DARE Program
General Pop Culture

DARE: The Most Serious Assembly at School

The DARE program was the most serious moment of any 80s school year. One visit from the officer, one black T‑shirt, and suddenly every kid felt like they were being trusted with the world’s biggest decisions.

Trapper Keeper
General Pop Culture

When the Trapper Keeper Was King

In the neon glow of the 1980s, few school supplies carried as much cultural clout as the Trapper Keeper. More than just a binder, it was a symbol of organization, self-expression, and status…an accessory that

Sock Hop
General Pop Culture

Dancing at the End of Summer Sock Hop

One of my favorite youth group events at our church was the annual family sock hop. The sock hop was in our recreational building, which we affectionately referred to as “The Tin Tent”. It had

80s Girl Scout
General Pop Culture

Being a Girl Scout in the ’80s

Earlier this week, my mom came from my brother’s house with the Girl Scout cookies I ordered from my niece earlier this year. My younger niece enthusiastically informed my mother that the cookies they were

Music

Hoju’s High School Playlist

When I decided to take a look back at my high school soundtrack from 1996-2000, I realized something, it’s also my modern day playlist. Just as I’m still surrounded by the same old VHS tapes,

Nirvana
Music

Kevin’s High School Playlist

I remember finding my parents’ Beatles albums. Around the same time, my oldest cousin discovered his parents’ Led Zeppelin. That connection between generations has been something I’ve been aware of all my life. Yet this reflection back on my own high school music is absurd now that I have a child.

Music

My High School Soundtrack

Most would say that our musical preferences are developed in our teenage and high school years. My personal soundtrack had a whole menu of flavors…

5150
Music

My Soundtrack of High School

I have a lot of memories from high school. Not vague recollections but vivid images of events and people and when I recount those memories and stories to people, I get an all too common