HIGH LIFE: A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Talkin’ ‘Bout a Name for a G-G-Generation

With the election of a new President and a new set of proposed national programs, the decade of the ‘90s is finally beginning to take on its own personality. But does anyone agree on what it is?

High Life wonders, “If the ‘60s were known as the ‘Peace and Love’ generation, the ‘70s the ‘Me’ generation and the ‘80s the ‘Materialistic’ generation, what will the generation of the ‘90s be called?”

“The Green generation. With environmental awareness within the public and corporations, the ‘90s will be a time for healing the Earth.”

Charlene Sakoda, 15,

sophomore, Edison

“The 90210 generation.”

Dhiraj Murthy, 17,

senior, Huntington Beach

“The Change generation, because that’s like the motto of the campaigns and because of the recession.”

April Wade, 17,

junior, Trabuco Hills

“The Reality generation, because we are the generation that is facing reality instead of ignoring it.”

Mandi Hernandez, 16,

sophomore, San Clemente

“It will be similar to Ancient Greece, a We generation of physical fitness and mental health.”

Buzz Marcovici, 16,

sophomore, Edison

“The ‘90s will be more of an industrialized and modernized ‘60s. But in the late ‘90s we will take a turn back to the 1930s. History repeats itself.”

Frank Woods, 15,

sophomore, Rancho Alamitos

“The American Drought. We were making so much progress in the ‘80s, but we seem to be going down.”

Michelle Peterson, 16,

junior, University

“The generation of awareness and change.”

Jamie Lavalle, 15,

sophomore, Rancho Alamitos

“The AIDS generation.”

Chau Lee, 14,

freshman, Trabuco Hills

“The Sexually Transmitted Diseases generation.”

Jamie Sweet, 17,

junior, El Dorado

“The Uncivilized generation, because we are becoming so liberal and ruining our society with outrageous lawsuits and hideous actions, such as the L.A. riots. We should go back to the more conservative rules on which this country was founded.”

Cindy Santos, 15,

freshman, University

“The Retro generation.”

Elizabeth Wood, 17,

junior, Edison

“This generation will be known for (being) nature-oriented.”

Tiana Mondaca, 16,

junior, California Lutheran

“Sex, crime and hate.”

Kristine Hsu, 16,

sophomore, Katella

“The Confused generation. It doesn’t have its own identity. Everyone seems to be copying styles, issues and morals from other generations.”

Melissa Rapel, 17,

senior, Trabuco Hills

“The Free-Love and Free-Disease generation.”

Gloria Lombo, 17,

senior, Mater Dei

“A time of immoral decisions and corruption. People seem to be more selfish and looking out to please their fantasies. This decade will be called Pleasing Yourself.”

Wesley Swenson, 16,

junior, Rancho Alamitos

“The Computer generation, because everything is so technologized that we’re becoming a nation of machines.”

Helen Afrasiabi, 17,

senior, Mater Dei

“The generation of awareness, with AIDS, gay rights, women’s lib and a new President. Our awareness is going to be heightened, hopefully for the better.”

Jessica Manos, 16,

sophomore, Katella

“The Lost Cause generation.”

Josh White, 17,

senior, Huntington Beach

“The Aware generation. We will have to become aware to the danger of drugs, gangs, pollution, etc., before we suffer as a society.”

Chris Ramos, 15,

freshman, Los Amigos

“We’re repeating the ‘50s and ‘70s, because the fashions, lifestyle and trends are emerging once again.”

Crystal Kerbaugh, 17,

senior, Buena Park

“The Party generation.”

Keith Davis, 15,

freshman, Los Amigos

“The All-Talk and No-Show generation.”

Jess Anderson, 17, senior, El Dorado

“The Neo-’60s. Anything negative said about anyone is automatic grounds for legal action. Blacks are uniting again, and we’ve got riots in L.A. and racism on the rise.”

Chris Kern, 17,

senior, Mater Dei

“Unfortunately, drugs, gangs and AIDS.”

David Weis, 16,

freshman, Los Amigos

“The Youth generation, because it is a time when we, the teen-agers of the world, are standing up for our rights and beliefs, and we learn from the mistakes we make.”

Karen Soriano, 16,

sophomore, Buena Park

“The Let’s Quit Naming Generations generation.”

Kim Decker, 17,

senior, El Dorado

Next Week’s Hot Topic:

Have you ever wished you were the opposite sex? Why or why not?

Responses were gathered by Jennifer Chau (Los Amigos), Yana Yanovsky (Edison), Eileen Hsu (University), David Fitzgerald (Katella), Caroline Lynch (Mater Dei), Morgan Howard (Huntington Beach), Sunshine Arena (El Dorado), Sam Kang (Buena Park), Dolores Gusman (California Lutheran), Detra Vickers (Rancho Alamitos) and Michele Hainley (Trabuco Hills).