These people are 58 years old now... Time is unreal for the human mind to comprehend. "If we all knew what we all know in our last days, we would live our life and love people so much better"

I was 17 in 83 . I was one of them. Lucky to have graduated. I attended a community college for 4 years after high school. It was very beneficial. It was like learning everything that I missed.

these videos always make me cry as someone who's growing up now (i'm 15 lol). idk why but it hits me hard for some reason, knowing that everyone who were teens in the 80s are around 50 now, and soon enough these videos will be made about my generation. i'm not very popular at my highschool, i only have one real friend there, but i know when i'm older i'm going to look back on my teen years with nostalgia. it's scary to think about that. but when i watch these videos of people who were once just like me - insecure, feeling misunderstood afraid to grow up - it makes me think everything's going to be okay.

it's crazy how much a school can change in 40 years.

I wanna jump into this video and tell them about the future

I'm the class of 1983 and I agree our parents got a better education than we did in school. The hygiene was better and manners were better and classrooms were in control. Nowadays, kids have it easier than we did doing assignments on their laptops but schools are out of control with all the social media going on today.

80’s music and movies are still legendary

Watching this makes me realize what an amazing thing it was that I was able to get through a childhood in an environment full of dysfunction, child abuse, violence and other craziness. Ultimately I started running away from home at 13. Growing up in Los Angeles during the 70s was very tough with the gangs and other things that corrupted lives. I lived in foster homes, boys homes and other facilities for troubled youth. I think what saved me was that I never had a desire for drugs or alcohol. Somehow through all those crazy years, I graduated high school on time in 1981 and went to the Navy. Things were shaky at times but eventually I straightened my life out without getting into too much trouble, at least not enough to completely ruin my life. Sometimes I think if I had an issue with substances, I would have been completely ruined. I’ll be 60 in a few months and most people would never guess

16 in 83. New drivers license , bought my 1st Harley. And Dad was paying all the bills. 4 kids and retired now. Peace to my 80's brothers and sisters....

The 80's just started warming up then.

High school days were so easy. Literally just do homework and that's all your obligations. You don't realize how good you have it until it's gone. Boy if I could go back.

I was in the class of '83, but I didn't graduate. Already had a job or two, an apartment, car, and my girlfriend & her baby lived with me. I felt like I was going to miss life if I stayed in school.

It's very cool to see this. I am 20 now, but my father graduated from high school in 1983. It's interesting to see a little bit of how the world was for him back then.

34 years later, and the same problems are being asked today.

I graduated in 1983. Time goes by like a blink of an eye. They had a good principle. There is no good in flunking out a kid who has family problems, and was only going to achieve what they were capable of at that time. Regardless of how hard you pushed them. I was raised by a single mom. Its not easy learning things the hard way, but sometimes it's the only way for some of us. Letting them graduate at least gave them some hope.

I was a freshman in 83, this wasn't my H.S., but may as well have been. I knew it would end, just didn't know how much I'd want it back. Imagine if those adults were suddenly confronted with today's statistic during their talk here. They'd have stroked out. I had one or two real genius teachers, and many that genuinely cared about me. Makes me a little emotional, and I feel the weight of being a little dismissive, or nonchalant with them. I mean I'm not a failure, but I didn't see or care to see the astronaut my 4th grade teacher saw, or pro artist or math teacher my 11 grade teachers saw. This generation has everything we thought would be awesome to have, and they're miserable. Nothing worse than being in your 50s, looking back with regrets.

What u have to remember, people ham it up for the camera.Not everyday of school was as fun as it may look in this vid.And remember in 25 yrs people may look back at class of 2021 & say the same.Put a smile on & make it the best u can.

i was 13 this is so freaky. This video is like a time machine.

There were some incredible teachers in, business dept, Ms Fabiano, Ms Spurio and others, and Mr. Fedele was an amazing principal afterwards. There were alot of amazing students as well that excelled There were others engaged their senior year, I was one and am married to the same wonderful person 39 years later. Somerville had its issues we all know but there were students who cared and wanted to take advantage of an education offered them.

I would rather live in a teen high school 80's movie scene than that hellhole.

It seems like the kids in high school acted a lot older back then than the kids of high school of today.

40 year high school reunion this year. The old people were right when they said to enjoy being young because time flies. Now, we're the old people and learning that growing old isn't for sissies.

6:38... My best friend dropped out of high school (10th grade) because of struggles at home. Since then it was a surreal struggle getting a job. After dropping out 15yrs later he went back to adult-school, got his GED, and got hired into the local government. He went on to work hard in the government starting at the very bottom and ended up the Vice-Mayor of our village. His past struggles, regrets, and weakness made him determined to prove to us that he was actually smart, very active, hard-working, and humbled, and he definitely fulfilled it to the tee. To anyone who dropped out, just remember that you still have a chance to get back up, YOU CAN DO IT.

