The 40 Year Class Reunion: Is Being A Teenager Different in 2017 than in 1977?

This weekend the 1977 Class of Fenger High School in Chicago gathers for its 40 year reunion. Members of that graduating class join us today to reflect on how being a teenager in high school has changed in 40 years. What happened to the society during those years? Many may remember Fenger High school for its infamous beating death of honor student Derrion Albert, an incident many blame for Chicago's loss of its bid to host the 2016 Olympic games. But in 1977 Fenger was a top ranked school with athletes who earned membership in the Principal Scholars and the National Honor Society. A sizeable percentage of graduates attended college. The girls basketball team won a City Championship. The school was a vibrant, creative place of academic excellence. But todays youth face such different challenges and yet they live in a time of tremendous opportunity, with a global information network that removes all barriers to learning. What did or didn't we do as adults to insure that the high school experience of today's youth would be as safe and rewarding as ours?