Boston Strong:
APRIL 15, 2013 /// Image Credit: David L. Ryan/Boston Globe/Getty Images
This year a nation’s strength was tested when more than 23,000 runners raced through historic Boston on Patriot’s Day and homemade pressure cooker bombs went off near the finish line, killing three (including eight-year old, Martin Richard) and injuring 264, including 16 who had lost their limbs. That week authorities were in high gear searching for the suspects responsible for the attack and found them by week’s end in a dramatic and unbelievable chase. Through surveillance cameras, the FBI identified the two responsible for the bombings–Tamerlan and Dzohkhar Tsarnaev. The two brothers were on the run, heading to New York City to recreate similar events. While attempting to escape, they murdered MIT police officer Sean Collier and hijacked a civilian. Older brother Tamerlan was shot and killed in a police fight and run over by his brother, who fled to Watertown, MA, eventually giving up in a firefight while hiding out in a boat found by homeowner David Henneberry. The younger Tsarnaev was then arrested and currently in solitary confinement, facing trial in 2014.
The week’s events took a toll on everyone, including us here at the The Hudsucker. However, with such tragedy comes symbols of hope; and Boston became that beaming symbol for a nation and world grieving. The city fought together, rose right back up and proved that through uniting and taking care of one another, we can heal. From such a movement came two simple words that carry such strength even today: Boston Strong. Boston Strong has become the new message of hope in moments of despair for many in the city.
OCTOBER 30, 2013 /// Image Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
In October, the Boston Red Sox took on the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series for the first time at Fenway Park in 95 years, giving the city that much needed love they so rightfully deserved after these difficult months. The baseball team defeated the Cardinals 6-1 in Game 6, with a play that let them clinch their third World Series title in 10 years. Fans of all ages went to the field to celebrate the victory with a Boston Strong flag waving gallantly in the air. In the divine design built through love and unity, peace eventually gets restored and came full circle.
Relationship Whoa-No’s:
JULY 23, 2013 /// Image Credit: John Moore/Getty Images
Whether you wanted to hear about it or not, there was some weird, deviant activity going on behind closed doors, all made possible by skeevy politicians and a football player who should be diagnosed as a pathological liar.
Let’s start with the guy who just never really gets it. New York congressman, Anthony Weiner was first caught in a sexting scandal back in 2011. After he sent out sexually explicit messages to several women on Twitter and Facebook, he publicly resigned and apologized to the public and his wife, Huma Abedin. After ‘healing’ from the damage he caused his family and the community, Weiner turned a new leaf and announced his campaign for Mayor of New York this year. However, his new leaf came with an alter ego–a thinly disguised internet personality by the name of Carlos Danger. Sounds sexy, right? Nope. Nope, not at all. In fact, it was completely the opposite. Through ‘Danger’, Weiner sent out illicit photographs to three different women after his initial scandal broke out and though his sexual escapades were discovered, he refused to leave politics after new details were made public. Weiner apologized (again) but eventually lost the election, coming in fifth place with a little less than 5% of the vote. Yikes! Wouldn’t he like to pick a “bone” with the voters now, huh?
Have you heard the one about “Filner the Philanderer”? Bob Filner has been filner-busted on this one! The San Diego mayor who served in congress for over a decade, was hoping to make a difference in office but controversy surrounded the politician as allegations of sexual harassment by females he worked with floated in. He then got slapped with a massive sexual harassment lawsuit. Like all of the others in the past, Filner denied such claims and said he would fight the lawsuit but eventually resigned in August, pleading guilty to false imprisonment and battery charges in October. He has since been sentenced to home confinement, three years probation, and a series of fines totaling $1,500 for assaulting three women while in office.
Manti T’eo made a huge uh-oh: he lied about his whole relationship, and to the media of all parties. Who does that?! T’eo was the once famous Notre Dame University linebacker, with a 3.3 GPA. He was apparently in love with his car-accident survivor girlfriend Lennay Kekua, who was also a leukemia patient. He claimed he would stay on the phone with her all night as she slept, then run into the sunset and lead his team to victory the day after she would pass away. The sunset part isn’t true, but does it matter at this point? Deadspin broke the story that there was no such girl. Manti T’eo lied. Lennay Kekua was the online alias of a man named Roniah Tuiasosopo. The discovery and subsequent fallout had dominated the news headlines for weeks and gained much attention for the MTV television series, Catfish and helping audiences understand the concept of getting “catfished”–the act of being tricked into online-dating a person who doesn’t actually exist.
Girl Power:
Malala Yousafzi has shown us that young girls, no matter where they come from, can make a difference in our world. Malala is the beacon of hope for many overseas fighting for gender equality and education. The Pakistani student activist made quite an impression this year as she visited the United States for the first time and released her memoir, “I Am Malala“. This October she wowed audiences with her speech at Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards; gave an exclusive interview to Christiane Amanpour for CNN, discussing her life and struggle; picked up the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France in November; and won the 2013 UN Human Rights Prize earlier this month, an honorary award bestowed upon individuals and organizations for outstanding achievement in human rights.
Image Credit: St. Martin’s Press/NPR
Almost ten years ago, a young girl by the name of Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. The then 14 year-old was held captive for nine months, raped, and threatened that if she tried to escape, her abductor would kill her and her family. In March of 2003, Smart was fortunately found and reunited with her family, giving her a new lease on life. Since then, Smart has grown into an advocate for change related to child abduction and recovery programs. She created the Elizabeth Smart Foundation to help bring awareness to predatory crimes against children. Last year Smart got married and this year released a book, recounting the ordeal she went through, how her Mormon faith helped her in times of darkness, and the light she found at the end of such a harrowing ordeal that transformed her from victim to advocate. Her book, “My Story” is out now and reached the No. 5 spot on the New York Times Bestsellers List this year.
She may have tripped on her dress at the Oscars this year, but Jennifer Lawrence really owned 2013 and is truly the “girl on fire”. The famed Hunger Games starlet is a positive role model for many young girls, is true to herself in an industry plagued by superficial criticism and is extremely outspoken about body image in the media. She has worked extremely hard this year and garnered much acclaim this awards season for her role in American Hustle, with nominations already in toe for a Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe. This past month she was interviewed by Barbara Walters in her annual list of the 10 Most Fascinating People, sharing that “if we’re regulating cigarettes and sex and cuss words, because of the effect they have on our younger generation, why aren’t we regulating things like calling people fat?” Lawrence has already signed up for three movies that will start production in the new year, star in the highly anticipated X-Men: Days of Future Past set to release in May of 2014, and wrap up the conclusion to The Hunger Games series, with Mockingjay.
Oh, Cana-d’oh!
Image Credit: AP Photo/Getty Images
Canada is a great nation, with polite people. We get a lot of flack for how we talk, get told we live in igloos, we all love hockey (so not true!) and are thought to continuously eat and drink only at Tim Hortons. Hardy-har-har, none of it is true. We do however have a Mayor who smokes crack cocaine. Yes, we do–and it’s a rather unfortunate situation. It’s been an on-going issue for almost a year and a half now but this fall, Mayor Rob Ford admitted to the Canadian press and the world, that he has in fact taken drugs. This comes months after video of him committing the act surfaced around media outlets. It became a whirlwind scandal, taking global news outlets by storm and bringing great shame to the city of Toronto and its people. Ford has since shown erratic behavior like pushing a Toronto council member over, dancing in office, and candidly commenting after allegations were thrown at him for having oral sex with one of his advisers, saying, “I’m happily married and I’ve got more than enough to eat at home.” Eww. You think that’s bad? He told FOX News he’d like to be Prime Minister!?
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