makeup and hairstyling, film editing, sound editing and sound mixing.

6. “The Hunger Games”

“The Hunger Games,” the 2012 dystopian post-apocalyptic action film based off the 

eponymous book series by Suzanne Collins, tracks the story of Katniss Everdeen, the female tribute chosen from one of 12 districts who is forced to compete in a fight-to-the-death, televised tournament called “The Hunger Games.” The film was a huge commercial success, grossing over $694 million worldwide with a budget of $78 million, making it the third-highest-grossing film in the United States. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance earned her the Saturn Award for best actress, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for best actress in an action movie and the Empire Award for best actress. 

5. “Woman Woman”

“Wonder Woman,” released in 2017, is a superhero action movie about Diana (also known as Wonder Woman), an Amazonian warrior who leaves home to fight a war and discover her full potential. “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins, made $38.7 million its opening day, the biggest single-day gross for a woman-directed film. Additionally, after earning a total of $103.3 million on its opening weekend, it recorded the record for the biggest domestic opening of all time for a female director.

4. “Black Panther”

“Black Panther,” the 2018 movie based on the eponymous superhero, follows the story of T’Challa, the king of Wakanda, as he is challenged by Killmonger, who wants to start a revolution and open Wakanda to the world. Not only is it culturally significant — it is the first Marvel movie with a predominantly black cast — but it also broke multiple box office records and won numerous words. “Black Panther” grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film by a black director. It became the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time and the third-highest-grossing film in the U.S. and Canada.

3. “Frozen” 

“Frozen” was an immediate hit, capturing the attention of children and adults alike when it was released in 2013. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” it tracks the story of princess Anna and her loyal companions in their quest to find Ana’s sister, Queen Elsa, who has accidentally subjected the kingdom to an icy, eternal winter. “Frozen” won two Academy Awards for best animated feature and best original song (“Let It Go“), the Golden Globe Award for best animated feature film, the BAFTA Award for best animated film, two Grammy Awards for best compilation soundtrack for visual media and best song written for visual media (“Let It Go”) and two Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for best animated feature and best original song (“Let It Go”). “Frozen” earned a worldwide total of $1,276,480,335, making it the fifth highest-grossing film at its peak and second highest-grossing animated film. 

2. “Deathly Hallows: Part 2”

Any good “top 10 of the decade” list must include movies with cultural significance, and perhaps no movie fits that bill better than the final installment of the Harry Potter series, the third highest-grossing film franchise of all time. “Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” released in 2011, follows the story of Harry, Ron, and Hermione after they destroy a Horcrux and discover the importance of the Deathly Hallows. The trio search for the other Horcruxes to try and destroy Voldemort, who has the powerful Elder Wand. Voldemort discovers Harry is hunting for Horcruxes and attacks Hogwarts, where the three return to battle the enemy threatening humans and wizards alike. The film was a critical and commercial success; it was one of the best-reviewed movies of 2011 and grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide. It became the 12th-highest-grossing film of all time, the highest-grossing film of 2011, the highest-grossing film in the Harry Potter series and the ninth film to gross over $1 billion. It is also the highest-grossing film released by Warner Bros.

1. “Avengers: Endgame”

“Avengers: Endgame,” the superhero film released in 2019 based on superhero team the Avengers, is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In the movie, the Avengers try to reverse the destruction Thanos caused in the Infinity War. It was an immediate box office success, with a worldwide opening of $1.2 billion, and holds the record for the highest-grossing film of all time. It grossed $2.8 billion worldwide, surpassing “Avengers: Infinity War’s” run in only 11 days. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 94% approval rating.

Top 10 Political Events of the 2010’s

Written by Nicole Markus

The 2010s have turned traditional politics on its head. Throughout the decade, young people rose and demanded change, party lines deepened, movements sprang up promoting different important causes, presidents broke precedents and tensions increased within the country. The Panther takes a look at the top ten political events of the decade. 

10. President Barack Obama Re-Elected for a Second Term (Nov. 6, 2012)

In 2012, President Barack Obama was re-elected for his second term in office, significant because he is the first African American to serve as president of the United States. During his first term, Obama reformed the American healthcare system and organized the military strike that killed Osama Bin Laden, an al-Qaeda founder.. Obama’s re-election indicated the sentiment of the country, as he won both the popular vote and the electoral college. 

9. White Supremacist Rally in Charlottseville, Virginia (Aug. 12, 2017)

In 2017, following President Donald Trump’s election and inauguration, a white supremacist rally took place in Charlottseville, Virginia, near the University of Virginia’s campus. According to ABC News, Charlottseville had a long-standing debate on whether to remove its Confederate War General Robert E. Lee statue. Eventually, the city decided to remove the statue, and the Alt-Right group “Unite the Right” protested the decision. While never announced as a violent protest, counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed after a car hit her and 19 others. Counter-protesters hailed Heyer as a hero and vowed to keep her memory alive by fighting against the “Unite the Right” group, as well as other white supremacists.

This event led to many debates on freedom of speech and whether it applies to discriminatory behavior, and also fueled the Black Lives Matter movement as a response. Many criticized Trump for his response to the protest after he said there were  good people on both sides of the debate. 

