Article by: Makenna Kemp, Contributing Writer, Graphic by Emory Waye

With the kickoff of 2026 came a wave of nostalgia for a simpler time. A time when fidget spinners, YouTube, Vines, and boho outfits were trending, and when we didn’t have the stresses of the current day. After the ball dropped, people established that we were going to think back to simpler times, bring back old trends, and truly embrace the culture of 2016. The Vanguard staff is excited to embrace this throwback, and we wanted to tell our readers how we are revisiting 2016 this year.

Josie DiCapua

Editor-in-Chief

Josie is the Editor-in-Chief at the Vanguard and was 12 years old in 2016. She is graduating this semester with a degree in English, which makes sense because her favorite activity in 2016 was making aesthetic images with quotes from popular music artists such as Melanie Martinez, Halsey, and Twenty-one Pilots. She also used to spend her time adding to her choker collection and making edits of bath bombs from Lush to post on Pinterest since it was all the rage. 

Makenna Kemp 

Writer

Makenna was 9 years old in 2016; she is a freshman at South Alabama, is majoring in Recreational Therapy, and is planning to graduate in fall of 2028. Her favorite trend back then was the popularity of slime. One of her favorite memories from 2016 was staying after school and doing the “mannequin challenge” for her teacher’s social media. They had to do it five different times. She wants to bring back her outlook on life, having the same excitement for the future as she did back then. 

Lindon Horn

Photographer 

Lindon was 18 years old and graduated from high school in 2016 and is now graduating this May with a major in Finance. His favorite trend was the “Running Man Challenge,” which makes sense because he is very fond of the 2016-era music. Something that he wants to bring back is Fetty Wap, who was just released from prison earlier this year and has hit the stage again. He thinks 2016 had a more innocent and free vibe and believes we need to embrace that this year.

Ansleigh Stork

Writer

Ans is currently a sophomore at South Alabama, is majoring in English and Secondary Education, and was 10 years old in 2016. Along with many of her preteen peers, Ans enjoyed the uprising of Starbucks in 2016. The “Unicorn Frappuccino,” a notable staple in any nostalgic conversation, has been widely criticized for its grotesque taste, and the quick discontinuation is Ans’ favorite trend for that reason. She is known to reminisce on popular social platforms at the time, such as Tumblr and Pinterest. Besides the posts she made for social media during that time, you could also find photos in her camera roll from the cruise she went on that year.

Amya Douglas

Writer

Amya is a current senior this year at South and is receiving her Master’s in Public Administration. She was 15 years old in 2016 and had a condition most still have today, Chronic Snap Disorder (CSD). CSD has been known to have different symptoms throughout the years. In 2026, the symptoms consist of taking pictures of the wall or your forehead, but in 2016… the flower crown flu dominated the population. These filters, along with the perfect mannequin challenge with your friends and a clip of your favorite song, curated the perfect public profile and displayed the lighthearted vibes that many want to bring back today.  

Emory Waye

Managing Editor 

Emory was 11 years old in 2016. Her favorite thing was the dancing trends that we were all very fond of. Unfortunately, Juilliard doesn’t think the dab is very impressive, so she is studying psychology at South Alabama and is projected to graduate in 2027. She tries to incorporate 2016 into her daily life by listening to the popular trap music made by artists such as Fetty Wap, Future, and Kevin Gates in hopes to bring back the child-like optimism that we all took advantage of.

Sophie Rogers

Writer

Sophie was 11 in 2016 and is now graduating in 2027 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Her favorite trend back then was one that we all have fond memories of, the mannequin challenge. She also enjoyed “CrankThatFrank” YouTube videos. Along with watching YouTube, she also enjoyed listening to Panic! At The Disco and being cringe, and hopes to revisit that in 2026.

Nakeria Woods

Writer

Nakeria was 10 years old in 2016 and is projected to graduate in 2027 with a degree in History. I am sure reminiscing on older times is a normal activity, as she is a History major. It is unfortunate that 2016 isn’t in the textbooks yet. All she has to be able to look back on this time are the dance trends, the Musically compilations, and the couple of YouTube channels. One thing that Nakeria wants to bring back in 2026 is the carefree attitude that she had.   

Breyona Padgett

Writer and Photographer

Breyona was also 10 years old in 2016 and is now a senior at South. She will be graduating this semester with a degree in Journalism. Her favorite trend in 2016 was the very viral mannequin challenge. Another thing that she loved was the music, the Musical.lys, and the childhood activities of enjoying the outdoors.

2016 had many highlights. Everything from the music to the trends to the dances to the killer clowns. It is constantly reminisced on and idolized as a simpler time. Whether or not you will be embracing the 2016 era this year or not, it is clear that people recognize 2016 as a time we could all be carefree and have fun. The Vanguard is hoping to embrace the past trends and all the things we loved about 2016, and we hope you do as well.