Since the establishment, Greg Graffin has been a member of the band Bad Religion. He graduated from UCLA with a Master's degree in Geology and is working towards completing his Ph.D. in Biology at Cornell University. Graffin has made many contributions to the modern punk rock world. In his article, "Anarchy in the Tenth Grade,"" he describes how the punk lifestyle of his adolescence made him a man. After moving to California with his mother, as a teenager, Greg had many difficulties fitting in with the popular clique in his new high school. His experiences with the punk genre had many positive effects in his life while growing up. He had issues with his experiences while trying to have personal relationships with women and later on, in adulthood, his experiences helped him grow as a person.
Graffin did have problems fitting in with the cool crowd at school. When it came to money, his mother was not very well off. He dressed in "velour kids' shirts from Kmart- and "corduroys,""(Graffin 6). This may have had a major impact on the friends that he kept. Greg had no choice but to hang out with the not-so-cool guys. These are the guys, otherwise, known as the dorks or geeks. At the age of fifteen, he and a group of his high school friends decided to start a band and "go punk,""(7). He and two other "punkers- at his school became known enemies because of the choices they made (7). This made him feel kind of powerful knowing that someone was out there feeling afraid of him. Establishing a musical identity gave Graffin a sense of belonging.
While trying to become an adult, being in the punk atmosphere put a "damper on his ability to have an intimate relationship,""(8). " Sex,"" Drugs, and Alcohol were part of the idea of punk rock (8). Having sex was more like an act of rebellion and experimentation rather than an expression of affection or intimacy,""(8). While trying to grow up, Graffin decided to go to college "though it was not a very punk thing to do.