8. Boston Marathon Attacks Kill Three and Injure Hundreds (April 15, 2013)

The annual Boston Marathon ended in tragedy in 2013, when two suspects from the Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan killed three people and injured hundreds of others, according to History.com. The attacks devastated the country and led to increased awareness of terrorism, especially at large public events like concerts and marathons. The two suspects said they committed the terrorist attacks because of the United States’ controversial role in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The victims included Martin William (eight), Lu Lingzi (23) and Krystle Marie Campbell (29). Later, the suspects also killed Officer Sean A. Collier. These victims are memorialized and remembered every year at the Boston Marathon, as well as in the new memorial on Boylston Street.

7. Brett Kavanaugh Confirmed to the Supreme Court (Oct. 6, 2018)

Brett Kavanaugh had a difficult time as a Supreme Court nominee after facing allegations of sexual misconduct in college by several women, including Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. These allegations caused extreme  controversy nationwide, with many questioning whether Kavanaugh deserved to become a Supreme Court Justice in light of the allegations and his behavior during his nomination hearings. The Senate confirmation vote remained extremely close, with 50 voting to confirm and 48 voting not to confirm him. Ultimately, Kavanaugh was sworn in on Oct. 6, 2018, and was sworn in on Oct. 8, 2018. 

Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court could have severe implications for Roe v. Wade, the decision that confirmed abortion’s constitutionality and gave women the right to an abortion nationwide. The balance of the Supreme Court now leans right, a move that some activist groups say could jeopardize the Roe v. Wade decision.

6. #MeToo Movement Goes Viral (2017)

While the #MeToo movement went viral in 2017, it actually started in 2006, when founder Tarana Burke uploaded the hashtag to MySpace. It blew up in 2017 after prominent actress Alyssa Milano tweeted it to her large number of followers. The tweet came at the same time many actresses accused influential producer Harvey Weinstein and other members of the Hollywood community of sexual assault, catalyzing a movement in which women and men came forward to tell the world about the sexual assault they have faced. 

This movement is designed to hold those who commit sexual assault accountable, and recognize the importance of stopping sexual assault from being as commonplace as it is. It has affected many spheres, including Hollywood, and has done a lot to end the stigma surrounding sexual assault that prevented so many people from coming forward and telling their stories to the world. 

5. Black Lives Matter Movement founded in United States (July 13, 2013)

The Black Lives Matter Movement is dedicated to reducing violence towards African Americans and to empowering the Black community as a whole. The group lifts up all members of the Black community, including women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Black Lives Matter Movement received more  attention after it became part of the National Football League, when Colin Kaepernick and several other football players knelt for the Pledge of Allegiance protesting the multiple shootings of innocent African Americans by the police. Many called for the removal of politics from football, but Kaepernick advocated for the knowledge and awareness that comes  with a national, televised platform. 

4. President Trump Elected after a Contentious 2016 Election (Nov. 8, 2016)

Trump was elected in 2016 after a contentious election between him and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Many were surprised by this, as Clinton showed a consistent edge in the polls. This election had major implications for the future of the country, as decisions Obama made — such as healthcare reform and action on climate change — do not align with Trump and his party’s beliefs. 

In addition, Trump’s election called the current election system into question, particularly regarding interference from foreign countries such as Russia. Coming into the 2020 presidential election, Trump will face another Democratic nominee intending on defeating him.

3. March for our Lives Protest Breaks Records (March 24, 2018)

On Feb. 14, 2018, a shooter entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and murdered 14 students and three teachers. The students of the school felt devastated by the tragedy and angry at the lack of policy put in place to fix the problem. As a response, they started March for Our Lives, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence in the U.S.  through common-sense legislation. 

March for Our Lives, the protest associated with the movement, took place on Mar. 24, 2018. It broke records all over the country, and even the world, for participation, and put pressure on politicians to take action regarding gun violence. March for Our Lives also helped catapult the gun violence issue to a national stage and made it a hot-button issue in midterm and presidential elections.

2. Trump Impeachment Hearings Grip the Nation (November-December 2019)

SInce Trump’s election in 2016, many have brought up impeachment as a response to interference in the election, obstruction of justice and more. Recently, the process to impeach Trump was actually started after he asked the president of Ukraine to investigate presidential candidate Joe Biden, and withheld military aid to Ukraine as well. 

Both articles of Trump’s impeachment (abuse of power and obstruction of Congress) passed the House of Representatives and now awaits a Senate trial.

1. Same Sex Marriage Legalized in the United States (June 26, 2015)

In 2015, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision that effectively legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. This decision changed the lives of many Americans living without the legal right to marry and encouraged change in other countries as well. Legalizing same-sex marriage is a huge step for the country and its inhabitants.

Due to  its positive effects on the country and the progress it signifies  for the future, the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage is the number one political event of the decade.

Top 10 Palmetto Events of the 2010’s

Written by Camilla Bondy

10. Assassin:

On Feb. 4 until Feb. 15, buy-ins will begin for the competitive game of Assassin. In this game, seniors pair up with one other person and shoot their target with water guns. 

