On May 25^th, I will walk through McDonnell’s double doors, down the hallway, and step into the McHugh Gym for the last time as a Prep student. I know- with absolute certainty- as I walk into the Senior Goodbye Assembly, over the cacophony of students and teachers, “Tongue Tied” will blare from the speakers.

Every assembly, from the first time the class of ’23 timidly performed its freshman dance, to this year’s Olympic Week, GROUPLOVE’s lyrics welcomed students to participate in a period of community and celebration. To Prep students, the song and the assemblies are inextricably tied to one another; my friend swears it is Seattle Prep’s miniature Pavlovian experiment, and I think I agree.

There is something uniquely special about music. Like a familiar scent, the right song can transport me, in an instant, to an exact moment in time: the car ride home from my kindergarten soccer practice, dinner at my grandparents’ house, or summer beach bonfires. To those who know what I am talking about, you’ll know how intangible, yet profound this euphoric wave of emotion can be.

I collect my memories not in a journal, photo album, or movie, but in my playlists. Each song on my Spotify carries a certain charge, whether that be a particular memory, feeling, or relationship. To me, nostalgia is the most beautiful emotion of the human experience, and it is important that I save myself something, even as small as a song, to always come back to.

All this is to say, when “Tongue Tied” blares over the loudspeakers for the final time, I will, in essence, be facing the culmination of my high school experience. As I am sure it will for the rest of my class, this moment will be moving to say the least. I urge those reading this to pause for a moment and consider picking a song or album that holds some personal significance; save it and keep it for a rainy day. I promise, your senior (or adult) self will thank you.