The only real justification I can think of for changing the fork on the OP's bike is it's age (the fork, not the OP). Since the bike is a 2002 and the OP is 16, it's safe to assume he got it used unless he bought it when he was 3. So it has who knows how many miles with it's original owner and if it's been in any crashes.
Aluminum forks have a finite fatigue life, unlike steel or carbon, so if there is any question that he has a high-mileage fork, replacement is not a bad idea. I originally had an SR aluminum fork on my 1996 Litespeed and rode it for about 30,000 miles before beginning to wonder how much life it still had and decided a new one was in order. I replaced it with a Kestrel EMS Pro (carbon blades and crown, Cr-Mo steerer) which didn't save any significant weight and, like davidad, the ride difference was indistinguishable but the peace of mind was priceless.