Learning the lessons of 2008
By Nicole Harris
Some people cope with a new year like they do with a breakup -- by getting a new hairstyle, new hobby, new friends or a new life plan.
And, just like the significant other you want to shake the memory of, many watched the ball drop this New Year's Eve and thought, "I just want to forget about 2008."
But wait. Just like 2008, your ex may have left you sad, broke and brokenhearted, but that doesn't mean there weren't important lessons to be learned.
While 2008 may have been a rough year for many of us, let's not forget the sometimes painful, yet always precious, lessons that the historic year gave us.
When I was a little girl, I would get money from my grandparents for Christmas, and my mother would take me shopping so I could pick out a Barbie.
There was one year when I wanted supermodel Barbie because she came with outfits, shoes and purses that were sure to catch Ken's eye.
Yet, supermodel Barbie was definitely out of this 6-year-old's price range. So, instead, I bought ice-skating Barbie, who had just one outfit and pair of shoes, but was just as fun to play with.
Hence lesson number one from 2008: Don't spend what you don't have. Yes, it's as simple as that. If there's one thing that the financial crisis taught us, it's that you shouldn't buy a $500,000 house on a $40,000 per year salary, nor should you go out and put a $200 outfit on your credit card when you're an unemployed, full-time student.
As simple as this advice seems, 2008 revealed that many of us live far beyond our means.
This year, many of us also watched our parents, neighbors and friends lose their jobs, which brings us to our second lesson from 2008: Plan in advance for a crisis. For working adults, this means saving money in an emergency fund. However, this concept can be a little tough for us poor college kids.
Because it's hard to save when Top Ramen is the affordable food of choice, one step students can take is to make themselves more marketable so that, when it is time to job hunt, you stand out from the crowd. Pursue internships with fervor, and never underestimate the value of networking.
On a more positive note, 2008 brought a historic change to American politics when Barack Obama was elected the first African-American president of the United States.
Lesson three from 2008: Your voice and vote do count.
If college-aged voters hadn't gone to the polls in record numbers and expressed their views so passionately on YouTube and Facebook, we would not have a president-elect so dedicated to getting our country back on track and to issues that will affect our generation.
One principle Obama stands for is inclusiveness and desire to bridge the widening gap between Democrats and Republicans.
His dedication to this ideal was highlighted by his recent choice to have Pastor Rick Warren, leader of an Evangelical mega-church in Southern California as well as a pro-life and anti-gay marriage proponent, to give the invocation at the president's inauguration on Jan. 20.
Upon announcing Warren's presence, liberal pundits attacked Obama's decision in the media, citing the horror in allowing a person who doesn't believe in abortion or gay marriage for religious reasons to have a public voice.
This debacle brings us to our final lesson of 2008: Diversity cannot be defined to match one's ideals.
The essence of the concept of diversity is including people from different backgrounds, both ethnically and ideologically.
Only time can make a nasty breakup better, and the same goes for 2008.
We can't push this difficult year under the rug, but we can learn from it and, hopefully, 2009 will bring more peace, opportunities and a lot less drama.
Nicole Harris is a senior communication major.