As 2020 begins, many find themselves reflecting on the past few years and the changes society has undergone. The world often seems more confusing now than ever, and some people might choose to travel to the past if they could.

“I would live in the 90s,” said sophomore Ericka Eisnor. “Growing up and seeing the transition from traditional ways to technology would be really cool to experience because it would be living right at the end of a century.”

The 1990s are a generation surrounded by childhood nostalgia and a time that many people might like to experience. However, some find the bright and vibrant culture of the 1980s more appealing.

“I love ’80s music, and the fashion is definitely my style,” said junior Trinity Gahimer. “Kids just kind of went wherever and nobody had to worry. It was so free. Social connection through social media is better now but honestly, I’m a face to face person and I prefer real conversations.”

“The ’80s were more fun,” said geography teacher Rhonda Sorensen. “Politically there was a lot going on, including cults and interesting things like that. Also, if you wanted to say something or tell someone off, you had to say it face to face.”

“I would go back to the ’80s to watch Larry Bird and Magic Johnson play in their prime,” finished history teacher James Cole.

Going back now to an earlier generation, where disco music and hippie culture raged, junior Lily Saxerud would rather live in the ’70s.

“I would go to every single rock concert I could like I daydream about,” explained Saxerud. “All my idols [like] David Bowie, Queen and Led Zeppelin were big in the ’70s…The culture was so much better than today,” said Saxerud. “Also, they wore jumpsuits. That was a plus.”

Spanning to pre-1950s, the ’40s were a more appealing decade for history teacher Chuck Schwartz.

“It would be meaningful for me to witness the end of World War 2 and the forming of the Cold War,” explained Schwartz. “It wasn’t exactly a simpler time, but it was a different form of simplicity. I like to stay updated with current events but with so much technology, I’m getting lots of different sources and I would prefer a simple, definitive source of evidence, like reading the newspaper. The technology age is just hard to adjust to.”

However, some would rather stay in the present.

“It’s important to just live in the moment, you know?” said history teacher Barry Clark. “The accessibility of information, mobility, and entertainment have all improved. What I think is everything has been magnified, as in things that were good have improved and things that were bad have worsened.”

Out of the variety of decades and generations with so many cultures, the majority of AAHS students and staff would rather live in the ’80s, when trends of extreme fashion and punk rock were beginning to grow, and the new wave of freedom was starting.

All in all, different cultures appeal to different types of people, as well as the generations that they would choose to experience.