According to David Dell, Class of 1999, Redwood students worshipped their automobiles from the mid ‘90s until the turn of the century. Some of the more popular models that could be found in the parking lot included the Ford Explorer and the Volkswagen Jetta, both of which are still popular choices for students and parents’ checkbooks.
“I had a ten-inch subwoofer in the back of my Toyota Camry,” Dell said. “I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.”
According to Dell, music was an integral part of the driving culture. Hip-hop was the heavily favored choice, followed by slow rock. The most popular hip-hop artists were 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G., but the soft-rocking Dave Matthews Band and boy bands such as N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys were also gaining popularity.
But while some students were fantasizing about Backstreet beauties, others concentrated on newly introduced educational technology.
In 1992, Redwood saw its first TI graphing calculator. Initially the calculators seemed foreign, but David Goldman, math teacher from 1982 through 2006, would soon tackle the new equipment.
In the ‘90s, the computer proficiency requirement was implemented. Dell said that when he graduated, instant messaging and e-mail were just becoming mainstream.
“That’s when the Internet started getting big,” Dell said. “It just started becoming mainstream.”
According to Goldman, block periods were introduced in 1992. Goldman felt that block periods cut back on his material. Instead of five days of teaching per week, Goldman would have to cram two days of lesson plans into a single block day, cutting up to 20% of his curriculum.
“From ‘92 on, I taught less content,” Goldman said, “I think people are better in shorter segments.”
Goldman and social studies teacher Ann Jaime advised the newly created student-run Gay-Straight Alliance. In the club’s early days, there were more heterosexuals in the club than homosexuals.
According to Goldman, Redwood was not directly affected during the U.S. recession in 1991 because Marin’s wealth helped Redwood students avoid any withdrawal whatsoever. However, in the early ‘90s, there was an influx of students transferring to Redwood from private schools, increasing class sizes.
The notorious hammer incident also occurred during the ‘90s. A 16-year-old Redwood boy struck another student in the head with a hammer between fifth and sixth period on Dec. 2, 1994, repeatedly hitting him and eventually sending him to the emergency room.
The attacker carried out his plans and severely injured a 15-year-old boy, fracturing his skull, breaking his jaw and knocking out seven teeth.
The 15-year-old sued the Tamalpais Union High School District in 1999, claiming that they could have prevented the attack and that school officials should have taken action.
The attacker was convicted of attempted murder in 1996, and as of Jan. 15, 1999, he was still serving his sentence.
Barrett Schaefer, Class of 1991, and friends put goldfish in all the toilets in both the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms for their senior prank in 1991. According to Schaefer, whoever bought the fish from the local pet store didn’t take good care of them, and by the time they were ready to execute the prank, half of the fish were dead. However, this ended up working to their advantage, Schaefer said, since the fish that were still alive ended up swimming up the toilet plumbing.
“It was the dead fish that made the prank work,” he said. “Right after we deposited the fish in the toilets, I remember walking by one of the girls’ bathrooms and hearing a big shriek. That made it worth it.”
