It’s around a month until we all say our good-byes for the year and 75 percent of us will get to see each other next year. Dear Seniors, I can’t relate just yet, but seeing you all have minor and major meltdowns is making me seriously nervous. It’s amazing how easily I forget that I can’t be in college forever. Why can’t the best four years of our lives be the rest of our lives?

I am in a stage of denial; I believe whole-heartedly that I will stay 20 forever. I can’t quite see why growing up is worth it at this moment. I just really think we all need to step back and enjoy our years here at Gustavus. What better way to relive memories than the songs associated with them? Let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at what has brought us all to Gustavus.

Let’s start with the year 1990. Yes, I realize some of you like to consider yourselves “children of the ‘80s” but for simplicity, I’m ignoring that. According to my extensive Google search, the top song of the year was “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips. I’m just taking a stab in the dark here, but something tells me most of us don’t even know this song. (Kudos to those of you who do!) This makes sense that we aren’t familiar with this song since 100 percent of us don’t remember being born. How would we even know what the top song of the year was? Unless it was your mom’s favorite song and she played it to you every night so you could fall asleep.

Alright, 1995. Can you believe we were still watching movies on tapes? Remember when you really wanted to watch the Lion King or Mighty Ducks and your brother forgot to rewind the tape? Man that was annoying! Anyway, the top song was “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio. Now that’s a song we all know. Being five years old is pretty awesome. We all got to experience “Kindergartner’s Paradise” and meet all these other kids our age. This was probably the most innocent and simplest time of our lives. Seeing reruns of Arthur and the Magic School Bus on TV this Easter Break made my day, and just proved why 1995 rocked.

We survived Y2K! Thank god my computer knows that 2000 comes after 1999. Imagine your 10-year-old self. You were pretty cool, huh? Starting every sport your parents let you, reading tons of books, staying out as late as you can with your friends, riding your bike just ‘cause you can. Looking back, “Believe” by Cher was ruling the airwaves. Remember Cher? She was over 50 back then!

2005 baby, and I can’t wait until I can finally start driving. Yes, Mom I will drive safe and go the speed limit, jeez leave me alone. What’s on the radio? “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey! I can’t wait to go home and watch the music video on TRL. Thank god I am out of junior high, that place was super lame. I can’t believe I’m in high school! Should I start looking at colleges now?

2011. Guess what today is? It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday! (Now, if you don’t know what I am referencing in that past sentence, bless your soul. None of us should be put through the torture of listening to this song again.) Looking back at songs that were popular really shows how much we have aged. Granted, we have only lived about a quarter of our entire lives, but it’s still a scary thought! I know I am in favor of enjoying every day that I can, and letting time slow down. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen for us.

Seniors, it was nice knowing you. Enjoy the little time you have left. Luckily, the rest of us we have a bit more time to procrastinate this whole “growing up” thing. I for one am in favor of majorly procrastinating growing up. I leave you with these words of wisdom, Adulthood cannot be stopped, but it can be delayed!