As the year of 2016 draws to a close, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the past year and all of it’s happenings, good and bad. Historical events, personal achievements, and trends… 2016 surely packed a powerful punch that you probably didn’t see coming. If you watched television or were connected to one or more social media platforms throughout the past year, you probably witnessed many different and unique moments in our society rise and fade over the last twelve months. Some of these trends seemed witty or humorous initially, but eventually you likely grew sick of them. Here are sixteen of those things that were born in 2016 and should rightfully be put to rest with the conclusion of this year as well:

1. Dabbing

Can we just not? Honestly, I’m so sick of sneezing into my arm, like a respectable, germ-conscious citizen, only to be asked if I just “dabbed?” No,sir. I did not just dab, thank you very much.

2. The election

Regardless of whether you’re a republican or democrat, the election of 2016 is over. Whether this is the outcome you wanted or not, Donald Trump will be inaugurated in January. I’m not telling anyone to suppress their personal political opinions or feelings, but we need to stand together now as a country and each do our own parts in making America successful going into 2017 and beyond.

3. “Suh”

Excuse me? What was that? It is legitimately not that much more difficult to at least add a “p” onto the end of that syllable that just left your lips. At least then you have produced a fragment of an actual phrase. “Sup” is one syllable, just like “suh,” and it resembles “what’s up?” a lot more closely. Also, saying “suh” does not make you sound more cool than saying “what’s up?” You just sound like someone who walked out of a dentist’s office after having your whole mouth numbed with novocaine.

4. The Man Bun

Honestly, as a girl, I have been utterly surprised by how many men I’ve seen have better-looking bun-making skills than my own. At times, I'm not even sure whether I should admire or be offended by these men. Regardless, this is a trend that should end soon. I’m getting sick of mistaking males for females from the backs of their heads. “Hey Veronic… Eric!”5t

5. Harambe

I know this is quite a sensitive subject for many college students out there, but seriously? He’s dead; get over it. Yes, it was a mistake that he was killed and the fact that the child was able to even get into his exhibit is horrendous, but it all happened in May. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but a gorilla that’s been deceased for seven months is not going to miraculously spring alive from it’s grave anytime soon to reign over all of his followers.

6. Pokèmon Go

This game consumed the entirety of America when it first came out, and effectively replaced most human interaction in a short amount of time. Let’s not forget the various people who collided with vehicles while distracted by playing that game.

7. Mannequin Challenge

I’ll admit it, there were some really cool videos made for this challenge throughout the last few months. Football players, emergency room staff, and gymnasts were just a few of the participating parties in this challenge. That being said, there aren’t really any concepts for more videos that haven’t been done already with this challenge; it’s time to put it to rest.

8. Evil clowns

This horrifying trend never should have started, so it’s no surprise many of us will be eager to leave this one in the past. Nonetheless, looking back in twenty years, I’m sure we’ll all have to answer lots of “why the heck did people dress up as evil clowns and terrorize civilians for fun?” And our answers will be somewhere along the lines of, “I have absolutely no idea.”

9. “Fam”

Your family is your “fam.” Your friends are your friends. Additionally, “fam” refers to a group of people -- not one singular person. So no, you are not going to the party with your “fam” on Friday night or to the library with your “fam” to study for your next Statistics exam.

10. Kanye West

I’m not saying I hate Kanye West and that we should just ignore his existence and music in the future, but I am saying I’d rather he go back to being his arrogant rapper self who avoids the public eye and makes overpriced fashion garments that look like regular sweats. He should stay out of politics (I don’t want to hear “Kanye 2020” ever again, I beg of you). And don’t even get me started on his controversial, vulgar, all-nude music video earlier this year. If I wanted to see a large group of people naked together on the internet (ew, no thanks), there’s literally no reason I should go to Youtube to find it. Sorry not sorry, Yeezy.

11. It’s “lit”

What’s lit? That Mahogany Teakwood candle you bought last week at White Barn Candle Co.? I’m guilty of using this figurative adjective, myself, every once in awhile this year; however, let’s just say I’ve grown extremely sick of hearing it. “Lit” is an adjective to describe candles, grills, fires, and other items that have been set on fire. Not a house party. Not a bass-heavy song. There are lots of other perfectly good adjectives that make a lot more sense to use when describing something that you find great.

12. The Whip/Nae Nae

The song is catchy and the dance was admittedly somewhat fun to learn when the song first hit the airwaves, but now, it’s just been a bit overdone. I’m ready to throw this one away for now and reserve my whipping and nae naeing for thirty-five years from now at wedding receptions when an “oldie” comes on and all the middle-aged adults flood the floor and crack out their skills again.

13. Emojis EVERYWHERE.

Emojis are cute and all, and I understand that their universality makes them symbols everyone across the world can relate to, but there’s no reason they need to be on everything and anything out there. Emoji shirts, emoji pillows, emoji keychains, emoji socks, emoji backpacks… the list drags on and on. Let’s just keep emojis on our phone keyboards, please?

14. Jogger pants

I don’t know about you, but I really miss when sweat pants just flared out at the bottoms and didn’t bunch up tightly around my ankles. I can hardly find a good pair of sweats anymore that aren’t jogger style, and it’s a terrible shame. I understand that they are supposed to show off your fancy sneakers, but sweats are for comfort. Having tightly-bunched elastic around my ankles is not comfortable -- bring back the flared hems.

15. Facebook Live

I don’t really know what possessed Facebook creators to think that Facebook Live was an amazing idea, but it had to be something demonic. As if your Facebook friends not only needed to see your post about what that Coke you just drank, they now need to physically watch you drink it live, too.

16. Public shootings

This one is a little less humorous than the rest of the list, but I do strongly hope we can leave behind these tragic, fatal events that are becoming all too much of a trend in our society as of late. Too many lives are being taken; let’s all do our part to increase awareness and support for depression and bullying, and take action when we notice any need for it.

In conclusion, 2016 has been a year with ups and downs, and now that it’s over, it’s only right we bury some of it’s happenings with it. Let’s start fresh in 2017 and look toward a brighter future. Happy New Year, everyone!