Beloit College Class of 2009 Mindset as viewed by me.
As one who works on a college campus and seeing the freshmen get younger and younger each year, I always find this particular list fun. It's great to know what these kids have experienced as opposed to what I experienced growing up. So here's this list with some of my thoughts on the matter... (Thanks for the suggestion, H.)
*Note: My comments will be in ( ).
BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST® FOR THE CLASS OF 2009
Most students entering college this fall were born in 1987. (Yikes! I was in the 3rd grade by then!)
1. Andy Warhol, Liberace, Jackie Gleason, and Lee Marvin have always been
dead. (Okay, so who the heck are these people and why am I supposed to know about them? Yeah, I've heard of Andy Warhol and the Name Jackie Gleason sounds familiar...guess I'll have to Google them... Oh wait...wasn't Liberace the guy with all the "ice"?)
2. They don't remember when "cut and paste" involved scissors. (Uh, what level of bozos are we dealing with here? As far as I know, kindergarden still cuts and pastes the old fashioned way...or is Mississippi still behind in this?)
3. Heart-lung transplants have always been possible. (Duh...)
4. Wayne Gretzky never played for Edmonton. (Um...I know he played hockey but uh...that's about ALL I know about the dude...)
5. Boston has been working on the "The Big Dig" all their lives. (What's "The Big Dig" and why don't I know about it? Sheesh, maybe I need to start watching the news...)
6. With little need to practice, most of them do not know how to tie a tie. (With a dad that never wore one, I don't know either.)
7. Pay-Per-View television has always been an option. (Gosh, I remember the first time I heard the term "Pay-per-view"...I think I was 17?)
8. They never had the fun of being thrown into the back of a station wagon
with six others. (Neither did I, thank goodness. We had the fun of being thrown in the back of a pickup with six others. At least when someone "broke wind" back there we had lots of fresh air to keep the stink out.)
9. Iran and Iraq have never been at war with each other. (Again, I REALLY need to start watching the news...)
10. They are more familiar with Greg Gumbel than with Bryant Gumbel. (Now THAT is sad. Bryant was a genius in his field. Greg? Doesn't he do something with sports?)
11. Philip Morris has always owned Kraft Foods. (Philip Morris owns Kraft Foods?? What the...??? Isn't he the tobacco dude?)
12. Al-Qaida has always existed with Osama bin Laden at its head. (It hasn't? Dude. I never knew I knew so little....)
13. They learned to count with Lotus 1-2-3. (Okay, color me stupid....what the heck is a Lotus 1-2-3??)
14. Car stereos have always rivaled home component systems. (These kids have obviously never ridden in my '91 Cavelier. It barely even HAS a stereo.)
15. Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker have never preached on television. (Ah, now we're talking. I even remember when Jimmy Swaggart got busted. Never knew too much on Jim. I'm more familiar with Tammy Faye. Someone get that woman to a salon and show her how to buy stock in make-up remover! ASAP!)
16. Voice mail has always been available. Okay, I barely even knew what voice mail was until I started college.)
17. "Whatever" is not part of a question but an expression of sullen rebuke. (Oh yeah, bay-beee. It was also the ending to many a sentence in my college years, or whatever.) hehe
18. The federal budget has always been more than a trillion dollars. (Gosh, if I could only see a trillion dollars...)
19. Condoms have always been advertised on television. (Is it just the south or is it still not entirely common? I know I've seen a couple of Trojan commercials but even those are rare...)
20. They may have fallen asleep playing with their Gameboys in the crib. (Yeah, if they had bad parents...babies don't need Gameboys...duh.)
21. They have always had the right to burn the flag. (They better watch their backs if they do, though. We don't put up with that crap down here...)
22. For daily caffeine emergencies, Starbucks has always been around the corner. (They obviously assume all kids grow up in major metropolis areas. We JUST NOW got Starbucks coffee in our snackshop...but it isn't considered a Starbucks...)
23. Ferdinand Marcos has never been in charge of the Philippines. (Okay, seriously people, they probably don't give a flying leap WHO has been in charge of the Philippines. Where are the Philippines again?)
24. Money put in their savings account the year they were born earned almost 7% interest. (And their parents are probably spending it on college.)
