An historic election. Economic recession. The Beijing Olympics. Terror in Mumbai. A deadly earthquake in China. The list of events from 2008 range from the thrilling to the tragic, making it seem like a difficult year to top. But 2009 is now well upon us, and though it may not have the ups and downs of 2008 thus far, it still holds promise. One of the most exciting events of 2009 has already taken place – the inauguration of Barack Obama. Since the inauguration has passed, many students have taken to anticipating what President Obama will do in his first year in the Oval Office. "I’m looking forward to how this country’s gonna change," junior Burak Demirci said. Some students are merely glad that Bush’s presidency reached its end in 2009. "I’m looking forward to Obama being better than Bush," senior Zak Clipsham said. Though it has only been a few days since Obama has been in office, he has already been following up on his call for change, bringing hope for the year to come. Some other students’ expectations for the year are not nearly as serious, but still important to them. Numerous films are lined up for 2009; one upcoming movie that many students are looking forward to is the superhero film Watchmen, which is slated to come out on March 6th. "[ The Watchmen’s ] gonna kick every other exciting thing’s ass in 2009," junior Kara Cipolloni said. 2009 is also shaping up to be a year filled with sequels, with several film sequels expected to be released in 2009, including the sixth Harry Potter movie, a sequel to Transformers, Fast and Furious (of the Fast and the Furious film series), and possibly a film adaptation of New Moon , the second book in the Twilight series. Movies are not the only forms of entertainment being anticipated for the new year; students are also looking forward to upcoming video games. When asked what they were awaiting in 2009, Clipsham and senior TJ Firman answered in unison, "Killzone 2." Continuing the string of sequels slated for 2009, StarCraft II , a sequel to the wildly popular video game StarCraft , is expected to be released sometime in 2009, according to the game’s developer Blizzard Entertainment. Others are simply looking past the harsh winter that has fallen upon us and waiting patiently for it to pass. The promise of warm weather and the thought of seeing green grass are a few of the driving forces into the new year for some students. "I’m looking forward to summer," senior Alex Boeke said. However, when asked why specifically he was anticipating summer, Boeke declined to comment. With warm weather will also come the freedom of summer and the end of another school year. Many of the seniors admitted they were eager for graduation and college, whereas other students were looking forward to moving up another grade – one step closer to where the aforementioned seniors are. However, some students’ desires for the new year are even simpler still, relating to the inner needs and emotions of every human being. When asked what she was hoping for in 2009, junior Amanda Evans answered, "A chance at true love." A new year is seen as a fresh start, making it an opportune time to leave behind failed love of the past and consider one’s romantic prospects for the upcoming year. As 2008 falls farther and farther into the past, it is time to look away from the past and look into the future. Whether one’s expectations for 2009 are as vast as change in the world or as simple as finding true love, one thing is for sure: 2009 is a year to be excited about.