When World Language and English teacher Mercedes Beltrán was a student at BHS, the halls echoed with the sounds of slamming lockers and chit-chats with no AirPods in sight. Now, the same halls vibrate with the chimes of Snapchat, Instagram and the murmur of TikToks and Gen Z lingo filling the classrooms.
Beltrán shares her experience as a former student compared to her experience as a teacher. Graduating in 1999, Beltrán remembers high school with minimal technology, fashion differences and reminisces the changes in the building.
“I laugh a little because we used to have no computers, and no phones. We only had overhead projectors and the televisions that they would cart in for movie days,” Beltrán said.
School was once a place filled with face-to-face interactions and conversations. Although these are not completely extinct, technology has made it easier to interact over screens. From FaceTimes, to text messages, to snapchats, to sending your BFF a funny TikTok, communication has changed drastically. To many this is better than ever, but to some, the “old” ways are preferable.
“It used to be nice when students could go outside during lunch, I miss that,” Beltrán said. Now students are limited and “no one is allowed outside.”
Not only have the students changed, but so have the rules and guidelines. What used to be that students could enjoy a fresh lunch outside under the shade or in the sun with a gentle breeze carrying the soft scent of fresh flowers wrapping everyone in warmth and easy smiles has now vanished. Now students are sanctioned only to places inside the school. The reason why remains unanswered.
Some things never change. When it comes to fashion “it’s cyclical,” Beltrán said.
“I just recently saw the long sweaters, and platform shoes. The wide and bell bottoms as well. Those are things we used to wear,” Beltrán said. “But I do see some stuff that I question.”
Although fashion now has fluctuated, to say the least, students have found fun and interesting ways to express themselves. From their hair, to their outfit, to their makeup, it all tells a story about their character.
Although fashion has evolved, in some good and some questionable ways, trends still come and go back—even from 1990 to 2025—like boomerangs.
