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On Reflection...
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:
The people who are starting college this fall (1999) across the nation were born around 1980 - 1981.
- They have no
meaningful recollection of the Reagan Era and probably did not know he had ever been shot.
- They were
prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
- Black Monday 1987
is as significant to them as the Great Depression.
- There has been
only one Pope.
- They were 11
when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War.
- They have never
feared a nuclear war.
- They are too young
to remember the Space Shuttle blowing up.
- Tianamen Square
means nothing to them.
- Their lifetime
has always included AIDS.
- Bottle caps
have always been screw off and plastic.
- Atari predates them,
as do vinyl albums.
- The expression
"you sound like a broken record" means nothing to them.
- They have never
owned a record player.
- They have likely never played
Pac Man and have never heard of Pong.
- They may have never
heard of an 8-track.
- The Compact Disc
was introduced when they were 1 year old.
- As far as they know, stamps
have always cost about 32 or 33 cents.
- They have always
had an answering machine.
- Most have never seen
a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a black-and-white TV.
- They have always
had cable.
- There have always been
VCR's, but they have no idea what BETA is.
- They cannot fathom
not having a remote control.
- They were born
the year that Walkman was introduced by Sony.
- Roller-skating
has always meant inline skating for them.
- Jay Leno
has always been on the Tonight Show.
- They have no idea
when or why Jordache jeans were cool.
- Popcorn
has always been cooked in the microwave.
- They have never
seen Larry Bird play.
- They never took
a swim and thought about Jaws.
- The Vietnam War
is as ancient history to them as WWI, WWII and the Civil War.
- They don't have to
worry about being drafted.
- Say "Babe Ruth"
and their first thought is a candy bar.
- They have no idea
that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.
- They can't imagine
what hard contact lenses are.
- They don't know
who Mork was or where he was from.
- They never heard:
"Where's the beef?", "walk a mile for a Camel", or "de plane, de plane"
- They do not care
who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is.
- The Titanic
was found? They thought we always knew where it was.
- Michael Jackson
has always been white.
- Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not groups.
- McDonald's
never came in Styrofoam containers.
- There has always
been MTV.
- They don't have a clue
how to use a typewriter, and many have never seen one.
- They have no idea
what an Edsel is.
- They think we've always
had the Interstate Hiway System.
- They do not know
that milk was once delivered directly to the home, or that the U.S. mail used to come twice a day.
Do you feel old yet? Pass this on to other old geezers.
And just in case this is not depressing enough, think about this: the kids you went to high school with
are now running the country.
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