Do You Remember…?

By: Mia Sarmiento (Layout Editor)

Looking back at your freshman year of high school can be a little blurry for some seniors. We don’t expect you to remember everything you learned from your classes or who said what four years ago. It was four years ago!  But do you remember that one song everyone would freeze to? How about that time virtual monsters were hiding around the real world? I’ve put together some lists ranking the top songs, news stories, memes, and shows from 2016-2017. These ranks are based on our senior’s opinions on what was most important to them or what brings the most nostalgia from freshman year.

Four years ago a lot happened. Can you believe it’s already time for another presidential election? Your freshman year was full of new beginnings not only for yourself, but for the whole country. Politically, environmentally, and culturally, our country went through plenty of change. Just as you were transitioning from middle school into high school, history was happening all around you. Where were you when these influential stories were taking place?

Yet, some memories from freshman year are not all that great. At the time, things might have felt like they would never change. However things always do, and we all grow up. Just as you are not the same as you were four years ago, your interests have probably undergone a change as well. Songs get overplayed, jokes get old, clothes go out of style. So, what is something from freshman year that you no longer like? Nease senior, Abbi Donaldson, had a certain song in mind, commenting, “Black Beatles. I’ve heard it way too much to still like it.”

It’s crazy that these shows are already four years old! While some of these songs aren’t as popular as they were before, our seniors agreed that these had to be the top three. Nease senior, Hannah Williams, has lost her fondness of a certain show stating, “I hate 13 Reasons Why! Season 2 ruined it.” Why don’t you take a look back at season one from any of these shows. You can see how much each of the characters have developed and grown just as you have since you were a freshman.

Last but not least, the memes. When you started high school, things were scary. Thankfully, memes can bring people together. Have you ever made new friends by using a good ol’ meme as an icebreaker?  Memes are there to make you laugh. Taking a look back at freshman year, these three memes brought our seniors the most nostalgia.

After taking a look back at your initial year of high school, it can be easy to recognize how much not only you have changed, but to the extent that the world around us has changed. A student, who preferred to stay anonymous, reflected upon the ranks and what it meant to them stating, “I think I’ve changed a lot so none of these really resonate with me anymore. They remind me of myself, my friends, and the world from that time period, but I think the mannequin challenge was never really that funny.”  You can recognize what has influenced your character today from your ideas to your interests by taking a trip down memory lane. Remembering who you were, whether it was four years ago or even just a year, is important. Every single version of you makes up who you are, just as every event in the past contributes into what the world is today. So as you start a new transition from high school into another lifestyle, reflect on what has brought you to where you are today. 

Photo Credits: Mia Sarmiento