![Wayland High School Class of 2019 alum Devin Wong is the new assistant coach of Harvard University Nordic Ski Team. "I’m excited to be a part of a new team and coaching staff am motivated to learn from [head coach] Cate Brams and grow as a coach and wax tech," Wong said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/09-27-24-NSKI-Wong-Announcement-1920x1080-1-e1730466291327-1200x704.jpg)
Now that the 2000s (the oh-ohs? the owe-owes? the naught-ies?) are over, it’s time to prepare for the 2010s (the teens? the one-ders?). Here are some predictions as to what you should expect to see in newspaper headlines, and in the Basil Report, in 2010:
Health care (January, hopefully): Congress will pass, and President Obama will sign, sweeping health care reform that will expand coverage to millions but will not address rising costs.
Iran (late January/early February): The United Nations Security Council will pass another round of sanctions against Iran after it defiantly ignores a January 15th deadline to agree to a deal on its nuclear program. The sanctions will be utterly ineffective. Meanwhile, protesters will continue to storm the streets of Tehran without success.
National debt (February): Congress will vote to raise the debt ceiling for the second time in three months. Hopefully, at the same time, Congress will vote to establish a bipartisan fiscal reform commission that would recommend ways to reduce the national debt.
Afghanistan (March): The Taliban will begin its spring offensive in the early spring, testing Obama’s Afghanistan surge strategy.
China (May): The World Expo will begin in Shanghai, giving China another chance to show off to the world. Later in the year, China will surpass Japan to become the world’s second largest economy, behind only the United States.
Iraq (August): All American combat troops will have left Iraq, as mandated by the US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement. Other American forces stay to train the Iraqi military.
Congressional elections (November): Due to Democratic ambivalence and general economic misery, Republicans will gain seats in the House, and more importantly, in the Senate, but no more than is typical in mid-year election.
Global warming (December): After the failed Copenhagen climate summit, world leaders will meet again, this time in Mexico City, and this time (dare I say it?) come to a landmark, binding agreement on fighting climate change.
While these events can be expected, what will be perhaps more interesting is the unexpected: Another economic bubble? A breakthrough in solar power technology? A new pandemic virus? Assassination? Riots break out in Wayland after the high school announces no student parking?
Don’t expect a boring year.