I graduated High School in 83 in NYC. I was very fortunate in elementary school. There were many volunteers from the neighborhood who came after school and tutored kids who were falling behind from first grade to 6. Really sweet caring ladies. I did live with fear of going to Junior High School. Everyone got their butt kicked. I remember my brother and sister coming home with a black eye. I did have one tough older sister who no one could beat. By the time I entered JHS things had calmed down and it was smooth sailing for me. I wish I could go back and help some of the kids in the video. Breaks my heart.

Damn, over 30 years later from this video's time period and these problems are still major in America's education system

Was a Senior in 1982.. 18 years old. 40 years have gone by... WOW. Fun times..alot of good memories

It's really cool and to see how good the high school of the 80's was and this is from 83 to the people of the time, very different style and among other things of course it shows seriousness of course right, times are different

This principle reminds me of the breakfast club. Love the 80's

We fixed the problems and thrived the rest of the 80s thru about 2007. Since 08-09 our standards in schools and as a country has fallen back drastically. We are repeating history, sadly.

@9:20 Every principal knows, family life, is a key element, in a students performance.

Poor Ms. Costello would really be disappointed at how far society has further degraded..

You wouldn't get caught dead carrying a backpack around in high school. Today's kids love their backpacks. lol I remember those book covers.

Holy smokes I live in Ireland and I’m so shocked even now nobody would dare come to school drunk it just wouldn’t happen

Class of 1977 here - sadly the High School is no more...into the trash pile of his-tory. Big changes of the "Dirty" Politics Hill - loads of money to spend on the condo gold rush... Miss the old Somerville.

let's bring this all back :) the music, and style, everything. spread the word. it's actually possible if you think about it.

I was a senior that year. the clothes and hair is a trip to look at. I grew up in a similar school on the west coast. No Internet. Jobs were hard to come by. No BS Patriot act taking your freedoms away. life was hard enough back then as it was. No data mining your buying habits. behavior. Karens where usually old Women as History always had. not on every street with a network of other Karens to tell on you. No cell phones or social media. If you believed you were being watched and recorded back then, you were clearly a Skitzo. now they do it and just call you a Skitzo but we know most of the time that's just a deflection

So crazy to think I was born 2 years after that. My parents got married in 83. Wow! Kinda blows my mind a little.

talk about a stroll down memory lane!! this was awesome!!!!

No Cellphone back then 😆 while in 2021 i am.watching this video on my Cellphone

I graduated from Somerville in 1995, But this new generation seem to have fallen from another planet. We were not running around on multi physc meds or shooting up schools. I wish I could go back.That generation did fine

1983. The year I graduated HS.

I really wish I lived in the 80’s

I’d love to know what became of some of these kids over the ensuing 40 years since this was made.

Those were the days my friend, I thought they’d never end. 😢

Sadly this high school when I went from 97-01 was horrible for those of us with IEP’s or ESL kids. Lots of discrimination towards us and I watched them try to hold kids back so sad. They tried to do it to me but o fought back

looks like guys were better looking back then

watching in 2023

Damn I graduated from there in 2013 it’s freaky just looking at how it was back then to how it was when when I was there and how it’s probably changed 5 years later

@29:10~Love the Dahmer glasses on the science teacher in the plaid shirt.

Most of these problem kids at THAT time probably ended up being dads and solid working stiffs, the guys now and the past 15 years not so much.

I was 16 in "83" this reminds me of my high school and yes, we had bomb call ins from the pay phone that was located outside of the main office..

Nobody used backpacks for school. I'm not sure when those started but I see movies or read books filmed or written now that mention backpacks or show kids with them and I always have to shake my head. It wasn't a thing--at least not where I lived. I didn't use one until I was taking college classes in 1983.

My Alumni and I loved this High school SHS Rocks and I was Junior when they made this documenty .In a few years were going to get a new High school

I went here in the early 90’s. The only thing different was the paint color in the halls. I was one of those kids trying to escape home, but Somerville High offered nothing but a stern hand and a seat in detention. When a person says high school was the best time of his or her life, I know right away they didn’t go to SHS

We need more principles like him!!

Just wanted to see what school was like in 1983, because my teacher started teaching at my school at that time.

Graduated in 1977 from a HS in upstate NY. Looks kinda like the HS I went to, which is no longer a HS. Drugs, smoking and drinking were common, even among athletes. My friends and I did all three. I really slacked during my senior year as I didn't need that many points to graduate. I got out early everyday because I never even showed up for my last class of the day which I think was a foreign language class. No one ever said anything about it so I just went partying with my friends. LOL I went into the USAF after graduating. It was either that or work at McDonalds as having a HS diploma didn't do anything for you unless you were going college. I signed up for the delayed enlistment program at the beginning of my senior year of HS and had to have my diploma in order to join.

