Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will certainly change
things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a
list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of that year's
incoming freshmen. Here is this year's list.
1. The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were
born in 1981.
2. They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan Era and did not know
he had ever been shot.
3. They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
4. Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression.
5. There has been only one Pope. They can only really remember one president.
6. There were 8 when the Wall came down, 10 when the Soviet Union broke
apart, and do not remember the Cold War.
7. They have never feared a nuclear war. "The Day After" is a pill to
them, not a movie.
8. They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
9. Tianamen Square means nothing to them.
10. Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
11. Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic
12. Atari predates them, as do vinyl albums.
13. The expression "you sound like a broken record" means nothing to them.
14. They have never owned a record player, only seen one used by a dj.
15. They have likely never played Pac Man and have never heard of Pong.
16. Star Wars look very fake to them, and the special effects are pathetic.
17. There have always been red M&M's and blue ones are not new. There used
to be beige ones?
18. They may have heard of an 8 track, but probably never have actually
seen or heard one. 19. The Compact Disc was introduced when they were born.
20. As far as they know, stamps have always cost about 32 cents.
21. They have always had an answering machine.
22. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they
seen a black-and-white TV w/ rabbit ears. 23. They have always had cable.
24. There have always been VCR's, but they have no idea what BETA is.
25. They cannot fathom not having a remote control.
26. They were born the year that Walkmen were introduced by Sony.
27. Roller-skating has always meant inline for them.
28. The Tonight Show has always been with Jay Leno.
29. They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.
30. Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
31. They have never seen Larry Bird play, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a
football player. 32. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.
33. The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as WW1, WW2 or even the
Civil War.
34. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.
35. They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.
36. They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.
37. They never heard: "Where's the beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel,"
or "de plane, de plane!"
38. They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is.
39. The Titanic was found? I thought we always knew where it was.
40. Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not groups.
41. McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.
42. There has always been MTV Do you feel old yet?