Thirty years ago, teenagers wore love beads, peace signs, tie-dyed shirts, long hair, and arm bands as a sign of rebellion. Today, teenagers don't wear love beads or arm bands, but the rebellion remains the same.

"I think teenagers are just rebelling so that history will have something to remember them by, much like the baby boomers," said junior Sean McCormick. "Only their methods of rebelling have changed a lot. In the 70's it was by physical appearance and public protesting, now it's by crime and violence."

But what is meant by rebellion? According to sophomore Marc Bell, rebellion is "not conforming to the ways of society." Others, such as freshman Jennifer King, define rebellion as "doing something your parents don't agree with."

The fact remains that the face of rebellion has changed since the days when our parents were teenagers.

"It's getting harder for teens to rebel because it's so much more acceptable to be in a gang, smoke, do drugs, run away from home, or quit school now than it was twenty years ago," said Charlene Fisher, director of the Eugenia Center, a local organization designed to help teens with problems such as drug and alcohol abuse as well as pregnancy and family dysfunction. "How can you rebel if everything you do is acceptable?" asked Fisher.

Some feel that it is getting easier to rebel in today's society. "I wasn't there in the 70's, but I believe it's getting easier to rebel because it's a lot less strict now than it was then," said freshman Josh Jarman.

Others feel that rebellious periods are simply history repeating itself. "I believe the whole rebellion issue swings on the historical pendulum," said W. F. West science teacher Ms. Haines. "In the 70's there was a lot more to stand up against, a lot more public protesting. The 80's and early 90's was a time when people lead more private lives. We may be shifting into an era where there are things that need fixing and people will start standing up for their beliefs publicly again," said Haines.

The most visible ways teens show their rebellion are by hair dyeing, smoking, loud music, and body piercing, but some display what's come to be known as "bad" attitudes.

"I defy authority whenever possible," said junior James Colter. "I like making decisions for myself because usually when somebody else makes a decision for me, it turns out to be a mistake."

"Basically, I think of rebellion as a way of setting myself apart from my parents. They can't relate to the things going on in my life," said sophomore Marisa Allison. Her statement suggests that perhaps rebellion is the "normal" way for teenagers to show themselves as independent.

But how far should teens be allowed to rebel? "We have a right to be unique, but there is a certain limit," said King. "Doing things that would hurt other people emotionally or physically is taking rebellion too far."

Some place concern on the age and issue involved in the rebellion. "It depends on their age. If it's a 13 year old who showed signs of depression, I'd be concerned that there might be other things affecting him or her which could lead to dangerous results," said Haines.

Others don't believe that teens should rebel. "I choose to rebel by not rebelling at all," said junior Josh Gunn. In other instances, the opinion on whether a teen should rebel or not is based on a person's own experiences with rebellion. "I don't think teens should purposely rebel against their parents because it's really not good for them," said freshman Sarah Wood. "It's just not good for the family."

"Society defines to what degree teens will be allowed to rebel," said senior Dave Langehennig. "It changes every decade. In the 70's it was easy because there were so many rules to rebel against, these days it's not as easy because everyone's become really lenient. Who knows what rebellion will be like in the future, but who really cares?"