‘Hippies 2000’?

Teresa Hinds

Thursday, Sept. 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

They've been dissected by the news media, the subject of countless academic papers and courted by major companies for their disposable income.

They're famous not for what they have accomplished, but simply for being born in 1982. They are the Class of 2000, and quite frankly, they don't know what all the hoopla is about.

Other than being the only class to graduate at the turn of the millennium, Clark High School freshman Rachel Flohr said, "We aren't any different from anyone in any other class; it's just a different year, that's all."

A sampling of six of Flohr's pre-slacker peers at Clark agreed. What, they all wondered, is the big deal?

Although they're just a few years shy of being grouped under the Generation X label, society has done its best to pigeonhole these future leaders of the 21st-century. They've been called everything from angry to directionless, and trend-watcher Gerald Celente has gone so far as to call them "Hippies 2000."

But don't throw those labels around this group of freshman. Being labeled, they say, just isn't fair.

"You really shouldn't judge people you don't know," said Flohr.

Tristan Ivory agrees. "We're all unique. I like to be different. The conformity thing has been done, it's been around for thousands of years. But the thing is knowing how to balance the two."

While Kristen Carodine admitted "We do have some slackers" within the ranks, she pointed out that today's technological advances make life more challenging than it was for her parents.

"We have to work a lot harder, there's so much more technology. We have to learn a lot more," Carodine said.

The group, which doesn't even know what life was like before microwaves, agreed that technology is one of the most significant factors guiding their futures, and, for the most part, agree it will make for a better life.

While these seven youngsters celebrate individuality, one thing they have in common is a keen understanding of the importance of education.

All are interested in continuing their education beyond high school and agreed it would be difficult to move ahead in life without it.

For example, Flohr has her sights set on attending UCLA and majoring in either child psychology or law. Carodine is interested in pursuing a career as either a shoe designer or a disc jockey, and Genevieve DexVaux wants to be an interior designer or a dancer.

Naomi Moreno intends to join the service, most likely the Marines, and Ace Briones wants to be an architect. Teaching is the career Lacey Andaya intends to pursue, and Ivory is contemplating going to either Rutgers or Cornell to become a biotechnologist. Then again, he just might become a pilot.

For these members of the Class of 2000, smoking is definitely out, but they say drug use, particularly marijuana and cocaine, among their counterparts is more common than most people would like to admit.

While this group of freshman denied being sexually active, they all said they knew of classmates who were, and agreed there is no magic age when sex would be OK.

"If I'm ready to love, then that's my choice," said Moreno.

And even though they won't even be able to vote until the year they graduate, they seem ready.

"I'll be paying attention to this election," Ivory says. "I know whoever's elected this term is going to determine what jobs we'll have when we graduate and if I get to go to college."