With 2024 drawing to a close, the ECHO staff reflected on the year and created 2024 Top 10 lists. Below are some of their selections.
Jason Bui ’25: Top Ten New Words of the Year
10. Doomscrolling- The act of scrolling through negative news or social media posts, often to the point of feeling overwhelmed or anxious.
9. Gaslight- To manipulate someone into questioning their own reality or perception of events.
8. Chillaxercise- A low-effort workout that combines light exercise with relaxation, like stretching while watching TV or yoga in bed.
7. Clothesageddon- A situation where your wardrobe is in total chaos, whether it’s a huge pile of laundry or your closet overflowing with clothes you don’t wear.
6. Sleepcrastination- The act of putting off getting out of bed by scrolling through your phone, watching videos, or thinking about the day ahead (but never actually starting the day).
5. Moodering- The act of scrolling through social media and absorbing everyone else’s moods until you’re confused about your own feelings.
4. Binge-somnia- The condition where you can’t stop watching episodes of a show, even though you know you need to sleep.
3. Snackcident- The accidental consumption of an entire snack or bag of chips when you weren’t planning to eat it.
2. Napocalypse- The moment when a nap goes from a simple 15-minute rest to a multi-hour sleep fest that completely disrupts your day.
1. Procrastisurfing- The act of mindlessly scrolling through the internet or social media, especially when you should be doing something else (like working or studying).
Kyle Bibelhauser ’25: Top Ten Unexpected Trinity Moments
1. Snails in the hallway
2. Mr. Perkins becoming a deacon
3. Pipe bursting and fire alarm going off (all students go outside in the pouring down rain)
4. Robot dog coming into the lunch room
5. St. X/Trinity football game getting canceled and rescheduled at St. X.
6. Trinity insane comeback win against Male late in the fourth quarter in football
7. Real tornado lockdown (not a drill)
8. St. X beating Trinity in basketball by a buzzer beater tip-in (that was clearly after the buzzer)
9. 40/50 building announcement
10. Dr. Mullen announcing retirement
Colin Blake ’27: Top Ten: Movies I’ve Watched This Year
10. Fight Club
9. Spectre
8. That’s My Boy
7. Casino Royale
6. Skyfall
5. Shutter Island- It was very confusing at first, but the ending was amazing and made me rethink everything I had just watched. I loved how it kept you on your toes until the end.
4. War Dogs- Extremely funny movie and very entertaining. It also gave me some insight into the military abroad, and it showed the corruptibility of people once they made a lot of money.
3. Interstellar- This movie was outstanding as it made me think the entire time about how the world works and how the universe works as well. Close to the end, I started to completely understand what was going on and it made me enjoy the movie even more. The soundtrack also made it even better.
2. The Dark Knight- The most entertaining action movie I’ve ever seen. It was very realistic and was a real-life version of my favorite childhood superhero. The villain also gave one of the best performances I’ve seen in a while, and he made me nervous that the hero would not prevail.
1. Inception- By far the greatest movie I’ve ever watched. It makes you think the whole time, while also including many action scenes. It also made you think about the possibility of going into someone else’s dream, which is crazy to think about. There is one scene that makes this movie the best, and it is where the beautiful soundtrack is accentuated, and the protagonists are close to completing their mission. The soundtrack was absolutely amazing.
Charlie Hafendorfer ’25: Top Ten Louisville Athletics Moments of 2024
10. Ashton Gillotte’s Defensive Dominance: The defensive end led the football team with 4.5 sacks in the regular season.
9. Women’s Soccer Succes: The Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Tournament after an impressive season.
8. Cross-Country Achievements: Louisville runners excelled in the ACC Championships, setting personal and team records to finish among the conference’s best.
7. Isaac Brown’s Impact: The true freshman rushed for over 1k yards this season and had 11 TD including multiple that sealed victories, most notably the TD that sealed the win over Clemson and led to the iconic night-night celebration.
6. Tyler Shough’s Breakout Year: The seventh year senior had over 3k passing yards, and 23 TD while leading the Cardinals to a 8-4 regular season record.
