It’s that time of year again: Friday night lights, sweater weather, family festivities, back-to-school stress, and beautiful scenery. More importantly, though, it’s a time of nostalgia, when alumni muster up all of their memories of the past as they join back together in reunion. It’s homecoming season!

The year of ’88 was not only the year that a vast majority of current GHS’s students’ parents were in high school, but it was also a time where totally radical and gnarly Dudes and Bettys lived their best and most fashionable lives. It was totally happenin’.

Entertainment from the year of 1988 definitely did not fail us. The top movies of the year of ’88 were Beetle Juice, Rambo 3, Die Hard, and The Land Before Time. The top tv shows were Roseanne, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Inside Edition.

The music of 1988 was like totally amped, with the top song on Billboard charts being “Faith” by George Michael. Other songs on the charts were “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard. Not to mention, everyone teenage girls’ dream man, Bon Jovi, released their new album, New Jersey. Man, we’re so thankful that music taste back then  was so good that the music is still here and on a roll.

A trendie of the 80’s would probably be wearing puffy fabric over bouncy skirts, and she’d probably have BIG hair. She might have neon sequins on her clothes, too. She might also have shoulder pads in her dress or jacket. Let’s not forget the oversized tops! A totally rad dude would probably be wearing acid washed jeans, jean jackets with tee shirts underneath, and hightop shoes. On the other hand, a preppy 80’s dude would wear Izod shirts, but don’t forget the collar, dress pants, and penny loafer shoes.

The jocks didn’t let us down in the year of ’88 either. The Lakers were the only team in NINETEEN years to win back-to-back NBA titles. Florence Griffith Joyner, a sprinter, won three gold metals. Mike Tyson beak Michael Spinks in 91 seconds. 1988 was also the year of Kirk Gibson’s famous World Series homerun for the Dodgers, the one where he came into the game hurt, hit the homeroom, and hobbled around the bases doing one of the most legendary fist pumps of all time. The youth of the year of ’88 may have needed to take a chill pill after watching all of this happen.

Famous births this year were Rhianna, Adele, Colton Haynes, Kevin Durant, Emma Stone, and Stephen Curry. So much talent was brought into the world in 1988, and 30 years later, we’re forever thankful for that.

Major events that happened in this year were definitely not ones to forget. The Senate ratified the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with the Soviet Union that May. Winter Olympics were in Canada that year. 1988 was also a year of election: George H. W. Bush, Republican, defeats Michael Dunkakis, Democrat.

The year of 1988 may have been full of colorful clothing, exciting entertainment and world-known events and sports, but most importantly, it was a year that our culture today still holds on to in so many aspects. Our fashion, music, mentalities, media, and entertainment today reflect so much positivism cultivated in years of the 80’s, and we are all grateful for that.

To the Class of 1988 – We hope that the nostalgia of your years of high school will give you so much joy this homecoming season!!