It was a time of high-tops, side ponytails, popped collars and electric makeup…the ‘80s. It is hard to believe it has been 25 years since the classic John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club came into theaters and became a national sensation as the epitome of the stereotypical ‘80s high school experience.

Centered around five eclectic teenagers stuck together on a Saturday morning for detention, the movie explores teenage angst about fighting stereotypes and finding one’s self.

One of the more memorable aspects of the movie was the crazy 1980s fashions that today’s teens embrace. Each group had a specific, unique fashion that defined who they were. Punks wore the classic band tee shirts and Converse, princesses wore their pearls and skirts, nerds wore button-up shirts and jocks wore their varsity jackets in the most stereotypical portrayal of these groups.

Our own teachers fondly remember how they came to school each day. Social studies teacher David Uhler was a self-proclaimed “prep.” Social studies teacher Jennifer Hall was voted “Best Dressed” in her high school yearbook and kept a calendar of her outfits so she would never end up repeating one.

“I do miss splatter paint and neon colors,” said Hall. “I loved the whole flipped-up collar look with a rugby shirt and a side ponytail.”

Social studies teacher Mike Williams, who was a star player on his school’s soccer team, recalls how the uniforms were different than those of modern soccer attire.

“The shorts were a little shorter and the shirts were a little tighter,” he said.

At Hartford High School in Vermont, where students went skiing every Sunday, even Principal Chris Garran, former football player, fell victim to the ‘80s fashions.

“It was horrible,” said Garran. “I had these horrendous blue jeans with an off-pink colored shirt with a blue jean type of vest.”

After getting past the leggings and the Ray Bans, one starts to see the deeper, more resounding message about high school stereotypes. The movie poses some relevant questions. When entering high school, can students automatically fit into five definitions: jock, princess, nerd, basket case or criminal? The Breakfast Club breaks down this mentality and proves high schoolers cannot let cliques and stereotypes define who they are. The movie depicts high school in an exaggerated way so it doesn’t account for fitting into multiple stereotypes.

“I straddled a few groups,” said Williams. “I enjoyed some of the language and art classes but wasn’t in the artsy clique. I played soccer so [I was] definitely an athlete but I also did okay in school, so [I] definitely did not fall into that stereotype of a dumb jock.”

Many of our teachers could not easily identify themselves with a singular group, but rather an eclectic mix of characteristics that crossed a spectrum of stereotypes. Social studies Nathan Schwartz had the classic punk look during high school but identified himself as a politically active teen who found his passions outside of school.

“There are still a lot of cliques and people that try to narrowly define you,” said Schwartz.

High school has changed drastically in the last 30 years and the atmosphere is a different world. According to Schwartz and Williams, the academics are more well-rounded and students have greater freedom and motivation to try all sorts of activities and classes until they find a field of interest. Top-tier students are also varsity athletes in today’s high schools and it’s not unusual to find students who excel in a myriad of activities. With more challenging courses and varied activities, students need to find a balance.

Senior Elyssa Morris participates in a variety of diverse extracurricular activities that allow her to have friends in all types of groups.

“Based on the stereotypes from the movie, being in S*T*A*G*E would classify me as nerdy, but being on Poms would classify me as a ‘princess’… so I think I have the best of both worlds,” said Morris.

High school is a time for finding identity and searching for the future. Today’s generation of students has more freedom to explore interests in both the classroom and out of school. According to Garran, “we all share parts of each group.” And, at the end of the day, the nerd, the princess, the burnout and the jock don’t seem so foreign.