5. Ja’Corey Brooks Breakout Season: The fifth year senior had over 1k receiving yards and 9 TD, including a TD where he was held, and spun around but still managed to bring in the ball
4. Louisville Football’s Victory at Clemson: Louisville football made history on November 2, 2024, by defeating Clemson for the first time in program history, with a 33-21 victory at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, ending the Tigers 13-year home night game win streak
3. Louisville Volleyball Making the Sweet 16 and hosting the NCAA Volleyball Championship Match: The Cardinals have been a program on the rise in recent years, making the championship match in 2022 and the national semi-finals in 2023, this trend continues as they host this year’s National Championship match
2. Basketball Rejuvenation: Under new head coach Pat Kelsey, Louisville’s basketball team bounced back with significant wins early in the season, signaling a bright future, despite being set back by injuries early in the season.
1. Football’s Strong Finish: After a mid-season slump, the Cardinals closed the regular season with dominant victories over Pittsburgh (37-9) and Kentucky (41-14). This win over the Wildcats marks the first win over the Cats in five years.
Liam Walsh ’26: Top Ten Games I Played This Year
10. Enshrouded- Another multiplayer game but very fantasy focused.
9. Valheim- Really fun multiplayer game in a fantasy Viking land.
8. Sekiro (5th time playing it)- Greatest combat in any game, so I come back to it frequently.
7. NBA 2k24- I got to simulate NBA stuff and I love basketball, so it was fun
6. Travellers Rest- Chill game where you run an inn
5. Black Myth: Wukong- This game had amazing visuals and sets along with cool boss designs, and I loved how it was the game for Journey to the West.
4. Ghost of Tsushima- Another exceptional story game with fun samurai combat to go with it.
3. Outer Wilds: This had unique game flow, design, and story and was cool how its whole focus is gaining knowledge on things.
2. Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree- It was just more Elden Ring, which is my favorite game, had some of the hardest but coolest boss fights ever.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2- My favorite story in any game and features one of my favorite fictional character writings ever
Liam Amick ’25: Top Ten BANGERS (not necessarily from 2024)
- Sinking Ship (The Backseat Lovers)
Why: I discovered this song because another song by this band, “Pool House” came up on my Apple Music Discovery Mix and I really liked it so I decided to listen to their album When We Were Friends. Though this song starts slow, I absolutely love the beat and the vibe of it, along with the lead singer’s voice.
- Shame (The Avett Brothers)
The Avett Brothers have always been one of my favorite bands, since my parents used to listen to them a lot. This song is one of their best, and I just happened to listen to it a lot this year and really like it. It’s really fun to sing along to with my brother, and is some great folk rock.
- ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? (Tyler, the Creator)
This is one of the more famous songs on this list, and after starting to listen to some Tyler, the Creator this year I felt like I had to include it. When I listened to Igor this was one of the only songs that I had heard previously, and it lived up to the hype. It perfectly caps off the story of a BEAUTIFUL story album and also loops back into the start of the album and the beginning of the relationship all over again.
- Sunday (The Cranberries)
I found this song when I wanted to expand my Cranberries knowledge and decided to listen to their album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? I love the way this song begins slowly, very in the Cranberries style, and then speeds up. Dolores O’Riordan is one of my favorite vocalists of all time, and she doesn’t disappoint in this song. The only reason it isn’t higher is because it blew up on TikTok and I heard it so much that I didn’t want to listen to it as much on my own.
- Bed Chem (Sabrina Carpenter)
SHORT N’ SWEET IS A GOOD POP ALBUM! Sabrina Carpenter had a lot of pressure on her album coming on the heels of her massive singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” and this song perfectly encapsulated the feeling she was trying to catch with her album. The drumbeat in this song is great, and her vocals are fun. There are a lot of innuendos, but even the crassest ones are pretty silly and contribute to the song. Overall, it’s just a great pop hit.
- You and Me (But Mostly Me) – (Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad)
I kept this list to only one musical song, and this one deserves its spot for a two-word reason: Andrew. Rannells. The guy has a crazy voice, and this song showcases it beautifully. His belted harmony near the end of the song with Josh Gad makes me jealous that I can’t sing like that. A great song from a great musical.
- Happiness Is a Warm Gun (The Beatles)
This is a song I’ve known for a while, but I didn’t realize how much I liked it until I listened to the White Album earlier this year and it came up. It is a great example of how the Beatles blended multiple songs into one, and it has a solid mix of that psychedelic rock the Beatles are known for along with some harder rock and a great guitar line. John Lennon’s vocals on this song are fantastic as well, easily making it one of my favorite Beatles songs. This is maybe one of the less-accessible songs on this list if you aren’t already a fan of the Beatles, but it’s at least worth a listen.
