The definition of a decade: How will we be remembered?
December 17, 2009 • Courtney Ochi
Filed under Features
As we approach the end of 2009, the last of the “oh-somethings”, the question becomes, how will this decade be defined? Will tragedies define our generation or will a lack of celebrity integrity portrayed in the media prevail? Either conjures up vivid memories, but are these memories enough to keep this decade out of oblivion?
“The Devastating Decade”
As one of our nation’s largest tragedies, 9/11 defined our generation by instilling a fear of terrorism in our hearts and a respect for hometown heroes. It would have been easy to assume that 9/11 would define the decade, but Americans’ ability to cope with the sadness and turn it into a sense of pride for our country show that they will move on and see the day as something that has had the ability to bring our nation together.
However, 9/11 was not the only tragedy in the 2000s. Hurricane Katrina displaced many Americans in the South, as did the large tsunamis in Asia and Samoa. Destruction has devastated the past ten years and as Al Gore has said, “what changed in the United States with Hurricane Katrina was a feeling that we have entered a period of consequences.”
“The Digital Decade”
Facebook. Twitter. Youtube.
The Internet has made its greatest boom in the 00s. Apple first released the iPod in 2001, and since then, the world of music and technology has never been the same.
Our decade has created innovative new products that enable us to carry thousands of songs in our back pockets while reading the latest tweet from a friend an ocean away.
Cell phones and texting have transformed personal communication into instant gratitude. Technological advances will only continue to expand as communication blitzes in front of us.
“The Dishonorable Decade”
Hollywood starlets like Audrey Hepburn and Julia Roberts have been replaced by Flava Flav and the Obama Girl. This decade expanded the breadth of television by exposing people to the life of regular people in grand spectacles.
Viewers watched Bob and Jillian shape up America’s Biggest Losers while Bret Michaels and New York found true love. The Kardashians shocked everyone by becoming famous for Khloe’s quick engagement and wedding to basketball star Lamar Odom, Kourtney’s pregnancy out of wedlock, and Kim’s sex tape scandal with rapper Ray J. But Kim wasn’t the only one. Paris Hilton exposed all the Internet creeps to “1 Night in Paris”.
This decade has been defined by trashy television that showcases “stars” during their less than 15 minutes of fame.
Every show has become more liberal. Rosie O’Donnell, Clay Aiken, and Tila Tequila came out in an extravagant manner that would only occur in the 00s.
“A Decade at ‘Iolani”
Students at ‘Iolani have been affected by the technological advances and media influences, but the campus and student life have also undergone a major facelift.
The amphitheater and Father Bray complex were destroyed in order to make way for the Weinberg building and Kozuki Stadium which were both dedicated in 2003. A statue of Sun Yat-Sen was also erected in front of the newly renovated entrance to Castle Building in 2008.
Lower School students had to give up the take-bars and hot metal slides on the playground in exchange for a safer jungle gym.
What will remain the largest change of the 2000s will, however, not relate to any reconstruction, but to a tradition that has been smoked out of existence. This year marked a historic change in ‘Iolani’s Burning of the ‘I’ tradition. The sons and daughters exclusive presence in the ceremony have been doused.
“The 2000s”
So maybe this decade will not be defined by a single moment in history, a construction, or a small, smothered flame, but as the foreground of the century. Technological advances have paved the way for medical miracles, but they have also decreased communication, and television shows will only become more ridiculous and bold.
The 2000s will probably not be remembered. Besides being difficult to refer to as the “oh-ohs” or “double aughs”, the 2000s have paved the way for even more progression.
When things are constantly changing, it’s hard to remember where everything began. As the foundation, bricks are being laid above the surface that we have created and for that we will probably not be remembered.
However, those who have experienced the past ten years can hold claim to being the generation that started it all.
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