Once you pass the age of eighteen, life starts throwing you constant reminders that you’re getting old. You notice you start to get winded by the second flight of stairs in Murphy, sleep is beginning to be more desirable than food and we’re constantly told the “real world” is right around the corner. Last week, I came to the realization that these signs are right and we’re all getting a little bit older. Of course, it wasn’t through anything like the prospect of a job or noticing I’ve completed all of my major courses for my college degree. No, it was none of that. It was a Tuesday night and I was sitting on my couch for the first time all day. I had my feet up and was catching up on Fox’s “New Girl” because, quite frankly, I’ve always had a girl-crush on Zooey Deschanel. The plot of the episode was unraveling. The main character, Jess, has just come home to find her three male roommates throwing a college party in their apartment. Jess asks, “Why is the cast of ‘The Social Network’ in our apartment?” Her roommate replies with a drunken speech about how “fun” college kids are. He goes on to exclaim, “They don’t know what ‘Saved by the Bell’ is and they’ve never felt pain!” After a few minutes of laughing, I took a breath and thought about it. I grew up watching “Saved by the Bell” (the reruns, of course), but at most I know the show and its characters. Iona’s class of 2016 were, for the most part, born around 1995. The last episode of “Saved by the Bell” aired in 1993 along with the “College Years” spin-off which ended in 1994. This means that by the time these 90’s babies were able to understand the television they were watching, there is very little likelihood that these re-runs would still be frequently running. There may be a blurry line between what makes or breaks a “90’s baby,” but remembering the glory that was 90’s television is a major part of it. There are so many valuable life lessons I’ve taken with me from the irreplaceable sitcoms and cartoons of my younger years. The first glimpse of 90’s television that I can remember has to be “The Rugrats.” This 90’s Nickelodeon masterpiece taught me to treat every day like it was an adventure. Can’t reach the cookie shelf? What would Tommy Pickles do? (It was probably for my benefit that I didn’t have any sort of screwdriver to carry around.) As I got older, I was able to better understand the competitiveness of “Legends of the Hidden Temple” and pretend my floor was the moat I had to cross to make it to the next round. I stood tall on my couches as a lone Blue Barracuda. However great all of these shows were, I have no shame in admitting that the majority of my childhood growth and understanding of society can be attributed to “Boy Meets World.” “Boy Meets World” ran from 1993-2000, making it the epitome of 90’s television. Aside from teaching me the correct pronunciation of “underpants” and that my neighbor will hear me if I stand outside yelling loud enough, it taught me some sincere lessons. For starters, I learned that the friends you make when you’re young can grow to be friends for life. I definitely have a Shawn to my Cory with me right here in college. Even more than our own Shawns, we all have that one person we can always go to, no matter how messy everything is. That’s right, we all have a Feeny. “Boy Meets World” taught me to always believe in love. If Cory and Topanga can make it from middle school to college and still get married, I can certainly find a nice man who will stay with me for at least a couple of years. Most importantly, the series finale left me with inspiring words of wisdom. As Feeny says, “Believe in yourself. Dream. Try. Do Good.” I encourage you all to do the same. For those seniors leaving Iona this year, continue on the path of greatness you have all been walking. And for those coming back in the fall, take this summer and make the best of it. Do the same with life. Never give up on those who love you and never give up on yourself. Whether you’re a Cory, or a Shawn, an Eric or a Topanga, be it all. Be you. That’s the lesson, everybody.

To contact The Ionian’s Meaghan McGoldrick, e-mail her at [email protected]