Omg I was ms Kenney's last class before she retired.

Good video. I had good teachers and friends at my northwest area high school and graduated in 1980. As for Scott, I would have made friends with and helped him through high school if I was there. He has the same likes for jackets I do!! I have several of those Nikes in different colors, including that one he wore. I wear them today! Also worn by an actor in "Ping Pong Summer". Nice looking fellow with a cool hairstyle. I hope Scott found something good to do in life.

Almost 40 years later and the public FOOL system and worst then ever.

Just noticed Manny's check. 10/26/83 $65.95 . The kids today spend that much on soup & sandwich at Panera Bread lol.

This is good documentary.

Disclaimer: I am a child of the 2000s so I have not lived through the 80s and 90s. But I do find it all too odd when people nowadays harken back to the good old days in the 80s and 90s without recognizing that there were many negatives to living in that time. I'm sure that racism and sexism were still a thing, medicine and science was not as advanced back then, some marriages and families were dysfunctional, mental health was still considered a taboo. And people's relatively limited access to information about our world. I do agree as a child of this generation that we have many issues. Social media is definitely a negative force, we still do really stupid stuff (Tide pods), we do seem to have more mental health issues, we rely too much on technology. However, I think our generation has made great strides in working on improving mental health amongst people (Not just young people), being more open-minded, treating others equally, and being environmentally mindful. And yes, music today still rocks and can be innovated on. As for the 80s, I really loved the fashion sense, music, shows, and the simplicity of life compared to today. See me jamming out to Michael Jackson and Daryll & Oats in my car. I digress and hope that everyone is doing well in this video. And I have a large amount of respect for the late Bill Fasciano. He seemed to genuinely want to make the lives of students better and really cared for them deeply.

My God how times have changed

That band was amazing the brass student band!!!.💯💯💯+10

The guy in the thumbnail kinda looks like Noah centineo

If they only knew how bad it would get. 😮😮

i quit school half way though 9th grade ,i never really learned a thing after the basic reading writing etc from back in graDE school . I applied for jobs always putting down that i graduated with A's and B's etc not once was it questioned as it didn't matter one way or the other .

yo the teens in this video are all very tall and big looking compared to the teens of today

The pledge of Allegiance in school. What a long time ago.

What I would do to see my highschool parking lot back in the 80s

10:11 “Runnin With The Devil”. Manny is such a bad boy. He should have tried to make his own band emulating Van Halen.

Before Opiates.....

My father was born in 1970 he went to in high school in 1984 she had no issues there 1988 had to uh deal with bully

When Somerville was actually a family city and not a yuppie gentrified city

The haircuts are so 80s lmao

Some of these kids are older than my parents

I was 10. Grew up near here. Video with Nat. Gold. Whatever happed to Manny ? Poor kid.

At the end of this video there's so many sad news 😢😢😢

Was a senior in '83.

I graduated SHS in 2009 and I could imagine its a lot WORSE today 😞

Last year at Somerville high thank god

My wife graduated from Somerville High School 69 years ago.....Me, 70 years ago.......She's 87 and still living.....I'm 88 YEARS old and still getting around and driving also......

I was three years old in 83.

I miss the past

I was born in 1983. I am desperately seeking healing in my brain and all body systems, I’d give anything to go back and stop whatever is happening inside of me. I wish I could go back and heal

Home life can have a big in-pack on your school work, mine did, but life gets better.

Motley Crue And Van Halen Yes Man

Yap... these were the problem going on while I was in school to, but I was not in high school in the 1980's.

Incredible! 1983 ! I was only 2 years old. Michael Jordan was wearing North Carolina jersey at that time! The girl had a rhinoplasty in 1:06 ?

Ms Kenny was so cute!!! :)

I stayed home and watched TPIR, Press Your Luck, and $25,000 Pyramid that day.

is this place located somewhere on the East Coast ? = Somerville, New Jersey (N.J.); a Slice of Life; a great Time Capsule (to show how life was like, in the 20th century, to like space aliens, driving UFO's in outer space)...

Back in the day when you can buy cigarettes and smoke in the school grounds.

It is August 20th 2019 and I’m entering 7th grade on the 28th. I will be attending Somerville high. I go to the aurthur d healey school also in Somerville, not far from the highschool

The 80s had the good clean drugs

😂we were young then then. SHS was a good time not without its troubles, but we survived.

THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO.

Kid: Why learn Geometry or Algebra? I'm never going to use it after I get out of school. Honest teacher: _You_? Yes, you're right. You definitely won't be using it. That's guaranteed.

The year i was born 🙌🏼