- betty (Taylor Swift)
T-Swift had a massive year, and I listened to her a decent amount to figure out what the deal was with the pop culture phenom. This song comes off of one of my favorite albums of hers, Folklore, which has a very singer-songwriter-y feel. This song is part of the love triangle group of songs, along with “Cardigan” and “August,” and it’s just a fun pop song with a good storyline. Also, it has a great key change which always makes me like a song.
- You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)
This song is fun, catchy, and whimsical. The main melody/beat is absolutely iconic, and Paul Simon’s rambling vocals (with surprisingly insightful lyrics) are just super fun to listen to. This song has been on my playlist for a long time, and it’s a song that I never skip because even if I’m not in the mood for it it just puts me in a better mood. The penny whistle solo is fantastic, and the bass riff at 3:45 is one of the best and grooviest bass lines in any song ever. This song is just always good. It never misses.
- XXX. (Kendrick Lamar)
This is a song that I rediscovered when re-listening to DAMN. this year, which became one of my favorite albums this year. In my opinion, it’s a pretty underrated track on an album filled with hits, and has one of the punchiest messages in the album. Featuring lyrics like “America, God bless you if it’s good to you.” and “Hail Mary, Jesus and Joseph, the whole American flag is wrapped and dragged with explosives,” it has a really strong meaning to send about the minority experience in America and the idea that all people in a minority group are always supposed to have each other’s backs. It has a bunch of awesome beat switches and features a solid chorus from U2, which is sort of an unexpected feature on a Kendrick Lamar album. Overall, this song was probably my favorite this year because it’s just fun to listen to, has a really important message and lyrics, and has a great beat.
Adam Eaton ’25: Top Ten: College Football Players in 2024 (vs. Jackson Supsky, below)
10. Dylan Sampson (Tennessee)
9. Cam Skattebo (Arizona St)
8. Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)
7. Quinn Ewers (Texas)
6. Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)
5. Sheduer Sanders (Colorado): Projected top pick in next year’s NFL draft, throws ball to Travis Hunter
4. Cam Ward (Miami): High powered Hurricane offense backed by Heisman candidate Cam Ward.
3. Dillon Gabriel (Oregon): Led Ducks to Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff
2. Ashton Jeanty (Boise St.): Best season for a running back since Barry Sanders
1. Travis Hunter (Colorado): Two-way player, wide receiver and defensive back for the Colorado Buffaloe
Jackson Supsky ’25: Top Ten: College Football Players in 2024 (vs. Adam Eaton)
10. Ja’Corey Brooks (Louisville)
9. Tyler Warren (Penn State)
8. Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
7. Xavier Restrepo (Miami)
6. Dillon Grabriel (Oregon)
5. Tre Harris (Ole Miss): Best wide receiver in college.
4. Shedeur Sanders (Colorado): Projected No.1 pick.
3. Cam Ward (Miami): Heisman Canidate, good stats.
2. Ashton Jeanty (Boise State): Best running back in the country.
1. Travis Hunter (Colorado): Plays both sides of the ball
Nolan Williams ’26: Top Ten Shows I’ve Seen this Year
This is a ranking of live shows I’ve seen this year based on my personal opinion of their source material. It’s impossible to compare a school show to a professional one, and thus I’m not taking the budget or experience of the actors into account. These will be ranked by my personal feelings on their music (if they have it), plot, characters, and message.
10. Six: A fun, modern take on history.
9. Jesus Christ Superstar: A rocking and rolling show, filled with passion.
8. Anastasia: The last princess of Russia makes her way in a world without monarchs.
7. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Families with problems trying to make it in a world of magic.
6. Mamma Mia: A story about families with an ABBA flare.
5. Twelve Angry Men: A show that has stood the test of time, Twelve Angry Men has been teaching audiences about humanity living in a society for decades. The show follows a jury which believes that an African American kid is responsible for killing his father. However, one member of the jury has doubts as to the boy’s guilt, and he starts a discussion that peels back the layers of a fascinating case. Along the way, the characters of the jurors are shown to the audience. I was enthralled by these characters, particularly juror #4, who wanted to find a way to fairly see the case, juror #3 who hated the defendant because of his own relationship with his son, and juror #8, who stood up for the defendant when no one else would. The depth of these characters has allowed this show to stand the test of time, and it will continue to stand for years to come.
4. Beetlejuice: This show was a hoot. I loved watching it. A family struggling with the loss of their mother moves into a house haunted by Beetlejuice – a silly demon. The daughter of the family tries to lash out against her father and runs in with supernatural forces during this wacky musical adventure. This whole show is fun, from Beetlejuice’s antics to the great songs. I had a great time watching it and highly recommend.
