The year of 2016 has been an emotional roller coaster to say the least and that roller coaster seemed to be taking a nosedive for most of the ride.

To name a few of the hard felts, we lost some of the greatest legends of all time. Luminaries like Prince, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Arnold Palmer, Muhammad Ali and even Cincinnati zoo’s Harambe lost their lives in 2016.

Power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in September.

Social media really took over society with “Damn Daniel!” and Pokémon Go.

Still, these phenomena went under the radar compared to a presidential election that proved to be one of the most divisive and contentious in U.S. history. Sites like Facebook and Twitter served as arenas for embittered political arguments.

Although 2016 picked a lot of bad apples, we must take time to think about what we are thankful for in our lives. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, The Spectator wanted to know what Blugolds have to be grateful for.

Here are the responses students gave us:

“I’m really thankful that everyone is happy and healthy and for my family.” – Kar Wei Cheng, sophomore, integrated strategic communication.

“I’m thankful for my family. I haven’t been home yet since the school year started, so I’m thankful for the people who love me.” – Natalie Paparone, freshman, ecology/environmental biology.

“I’m thankful to have the freedom of choice, where we can do what we want in our own life.” – Giuliano Norante, sophomore, criminal justice.

“My family. I know that it’s very generic and cliché, but you don’t get to see them everyday as a college student, so it really helps you appreciate them.” – Connor Franz, sophomore, criminal justice.

“I’m thankful for my family and also for the health of my family.” – Hailey Schmitt, freshman, marketing.

“Basically my family and my friends. I think that they are a huge impact on my life.” – Kaylee Hanke, sophomore, communication sciences and disorders.

“My family, friends and education.” – Ally Schluter, sophomore, art education.

“My pets!” – Anna Petzke, sophomore, music performance.

“Probably my parents.” – Alex Mueller, sophomore, math education.

“I’m thankful for the Thanksgiving food! I’m just going to lay around and stuff myself.” – Konrad Plomdahl, senior, math education.

“I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had here at Eau Claire.” – Joe Westinberg, senior, economics and math.

“I would have to say that I have both my parents and that they support me in everything I do. If they don’t want me to do something, they still support me if it’s something I really want. And obviously thankful for my homies.” – Delaney Nelson, junior, political science and Spanish.

“I’m transferring at the end of the semester so I am thankful for the experiences I have had here at Eau Claire and meeting the people that I have met.” – Nicole Stegmann, junior, undeclared.