Gone are the days of slap bracelets, RugRats, and Vanilla Ice. In place of these once-treasured cultural symbols are iPods, Gossip Girl, and Lady Gaga to fill all those roles from the long-gone decade we nostalgically call the ’90s. A decade has passed since the end of this distant time, causing many to reminisce on the past memories they’ve collected from a lost era. Though some of these moments might be getting a little fuzzy, it’s never too late to remember a lovable childhood past. When asked, what do you miss the most from the 90’s, we received a mixed reply. “I miss the individuality in the nineties and the emphasis on going out and enjoying your childhood. It was all about cartoons and toys,” sophomore Nasiha Rashid said. 

Cartoons and shows were also a large impact on our lives as we grew up with unforgettable favorites such as Pinky and the Brain, CatDog, Hey Arnold, Doug, Pokemon, and Cow and Chicken. Shows included All That, Keenan and Kel, French Prince of Bel-Air, Cosby Show, Family Matters, and Full House. When asked about her favorite T.V shows of the ’90s, junior Chanel Daive excitedly recalled, “Dexter’s Laboratory, and remember Hey Arnold and Cow and Chicken!”

Let’s face it; stuffing our mouths with every kind of candy possible was definitely not a problem when it came to those awesome flavors and fun filled creative sugars. Candies that aren’t as popular anymore, but still should be, were candy cigarettes, Fun Dip, Baby Bottle Pop, Wonderballs, Bubble Tape, Ring Pops, Warheads, and Sour Crybabies. Wonderballs were the big fad as far as I can remember. Memories of getting excited while trying to break through the chocolate ball shell to reveal candy bits of our favorite T.V. characters or stickers and tattoos; then always going up to friends or siblings and comparing the prizes collected from the precious Wonderball are engrained into my mind forever. Sadly, they are not sold in stores anymore due to various incidences of choking and other hazards. They may only be ordered online if you would like to revisit a sweet past with these delectable treasures.

The fashion in the last leg of the 20^th century was definitely different. Rashid explained her memory of what she grew up with as “big hair, baggy clothes for men and women, mom jeans on everyone (not just the moms), scrunchies, hoop earrings, and bold colors.” Sophomore Freddie Johnson had his own view of ’90s fashion; “[It was] kind of corny.” Styles such as the chop sticks hair-do and overalls were also not shy in the nineties. Chanel’s opinion on the top fashion was the same as many others “Its was like high pants, patterns, and old school Rebox.” The baby-doll style, showcased in the movie “Clueless”, was another side of the fashion spectrum. The ’90s basically toned down the fashion extremism of the 1980’s but didn’t make it any prettier! 

The music industry was also a big part of the ’90s with old-time favorites such as Boyz 2 Men, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Spice Girls, Salt and Peppa and Vanilla Ice. “All I can remember from the nineties are the boy bands,” Nasiha Rashid recalls. 98 Degrees, NSync, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block were a few of the more well known groups. Johnson mentions how he entertained himself with music in the old times: “I listened to mix tapes in the ’90s like Hypnotize by Biggie Smalls.” The Macarena was one of the major dance crazes of all time. If you can’t get your hands from the air, to your head, and then down to your hips with a spin, then you just can’t call yourself a kid from the’90s.

As far as living it to the fullest as a kid, the 1990’s sure didn’t fail to bring up a history of  amazing unrepeatable events and moments. There was a fresh live sense of culture and happy experiences that are still retained deep within us. If we let ourselves go back just a few years, we come to recognize the change and difference in the way children and teens were raised. Before we realized all this would eventually disappear who would have thought you’d miss the 90’s so much!