THE ECHO

by Edward Crowe

It’s been a wonderful four years here at Avon High School. As I leave for the future, I wanted to reflect on the time that I had here in a way that might get you to bop your head.

Freshman Year – Mean by Taylor Swift

Mean is a song from Taylor Swift’s early years, a period in her career that has been stamped into my memory through her songs blaring out of the speakers of my brother’s car. Because of this her songs from that time serve as reminder of my first year here at the high school, and memories like my quest to bring up my grade in english to the bizarre taste of the sodas made in chemistry. I suppose that the song’s lyrics where Taylor mentions her goal of reaching the city could be representative of my journey to graduation that started here. Though, I never really did it to escape the haters like Taylor did, so maybe this is kind of a flawed comparison.

Sophomore – This Is Such A Pity by Weezer

It feels a little bit wrong to put this one up with the rest considering I don’t have as much of a connection to this one. It’s not really my favorite Weezer song and it isn’t as much of a symbol of my high school years on its own. However, I would be amiss if I didn’t include at least one Weezer song in this reflection. They’re a band that has meant a lot to me throughout my high school years, and this relationship with them started during my 2^nd year here. If anything, this May will be the 20^th birthday of its parent album Make Believe, so it’s fitting that this song is going to be achieving a milestone around the same time I will.

Junior – YYZ by Rush

The relationship I have with this song comes down to a very specific event during this time of my High School career. During 2023’s Trunk or Treat at the High School, I was a part of Avon Dungeons and Dragons’ booth as a drumming pirate, trying to mimic the rhythm to this song. I can’t say that I did a particularly good job trying to emulate the song considering my amateur percussion skills, but I still look fondly at that moment as a representation of the time that I had that night. But alongside that, I also view it as a symbol of my involvement in the DND club throughout my high school career, in which I met a lot of new people that had a major impact on my life going forward.

Senior – Down by 311

It’s kind of strange that I’m going from a complicated and rather technical composition to a comparatively simple song where the singer boasts about their band being able to throw sun rays. However, I think that the song’s lyrics thanking the fans of the band for sticking with them as they grow in success fit where I was right now. At the end of my time here at the high school I’ve accomplished so much, and I must thank everyone who got mere here, from my friends, family, and teachers. If there’s anyone else I need to thank, then I’ll be sure to do it. I just won’t be able to do it now.