While you were busy studying, or partying, the world outside of the university faced many surprises. Here are the top six most shocking news stories of the 2016-17 school year.
6. Airlines become ‘scarelines’
Crazy airline stories have been a trend for spring 2017.
April 9: A passenger was dragged off an overbooked United Airlines flight after refusing to give up his seat, receiving a concussion on his way out, according to the New York Times.
April 21: A woman was removed from a plane after a flight attendant from American Airlines reportedly hit her with her stroller, almost hitting the baby, according to the New York Post.
April 23: Delta removed a family who used a ticket they bought for their teenage son for their toddler.
April 26: United Airlines was under scrutiny again when a giant rabbit was found dead.
April 27: A passenger was kicked off a Delta flight after an emergency restroom break before take-off.
May 2: A brawl between two passengers on a Japanese airline occurred, resulting in an American being arrested.
5. Controversial bans
Soon after starting his presidency, Donald Trump released an executive order that banned entry into the states for citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days, according to CNN. However, on January 28 and 29, the two days following the executive order, judges in New York and Massachusetts blocked the order. By February 9, a panel of three judges permanently blocked the order. Trump created a new ban by March 6. However, a judge in Hawaii blocked the ban, according to CNN, by March 7. Currently, there is no travel ban in place.
4. Exploding phones
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was launched in August 2016 but it was soon followed by reports of the phone catching on fire and or exploding. According to Time Magazine, Samsung received 92 reports of batteries overheating, 26 of which resulted in burns and 55 reports of property damage. By September, Samsung stopped selling the phone and then recalled roughly 2.5 million, according to Time Magazine, which also reports that by October, the recalled phone replacements were also catching on fire.
3. Bye-bye Britain
Brexit, or ‘Britain Exit’, marked the vote of approval for the United Kingdom to leave the European Nation. According to BBC News, the vote took place June 23, 2016. However, the U.K. is not scheduled to leave until March 2019.
2. Women take to the streets
With a total of 673 marches across the seven continents, the Women’s March became one of the largest marches in U.S. history with between 3.6 and 4.6 million participants, according to The Atlantic. Marchers gathered on January 21, the day after the inauguration, to protest for rights of minorities, according to the official website for the march. This also sparked a series of other marches that have continued into April.
1. Trump wins the election
Whether you’re a Trump supporter or not, this is an election that shocked the pollsters. While everyone knew the election would be a close call and many watched the live election anxiously, the 2016 polls predicted a win for the democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. While Clinton did win the popular vote, according to multiple news sources, the republican nominee, Donald Trump, won the electoral vote and therefore the presidency, which shocked polls across the nation.