January:
World
Jan. 6: Kevin McCarthy is narrowly elected Speaker of the House after 14 failed attempts. His ultimate success comes amid a slew of compromises made with ultra-conservative representatives.
School
January 6: Lakeside hosts its first post-pandemic Pride Night during a basketball quad night, where boys teams play Lincoln, and girls teams play Ballard.
January 26-28: There is certainly no misery in the air as Lakeside puts on a performance of Victor Hugo’s legendary Les Miserables for the annual Winter musical.
February
World:
Feb 4: The U.S. shoots down what the media has dubbed the “Chinese spy balloon” off the coast of South Carolina. The balloon was first noted off Alaska’s western coast and spent the next days migrating across portions of Canada and the Midwest.
Feb 6: Southern Turkey and Northern Syria are devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that results in over 59,000 deaths and 130,000 injuries.
School:
Feb. 9: Harvard Professor Michael Sandel gives a three-hour interactive presentation in the gym on the ethics of how we assign value to certain professions.
Feb. 27: As students return from mid-Winter break, “Project Cuckoo” is implemented during the Tapas schedule. The day has teachers swap classes and host fun, unusual activities.
March:
World
March 13: Pres. Joe Biden approves a $7 billion project in Alaska to drill for oil amid calls for further measures against climate change in his own party.
March 31: A grand jury in New York votes to indict former President Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records, after it was alleged that Trump fraudulently hid “hush money” payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 bid for the presidency.
April:
World:
April 15: War breaks out in Sudan’s capital Khartoum after political disagreements between the army and a paramilitary force boil over into the streets. Over 900 people are killed, and more than 5,500 are injured.
April 21: Governor Jay Inslee signs a trio of gun safety bills, including a ban on the sale and distribution of assault weapons.
School:
April 5: On Student Sponsored Day, GLOW hosts a series of workshops and speakers. A house assembly follows in the afternoon.
May:
World:
May 11: Title 42, a controversial border policy implemented during the COVID pandemic, expires. While it was active, the policy allowed the federal government to return migrants who crossed the U.S.’s Southern border to Mexico and suspend their rights to asylum, citing public health concerns over COVID.
School:
May 15: May Day is hosted at the Upper School on a sweltering sunny day. Highlights include Dr. Bynum being dunked in the dunk tank and music performances (including bagpipes!) on the stage.
June
World
June 18: The submersible Titan — built by Everett-based company OceanGate — implodes, killing all five passengers on-board, including OceanGate’s CEO. Many criticize the company after the accident for its lack of proper safety tests on the vessel.
June 23: Members of the Wagner group, led by CEO and longtime Putin-ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, launch a campaign towards Moscow over alleged mishandling of the war. After seizing a number of Russian cities, Prigozhin accepts a truce negotiated by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.
June 29: Supreme Court rules in a six-to-three supermajority to end “affirmative action,” expressly prohibiting universities from using race as a deciding factor in their admissions processes. It is the result of years of controversy, and reactions across the country are mixed.
School
June 1-5: The Lakeside Upper School pilots its new final exam format to generally positive reviews.
July
World
July 24: The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, passes a highly controversial supreme court overhaul, rendering the court incapable of “unreasonably” striking down government decisions. Protests erupt across Israel in response.
July 26: The U.S. Department of Justice sues Texas over its July 10 decision to construct a floating barrier of buoys in the Rio Grande to deter migrants. The DOJ argues in court that the barrier violates international treaties and presents a significant threat to relations with Mexico.
August
World
August 6: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie surpasses $1 billion at the box office after just 17 days, setting a Warner Bros’s record and making Gerwig the highest-grossing female director ever.
August 8-11: A series of massive wildfires break out on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Reportedly caused by a combination of drought and poor infrastructure management, the fires tear through the island — killing over 100 people and affecting more than 2,200 buildings in the historic city of Lahaina.
School
August: Lakeside’s first ever “media day” is held for fall sports. Senior captains are photographed in action to create promotional posters/campaigns for Lakeside athletics.
August 31: First day of school begins!
September
World
September 15: The United Auto Workers (UAW) go on a national strike after failing to reach a deal with the three major auto manufacturers, Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors, over improved contracts and livable wages.
September 18: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accuses India of helping orchestrate the June assassination of a Canadian Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who was an advocate of a “Sikh homeland” in India, had been designated a “terrorist” by the South Asian nation. Diplomats from each country are expelled in the aftermath of Trudeau’s accusations.
School
September 1: Convocation is held at the middle school. Natalie B. ’24, student body president, kicks off the year by sharing her bucket list for an amazing school year, which includes items like enjoying boba and dances or expressing gratitude.
October
World
October 3: For the first time in U.S. history, the House of Representatives votes on a motion from Representative Matt Gaetz to oust its sitting speaker, Representative Kevin McCarthy. Losing the job by just eight conservative votes, McCarthy announces he will not seek reelection to the speakership.
October 7: Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, launches a major and unprecedented attack against Israel that includes thousands of rockets and armed militants. The attack kills at least 250 people and injures 1500 more. In response, the Israeli government declares war on Hamas, and Prime Minister Netanyahu vows to exact an “unprecedented price.”
School
October 25: Photographer Matika Wilbur gives an inspired lecture about her work on Project 562 — an effort to authentically capture all 562 federally-recognized Native American tribes in the U.S. Her talk combines a beautiful sense of humor with moments of sincere clarity and seriousness as she takes on subjects like identity, indigeneity, and challenging dominant narratives.
November
November 14: Seattle city council elections conclude. Despite the large pool of candidates, only one of three incumbents running for reelection loses their seat — Andrew Lewis of District 7. Otherwise, two other incumbents win, and Districts 1, 3, 4, and 5 gain new representatives.
November 15: President Biden hosts Chinese president Xi Jinping in San Francisco. The pair ultimately reach agreements on trade, fentanyl, artificial intelligence, and military communications, but questions remain about whether each side will necessarily honor or enforce their commitments.
November 29: The renowned statesman and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dies at the age of 100.
School
November 2-4: Cyrano de Bergerac shows at the Upper School as the Fall play. The play is split into five acts with different actors playing the protagonists in each one, making for an all-around unique experience.
November 8: Denise Moriguchi ’94 receives the Distinguished Alumni Award for her exceptional service to her community as the CEO of Seattle’s beloved Uwajimaya market. In her acceptance speech, she stresses the importance of the lessons she’d learned at Lakeside, family/identity, and good food.