3. Guys and Dolls: I love this show. It follows a group of gamblers in New York City in the 1950s as they navigate American society’s expectations. The dynamics of family, faith, and the law all come into play during this fun-filled musical comedy. Nathan Detroit needs a thousand dollars to host a crap game, and bets Sky Masterson that he cannot take the leader of the local mission, Sarah Brown, on a date in Havanna. Other characters like Nicely Nicely Johnson, Detroit’s lovable sidekick, and Miss Adelade, Detroit’s fiancé of 14 years, also make appearances that have defined musical theatre for decades. I have the soundtrack for this show on CD, and I can listen to it for hours. This show is a truly great example of American musical theatre.
2. Much Ado About Nothing: In a list of classics, this is the most classic. From the mind of William Shakespeare comes an examination of human relationships that has defined pop culture for centuries. Don Pedro and his friends, Benedick and Claudio, come to visit Leonato. Claudio falls for Leonato’s daughter, Hero, and Benedick flirts with Leonato’s niece, Beatrice. However, Don Pedro’s brother, Don John, sets a plan in motion to embarrass his brother’s friends and ruin their friendship. His plan puts these new relationships into question and comedic antics ensue. The wordplays of Shakespeare are at their best in this show, and they left me chuckling almost constantly. Beatrice is one of drama’s great characters, and her interactions with Benedick and others set a standard for the plays that came after it.
1. Les Misérables: This show is more epic than any other show on this list. Jean Valjean is released from prison after 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. He in convinced to try to become a good man, but he is pursued by Javert, the policeman who wants to put him back in jail. Along the way, Valjean helps people around him, showing the depth of his Christian goodness while one of the great stories in western literature unfolds. This story was made into an opera with hours of fantastic music that tells this story in a way no straight play could. The experience for the audience is overwhelming. I adore this show, and it was my favorite I saw in 2024.
Gunnar Lund ’25 (Split two lists into top 5): Top 5 Songs on Repeat This Year
5. “Messy”- Lola Young
I didn’t hear this song until November, but I am still hooked. This is an anthem for anyone who has ever had a narcissistic friendship or relationship and are simply over it.
4. “F*** it I love you”- Lana Del Rey
This is just a fun song to sing along too. Admitting to someone you like them and don’t care what anyone else thinks is a daunting idea so until you have the courage to do so, this song is the perfect place holder.
3. “The Greatest”- Billie Eilish
When I first heard this song on her new album in May I declared myself a fan of the song before it would eventually become trendy. I think this song is a life lesson about relationships and self-worth. After going on my senior retreat, I fell back in love with this song and have decided that if I get the chance to go back and be a retreat leader, this would be one of my songs. “Doing what’s right without a reward” is one of the lines I think is most thought provoking.
2. “Buzzcut Season”-Lorde
I seriously don’t know how I missed this song for so many years. I am a huge Lorde fan and believe that the album Pure Heroin is one of the best albums ever made. Though I listened to albums all the way through, especially if I like them, I originally skipped around when first listening to Pure Heroin. This past summer I had the album on shuffle and saw “Buzzcut Season” come up. Instead of skipping the song like usual, I let it play. I found myself dancing around my room in no time. This song is so relatable and dives into the feelings that come with being a growing teenager and everything that feels like the end of the world while also touching on how much fun life is.
1. “Chihiro”-Billie Eilish
“Chihiro” had me in a hold this year since its May release. This song has so much depth to it. It is named after Billie Eilish’s favorite anime character from the series Spirited Away. What I love about the song is that although I have never seen the movie nor do I know what it is about, the song allows the listener to give each lyric and verse its own meaning. This year I was able to listen to this song and jump up and down while also being able to listen to it when I had a tough day.
Jack Davis ’25: Top 9 Albums of 2024
9. Vultures 1 (Kanye West, Ty Dolla Sign)
8. Eternal Sunshine (Ariana Grande)
7. Vultures 2 (Kanye West, Ty Dolla Sign)
6. The Great American Bar Scene (Zach Bryan)
5. Hit Me Hard and Soft (Billie Eilish)
4. We Don’t Trust You (Future, Metro Boomin)
3. Short n’ Sweet (Sabrina Carpenter)
2. GNX (Kendrick Lamar)
1. Chromakopia (Tyler, the Creator)
Hayden Deitz ’25: Top 10 TikTok Trends
10. “Who would you not let date your daughter?
