The year 2016 is over, and the world is welcoming in 2017. Here are a few things that students can look forward to and watch out for in 2017.

      In the world of technology, 2017 is going to bring us a new iPhone. The iPhone 8 is months away but there has been a recent uptick in rumors about the phone. Rumors suggest that Apple will release three models of their newest phone and will feature a facial recognition software capable of interpreting emotions from the facial expressions of the user. There have also been rumors that the home button of the phone will be integrated into the screen to allow for a completely smooth glass surface. While nothing is certain about the release of the iPhone 8, it is still something about which many students are excited.

   To compete with the new iPhones, Samsung is planning to release a new phone in the Galaxy series. The Galaxy S8 is rumored to have an integrated home button similar to the iPhone 8, as well as an improved speaker system and no headphone port. The release of this phone is far away, so these rumors are just rumors as of now.

   In the world of entertainment, the new year is looking bright. A long list of films are set to be released this year that will have movie lovers jumping for joy. Included in this list are some sure to be crowd favorites such as Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, Fast and Furious 8, World War Z 2, Alien: Covenant, The Lego Batman Movie and many more. In addition to the release of these new movies, the creators and stars of 2016’s most celebrated films will gather at the Academy Awards on February 26.

   The environment and climate change are becoming more and more of an issue in current politics, and 2017 is only the beginning of what will likely be a new discussion about human contributions to climate change. President Trump’s pick for the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, is known as a denier of climate change sciences and Trump himself has publicly stated that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese.

   Soon after Pruitt’s nomination, new evidence of warming came was released. Scientists from both NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided evidence of almost a one degree fahrenheit increase in average global temperature since 2015, making 2016 the hottest year on record. Even though Pruitt’s past may suggest that he will not support efforts to combat climate change, there is really no way to know how he will act in office.

   Here at WJ, there is plenty to get students excited. February is about to arrive and Pennies for Patients festivities are kicking into high gear. All of last year’s events will be making a return this year, but the SGA is especially excited about one event in particular this year: Clash of the Classes.

   “Last year not that many people went to Clash of the Classes because no one knew about it, but the people who did go ended up loving it,” SGA secretary Jordan Zavareei said. “We are going to revamp the event this year so that more people know about it and go to it.”

   But P4P isn’t the only thing the SGA is planning. SGA president Abe Kim hinted at some new events that students will be able to look forward to once Pennies for Patients is over.

   “Pennies for Patients is really important and we are giving it a lot of attention, but we are also focusing our time on other causes that we can raise money for. For example, in April we are going to have a mental health awareness week,” Kim said.

   WJ seniors will have a lot to look forward to in the new year. The location of the senior class graduation has been moved from the DAR Constitution Hall to the much larger Xfinity Center in College Park. Now that the second semester has started, graduation is closer than ever. Seniors are starting to think about graduation and the end of their high school careers.

   “High school went by so fast, but I can’t wait to move onto bigger and better things in my life,”  senior Matt Collishaw said. “I think that graduation at Xfinity Center will be a good final memory of my time at WJ.”