90s

Music:

• It’s Tricky— Run-D.M.C.
• I Need Love— LL Cool J
• Straight Outta Compton— NWA
• The Joker— Steve Miller Band
• Dreams— Fleetwood Mac
• Over the Hills and Far Away— Led Zeppelin
• Life is a Highway— Tom Cochrane
• Touch of Grey— Grateful Dead
• Tweezer Reprise— Phish
• Hotel California— Eagles
• Sweet Child O’ Mine— Guns N’ Roses
• U Can’t Touch This— MC Hammer
• Everybody Wants to Rule the World— Tears for Fears

Movies:

• Dirty Dancing
• Pretty Woman
• Top Gun
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High
• Friday the 13th
• Titanic
• Forrest Gump
• Backdraft
• Say Anything
• The Breakfast Club
• Reservoir Dogs
• Sweet Sixteen

Fieberg:

“Movies were a lot more story-based.”

“We would watch movies at our friend’s houses and they would be mostly from the ’80s.”

Slang:

• That is so dope/ill/deaf/fly
• Talk to the hand
• As if!
• Hella
• That’s so phat
• Oh, snap!
• You’re trippin!
• That is so whack
• Take a chill pill
• We gotta bounce
• Bomb diggity
• Psych!
• Rad
• Dude

Clothing:

• Baggy pants and clothes
• Acid wash jeans
• Pastels
• Name-brand surf gear (Quicksilver, etc.)
• Abercrombie became popular (original)
• Nirvana
• Pearl Jam
• Grunge
• Flannels
• Loose jeans/old jeans
• Birkenstocks  
• High waisted for men in some regard
• Band t-shirts
• Mullets
• Turtle Necks
• Cuffed jeans
• White high top Reeboks
• Shell toe Adidas

Fieberg: “It was very big clothing.”

Alberts: “Everything was loose and not a lot of skin showing.”

Communication during the 90s:

• Had basic computers, not easy to use, and not a common source of communication between teens
• Could only call the landline to make plans, or talk in person
• Phones were never used in a negative manner (cyberbullying or shaming over social media) because you could only call people’s home phones and request to talk to someone
• No texting or social media for quick plans

Hang Out:

• Bowling
• Movies
• Beach
• Biking in the desert
• Snowboarding in Big Bear
• Play hockey very late at night (rent out rink at midnight)
• Go on runs
• Listen to tapes and go off-roading through the trees/woods
• Watch movies
• Listen to music
• Paint /draw
• Go to each other’s houses

Fieberg:

“The style of learning is different. We had all lecture-based classes. Today, it is a lot more collaborative among students. There is a lot more freedom to create and do your own projects and interpretations of what your teacher is trying to get you to learn.”

Alberts:

“[The Internet’s like] always having the answer in your pocket. Never having to wonder about anything.”

“We are constantly online and detached socially.”

Morales:

“I wasn’t out of high school, a four-year bound student. I made some poor choices.”

“As a high school student, I had very poor academics, very poor connections to school. My biggest connections were the sports, the social scene and the girls. Having been that student, I was lucky to be able to go on and play football in college and to explore the world. I came back wanting to be a football coach and a Spanish teacher, and I did those things successfully.”

“The college admissions process has gotten amazingly competitive.”

“We want people to be creative, to be team workers. The skills and knowledge that you’re all required to have today, to be competitive, is a lot more intense.”