2017. We don’t need to rehash it, do we? Let’s not, say we did, and instead discuss things we’re leaving behind and looking forward to. Here are some of mine: I’m looking forward to Black Panther, to second seasons of Atlantaand Marvel’s Jessica Jones, and then to seeing even more Donald Glover on the big screen in Solo: A Star Wars Story. I want to forget that a non-word like ‘covfefe’ ever entered the global consciousness and witness the continuation of the #MeToo moment. Besides these items, 13 Arts & Culture writers also chimed in — read on for their resolutions.
— Reut Cohen
With 2017, I left behind the tyranny and temptations of social media for good by deleting Snapchat. Through avid reading of The Daily Mail and Cosmopolitan, I realized I had become a scholar of Kardashian gossip and could identify minor celebrities due solely to the coverage of their daring cleavage displays. I’d begun to quantitatively value my friendships via Snapstreaks. While my morning alarm is still met by a conditioned response to reach for my phone and tap on the spot that used to house my Snapchat app, I hold out hope that I will soon come to appreciate the simpler, Snapchat-free life that I’m choosing — aka forcing myself — to live.
— Isabel Armiento
I’m looking to leave behind the notion of ‘pics or it didn’t happen’ in 2017. As social media becomes a larger part of how we express ourselves to the world, I fear I may become a slave to my social media image and feel the need to document my every move in order to stay cool or relevant. In 2018, I want to embrace living for myself, not my Instagram feed.
— Yasaman Mohaddes
After accumulating undue stress, anger, and bitterness in 2017 — a side effect of sensitive mental health and the precarious political climate — I look forward to letting things go in 2018. Whether it be one-sided relationships, constant fear of failing, or bitter envy of others, in the new year, it’s out with the old.
— Zeahaa Rehman
This year, I’m looking forward to season four of Mozart in the Jungle, one of my favourite shows and a welcome distraction from the mundanities of everyday life. Though I’m not particularly interested in classical music myself, Mozart is especially resonant for anyone pursuing a career in the arts. I’m also anticipating the inevitable morale boost it will provide just in time for February’s reading week.
— Avneet Sharma
I’m looking forward to TV series that address issues important to me, most prominently mental health and breaking down stigmas surrounding mental illness. There are many shows focusing on mental illness that are slated to return in 2018: Homeland is one of the most realistic portrayals of bipolar disorder ever put to screen, while This Is Us features a moving portrayal of anxiety and how intersectionally damaging it can be. Marvel’s Jessica Jones surprised everyone by crafting a deeply written, shocking look at PTSD and the dangers of societal male privilege, and BoJack Horseman’s moving portrayal of depression has helped me through many depressive episodes and tough times. I’m looking forward to TV series like these being there for me and seeing how they can help me grow.
— Arjun Kaul
For the past few years, I have held on to toxic relationships and accepted toxic labels because I thought I would be lonely if I let those people go. I have come to learn that a part of creating myself is knowing which labels and people are toxic, and to be wary of them moving forward.
— Charmaine Nyakonda
2017 was the year of fidget spinners and fiction — fake news, alternative facts, bogus tweets. But the end of the year brought some needed authenticity and truth with the #MeToo movement, ‘youthquake’ as the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year, and numerous protests and inquiries around the world. In 2018, I hope this openness continues and more people manage to find their voices, leaving behind shame and silence of all kinds.
— Anastasia Pitcher
This year is the final semester of my undergrad. I’m leaving behind self-doubt and fears about what’s next after graduation, and I’m looking forward to keeping promises I make to myself.
— Atidiah Celestine
I’m leaving behind my procrastination habits, and I’m looking forward to participating in writing workshops this semester.
— Vivian Li
I want to shed layers of a past that left me void and relationships that took but didn’t give back. I want to give myself the kindness I deserve so that my confidence may hold against indiscriminate tides, and so I won’t forego opportunities for fear of failure. A new year deserves a new story.
— Rehana Mushtaq
I’m leaving behind thinking so much about the past and the future, and looking forward to start living in the present moment. Enjoy moments while they last.
— Grace Manalili