9. Pepe Muppet with trauma dumping
8. Chill Guy Trend
7. Dancing With the Stars dance challenges (especially the one from Joey and Jenna’s Tarzan dance)
6. “Holding space” for Defying Gravity
5. “Very Mindful. Very Demure”
4. “Just give me my money”
3. “Wait, they don’t love you like I love you” (Maps- Yeah Yeah Yeahs) This trend took over TikTok and became a staple of everyday conversation for a lot of people. The dance was infectious, and people could be seen doing it everywhere.
2. Anything Eras Tour. This trend gave the world a common event to unite around and provided so many people with the community to be themselves and have fun. Also, the hype around Taylor Swift grew exponentially this year with more and more shows on the Eras tour and TikTok documented each step, whether it be live, through outfits for the tour, or through surprise song guessing.
1. Stories with a Minecraft parkour video in the background. This trend is simply the most widespread and consistent trend that TikTok experienced throughout 2024. People were able to focus on the Minecraft parkour which, in turn, enabled them to understand and stay with the story as it was being told to them. Some students even took this trend and applied it to their education by putting their notes/lectures into the program that says the words through an AI voice while playing Minecraft parkour in the background.
Andrew Davis ’25: Top 9 Movies I Watched This Year
9. Surviving Christmas (2004)
8. The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
7. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
6. Gladiator (2000)
5. Whiplash (2014)
4. Good Will Hunting (1997)
3. The Usual Suspects (1995)
2. The Strangers (2008)
1. Get Out (2017)
Ben Scobee ’25: Top Ten Comic Books I’ve Read This Year
This list is the top Ten Marvel comic books that I have read this year. Before you judge, at the beginning of the year I decided to read every Marvel comic book event that was published before I turn 18, and at this point in the year I am almost done. Here is the list of my favorites and why they are my favorites.
10. The Death of Doctor Strange (2021) – I love a good murder mystery, and this series of comic books was a really really good murder mystery.
9. Kraven’s Last Hunt (1987) – This one was a six-part series in which Kraven the Hunter tracks down and actually kills Spider-Man. It’s a really dark series for something that Marvel would publish, and the ending is gruesome. Definitely a must read for any Spider-Man or Horror fans.
8. Carnage USA (2011) – This is one of the less well-known series Marvel has published, it follows the Spider-Man villain, Carnage, as he infests a small town in the middle of nowhere. This one is also really dark and is made even more so by the photorealistic art-style.
7. Age of Ultron (2013) – published before the movie was released, this series is the post-apocalyptic future where Ultron sucsefully killed the Avengers. It’s a great series and a must-read for any Marvel fan.
6. Siege (2009) – This one is on the list because it is the climax of a yearlong storyline called Dark Avengers. The Siege series follows Norman Osborne as he takes every villain in the whole Marvel Universe and attacks the mythical city of Asgard. It’s really good and the ending, in my opinion, is one of the best moments in Marvel history.
5. Daredevil: Born Again (1986) – This series has won awards as one of the best comic book stories of all time. It follows Daredevil as his life falls apart by the seams and he descends into madness. This series had so many twists and turns which made it a super compelling read. It was so good that the Daredevil show is based off of this series.
4. Secret Wars (1984) – This is THE Marvel crossover event. An alien called the Beyonder takes a group of Superheros and a group of their all time biggest enemies and makes them battle to the death on an alien planet. This was the comic book that launched Marvel into fame. It was so good that Marvel is currently making a movie for it.
3. Maximum Carnage (1993) – As a fan of Spider-Man, Maximum Carnage was an awesome series. The 14-part series is the first time Carnage really attacks Spider-Man and his friends and it features some key issues for the growth of the Spider-Man character as a whole. The only reason this isn’t number one is because the ending wasn’t the most well executed thing in the world. The movie, Venom: Let there be Carnage is based off of this comic book series.
2. Annihilation: Conquest (2007) – This series is the sequel to Annihilation which was Marvel’s first big push towards a sci-fi space story. Annihilation: Conquest features the creation of the movie-style guardians of the galaxy. It has a perfect mix of action and humor that is really hard to find anywhere else. Definitely a must read for any fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
1. Secret Wars (2015) – Widely known as the best comic book series of all time, Secret Wars (2015) is similar to its namesake from 1984 but also widely different. Dr. Doom saves the world from destruction by becoming a god. What follows is one of the greatest comic books of all time. Anyone who like the Fantastic Four
