The world is constantly changing. Whether that be society as a whole, or smaller communities like Stamford High School. Thinking back to the way Stamford was in 1937, or 1973, though no current SHS students could have experienced that, it seems incomparable to the way it is today. The Siren, which was the original name for The Round Table, has a special way of conveying the social history of SHS, and reveals that teenagers have always been teenagers, and that some things never change.

Teens have always, and will always, do things that teachers tell them not to do. The issue of smoking has been prevalent at SHS for a long time. With the increase of vaping in school last year, locking the bathrooms seemed like a great solution. In an issue of the Round Table from 1974, a story called “WANTED: Open Bathrooms” discusses the same situation. “The bathrooms are closed mainly to stop the smoking of cigarettes and marijuana” said Mr. Parente. Even further back on the timeline of this smoking issue at SHS, an issue of the Siren from 1937 published a story called “Smoking Regulations” which discussed a different solution to this problem by allowing “supervised smoking.” Whether it be 1974, 1937, or 2021, the student smoking dilemma in school will always be an issue, and the Round Table proves that.

Although the means of high school students’ communication has changed since 1937, their vocabulary has not. According to The Siren, “The simple and unique word Foo is the most popular word in the current vocabulary of many high school students all over the country today”. “Today” from 1937 that is. Today, in 2021, slang like “Bet” and “Bruh” are being used by SHS students. The “Foo fad” in 1937,  had gone so far as to becoming the “Foo club” and girls’ scarfs and boys’ ties beared the title “Foo”. You could say that teenagers have always taken inside jokes a bit too far and they love speaking with slang.

Fashion is, and has been, a fun way for high school students to spice up their school day. The clothes you wear can be a form of self expression. What was trending amongst SHS students in 1996 is actually still trending today. In an article from the March 1996 issue of the Round Table titled “Stylin’ in the Spring”, staff reporter Gina Glacinto said, “As for accessories, hair clips, belts, clunky rings, belly chains and anklets add the perfect touch to an outfit.” Does that sound familiar? Chunky, colorful jewelry, and tiny hair clips are seen all around SHS today. Glacinto also said that “must-haves for this spring include a sundress, a small cardigan, an A-line mini skirt” and “bright pants”, which are clothes that have recently grown in popularity on social media. Start flipping through some 1996 issues of the Round Table for some outfit inspiration because SHS student fashion has not entirely changed since then.

Although the world is constantly changing, some things will never change for teenagers. Whether it be personal habits, the use of slang, or fashion styles, it seems that they are always reappearing and reinventing themselves.