Wednesday, January 20, 2016, was the ten-year reunion of "High School Musical," and it reunited some famous actors and actresses, minus Zac Efron (Zac, if you're reading this, I'm still angry that you bolted, Bolton). When "High School Musical" first came out 10 years ago, childhood me was absolutely obsessed, and I am not ashamed to admit that 19-year-old, college freshman me is only slightly less obsessed. Troy Bolton (played by Zac Efron) was my first celebrity crush (Zac, again, if you're reading this, I still love you), and Gabriella Montez (played by Vanessa Hudgens) was my role model. From a girl who still loves the arguably best Disney Channel original movie ever made, here are 10 reasons college students should still watch "High School Musical."
1. It perfectly encapsulates 2005-2006
With the crop tops, the denim, the single color track suits and –– most importantly –– the sequins, 2005 was the height of American fashion (kidding). Plus, who doesn't miss the flip phone? I may have only been nine when HSM premiered, but I remember those days, and there's something oddly comforting about looking at how "far" we've come as a society.
2. It challenges us to break the status quo
Zeke was a basketball player who's passion was baking, and Martha the mathlete could pop and lock. Catchy tune aside, HSM truly did break the stereotype of who could do what.
3. We all know a Jason
Oh, good old Jason. You knew one in high school, and I guarantee you know one in college. They're that person who never knows what's an OK question to ask and what isn't, soliciting unanimous groans from the rest of your class and a glare from your professor who's probably thinking, "I did not go to grad school to have to deal with this."
4. It told a generation of girls that being smart wasn't lame
We've all seen the movies and shows where smart girls had poofy hair, glasses, terrible asthma and were the most unpopular people in the whole school. "High School Musical" gave us iconic female roles like Gabriella, Taylor and Martha, all three of whom broke the stereotype that smart girls couldn't be cool.
5. Chad gave some cool fitness advice
The freshman fifteen is real. Very real. Maybe to lose weight we should all just put a picture of Zac Efron on top of our piles of Ramen noodles.
6. It had some really sick comebacks
Let's be honest, Gabriella's "Nice penmanship," was basically the 2005 equivalent of "Miley, what's good." And let's not forget the iconic, "You know she probably spent the holidays like she always does... shopping for mirrors."
7. Ryan is all of us
Ryan was simultaneously stylish, cool and kind deep down, and he had just right amount of snark. Also, he could be pretty clueless, and what more accurately describes college than pretending to have it all together but really being extremely confused all the time.
8. Troy and Gabriella are relationship goals
They weren't perfect, and they had some major rough patches (looking at you, lunkhead basketball man), but Troy and Gabriella's relationship shaped the romantic goals of an entire generation. It's OK to still hold out hope for a boy who will hand-deliver the best strawberry in the world, even if he didn't choose to go to college 32.7 miles away from you.
9. It gave us the best music
It was great in 2006, and it's great now. New significant other? "Start of Something New." Lost a significant other? "When There Was Me and You." Need to focus on something? "Getcha Head in the Game." The literal soundtrack for life.
10. "Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat."
OK, so this quote comes from "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," but it still counts. I probably have more school spirit for East High than I do my own high school, and I'm OK with that. Maybe high school was great for you, maybe it was awful, but whenever you have a feeling of nostalgia or a realization that "I'm in college! I'm growing up," you can stream HSM on Netflix and make things feel better.
