Last year was certainly unique, from world events and national news to happenings within Falls Church High School. Events and stories mentioned in this article were chosen because of their exceptionality or importance in how they affected the world, this country, or our community at school. On January 28, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced an outbreak of the Zika virus within North and South America, the Pacific, and Southeast Asia. The disease causes birth defects and there is no known cure or treatment to rid someone of the virus. This prompted many to harbor concerns for the Summer Olympic Games, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August–one of the most affected regions. However, the games proved to be safe and the virus is currently under relative control. In terms of national news, the largest story is that of the presidential election. The Democratic and Republican parties nominated Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, respectively. Many Americans saw both candidates as wildly unfavorable, and after the agonizing yearand-a-half campaigns came to an end, Trump emerged victorious. On September 27, Dr. Ben Nowak was announced as our new school principal, taking over the position that Mr. Bruce Butler has been holding since the departure of Mr. Michael Yohe at the end of last year. Dr. Nowak had been serving as an assistant principal at McLean High School since 2012. He brings to the position a refreshing sense of optimism and ample experience. Rojo Ramiandriosa (10) shared his opinion of Dr. Nowak with The Jagwire, stating that “He seems like a good guy. He is a ‘Dr.’, so it’s nice that he chose to come to this school from the variety of schools in the county.” Rojo thinks that the school is lucky to have an experienced administrator leading the school. Falls Church has also undergone major changes in scheduling and in the lunch lines. In terms of having Period 3 daily rather than Period 7, Matthew Reyes (10) commented that “It’s ok. It’s not a bad change. I just needed to get used to it.” Matthew could not, however, find it in his heart to accept the new lunch lines: “They’re odd. They are uneven, since some are short and others are long.” He wishes we could “Go back to where everything was the same.”  The year 2016 has been full of “ups and downs,” as some might suggest– events that have shaped our world for better or worse. We can only hope that this new year proves to be one of worldwide advancements that collectively strive for an even brighter future.