In order to play, seniors have to pay a $10 fee. Once the maximum number of students sign up, the cash is then kept in a safe place until the final round. The team who wins splits the amount of money evenly between them. Assassin has rules to go with it as well. Some of them include: no shooting targets during school hours or on school property, school events or the field;  all weapons must shoot water only; no real guns allowed; do not leave the water guns in the car in plain view; no assassinations in the target’s workplace and finally, under no circumstances is anyone allowed to shoot someone that is driving. 

The game doesn’t just include serious rules—  it includes funny and embarrassing ones too. For example, between the times of 4-6, competitors are safe if they wear a shower cap, slippers, a bathrobe or a helmet when they walk outside . 

9. Senior Picnic:

In this tradition seniors take a day off from school and go to the zoo. This opportunity allows them to get away from homework and stress.  To get to the zoo, they take a bus. 

They play games with their friends and eat lunch together. Staff from school chaperone the field trip. Seniors get the chance to bond with some of the staff, and get on their good side.

While walking around the zoo, students can participate in fun games ;they also have bounce houses. It is a couple hours of their day to do whatever they want around the zoo.

8. Powder Puff:

Powder Puff, another activity for seniors to take part in, takes place once every school year. Participants gather all their friends and form a team to compete in a series of mini football games. It is a version of girls flag football. The girls are the players, and the boys coach. 

2018 was the first year it was done. It is a fundraiser for the school, which helps raise money for later events. It is also a fun activity for the seniors. In total, there are six teams and three fields. In the end, the final two teams compete against each other for the victory.

7. Movie Night:

Movie night allows students to relax and de-stress. A screen is set up on the field for students of any grade level at Palmetto to participate. They bring blankets, pillows and warm clothes. 

Little booths are set up with chips, pizza and drinks for the students to enjoy. Normally, they go with their friends and sit together on the field. This night gives students an opportunity for them to hang out with friends outside of a classroom.

6. Panthers Got Talent:

Panthers Got Talent invites students to perform their skills in front of an audience. Talents range from telling jokes to singing and dancing. Students get the chance to compete against each other and donate to a good cause at the same time. The show raises money for Interact Club and a separate charity that varies each year. At the end of the show, the last person left is the winner.

Anyone who is willing to show off their talents is able to participate in the competition. However, it must be an appropriate talent, suitable for the audience. 

5. Homecoming:

The week of homecoming is one of the best weeks of school. It is the day that Palmetto celebrates spirit week. Students dress up according to the different categories set on each day of the week long celebration.There are two days that stay the same every year:class color day and school color day. On class color day, freshman wear purple, sophomores wear yellow, juniors wear orange and seniors wear red. Since the colors of Palmetto are blue and white, on school color day — also the day of the homecoming game — students wear blue and white, showing off their school spirit. 

The other days of homecoming week are related to the theme of homecoming. In 2019, the theme was 80s video games, so the first day of spirit week was 80s day. Another day was dress like a video game character. The last day is always Palmetto pride. Not only do students get to wear their colors to school, but they also keep the spirit going until late at night to watch the football game.

Every year, students look forward to the homecoming game. The football team plays another school during the week of homecoming. 

4. Panther Prowl:

Panther Prowl takes place during the week of homecoming. Different grade levels compete for the title of “best class” through skits and lip sync battles and takes place the night before homecoming. Different classes and clubs prepare for weeks for their final performance. The auditorium is open to anyone who wants to see their friends or family perform. 

. A guideline of what to include is given to each group that performs. For example, groups should show spirit by wearing their class colors, make sure to lip sync and making sure skits  are not boring. 

3. Mr. Panther:

Palmetto has a wide variety of clubs. Almost every club and sports team picks one person to represent their club. However, the person chosen must be male. An old teacher at Palmetto started this tradition many years ago. Mr. Panther is a competition for male high school students to show off their muscles and “talent.”

After the first round, and after everyone has had a chance to show who they are, the judges eliminate contestants until there are only ten left. The ten people left must show off their talents. 

2. Drama Shows:

Every year, the drama team at Palmetto performs a show for the school. They put a lot of work into practicing, hoping to make it perfect. Last year, they performed “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The entire cast comprises of students in Palmetto’s drama program. Normally, the show is a musical. They sing, dance and act. 

After performing in front of an audience at school, the drama club moves on to compete against other schools. Recently, they competed at the district 8 thespian competition, and will continue in March at the Florida state thespian festival. 

1. Prom:

Prom is the end-of-year dance for seniors in which the boys ask girls to be their dates. Normally, groups of friends get together before taking pictures. After, they go on a bus or a limo to the school-hosted event, and dance and eat. There is one slow dance for dates to dance together on the dancefloor, and the rest is fast music for people to dance on the floor. 

Since it is a senior event, seniors are allowed to ask any other grade level, but juniors, sophomores and freshmen can’t ask each other. After prom, attendees decide whether they want to hang out at someone’s house or go to an after party.  

Prom is thought of as the best event of them all because it is towards the end of the year, and friends get to hang out with their entire group while also getting a chance to party on the dance floor.  

Spotify playlist courtesy of Valentina Caceres