25. Bill Gates has always been worth at least a billion dollars. (And I've always wished he would share with me.)
26. Dirty dancing has always been acceptable. (Hehe! I remember many a sermon preached against that movie. My parents actually had to view it first before they would let us watch it!
27. Southern fried chicken, prepared with a blend of 11 herbs and spices, has always been available in China. (Yeah, but is it actually chicken...)
28. Michael Jackson has always been bad, and greed has always been good. (If only things had stayed the way they were...)
29. The Starship Enterprise has always looked dated. (Yep. Pretty much.)
30. Pixar has always existed. (Now surely these kids remember a time pre-Pixar. My cousin is a year older than this and HE remembers life before Pixar...)
31. There has never been a "fairness doctrine" at the FCC. (My ignorance is showing...)
32. Judicial appointments routinely have been "Borked." (And the ignorance continues...)
33. Aretha Franklin has always been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (She hasn't?)
34. There have always been zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. (Okay. I'll ask. What are zebra mussels? Not only am I ignorant, I'm uncultured as well. *rolls eyes*)
35. Police have always been able to search garbage without a search warrant. (They can do that? And it's admissable in court?)
36. It has always been possible to walk from England to mainland Europe on dry land. (Okay, when did that happen?)
37. They have grown up in a single superpower world. (I'm assuming they're talking about the fall of Russia?)
38. They missed the oat bran diet craze. (As we all wish we had, may it rest in peace.)
39. American Motors has never existed. (Now see, that's sad. They'll never know the tragedy of losing American Motors.)
40. Scientists have always been able to see supernovas. (Yay! This one I knew!)
41. Les Miserables has always been on stage. (Of course it hasn't...they had to get rid of "Cats" first.)
42. Halogen lights have always been available at home, with a warning. (Never knew what a Halogen light was until I met my BIL eight years ago and he had one.)
43. "Baby M" may be a classmate, and contracts with surrogate mothers have
always been legal. (Tearful memories...)
44. RU486, the "morning after pill," has always been on the market. (Oh the sermons preached on this, too...)
45. There has always been a pyramid in front of the Louvre in Paris. (Never been to Paris so how should I know?)
46. British Airways has always been privately owned. (It is??)
47. Irradiated food has always been available but controversial. (I'm not even going to bother...)
48. Snowboarding has always been a popular winter pastime. (Yeah if you're north of the Mason-Dixon line. Winter sport around here involves a rifle, lots of camo and a four wheeler. If ya don't hunt you're outta luck.)
49. Libraries have always been the best centers for computer technology and access to good software. (The one I grew up with barely had books...)
50. Biosphere 2 has always been trying to create a revolution in the life sciences. (Again, not going to touch this one...Do regular people actually know about this stuff??)
51. The Hubble Telescope has always been focused on new frontiers. (Well, Piccard always said space was the final frontier...)
52. Researchers have always been looking for stem cells. I remember the first time I heard about stem cells...I think it was on an episode of "Picket Fences.")
53. They do not remember "a kinder and gentler nation." (Neither do I.)
54. They never saw the shuttle Challenger fly. (A whole generation that will never know the tragedy...)
55. The TV networks have always had cable partners. (Ah yes...CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News, blah blah blah)
56. Airports have always had upscale shops and restaurants. (Not if they look like the airports on an episode of "Friends.")
57. Black Americans have always been known as African-Americans. (Would be nice if that were true.)
58. They never saw Pat Sajak or Arsenio Hall host a late night television
show. (Pat Sajak hosted a late night TV show?? And these kids will never know how to "woof woof woof"?)
59. Matt Groening has always had a Life in Hell. (dee dee dee dee dee...have NO idea...)
60. Salman Rushdie has always been watching over his shoulder. (Honestly...is this someone I'm supposed to know?)
61. Digital cameras have always existed. (Ah, heck no. Surely these kids remember life before digital. SURELY)
62. Tom Landry never coached the Cowboys. (So far as I know or care, he didn't.)
63. Time Life and Warner Communications have always been joined. (Heeeee! The one time I actually watched the news!)
64. CNBC has always been on the air. (Only if ya got cable...)
65. The Field of Dreams has always been drawing people to Iowa. (Half of these kids prolly haven't even SEEN Field of Dreams.)
66. They never saw a Howard Johnson's with 28 ice cream flavors. (Me either. I never saw a Baskin Robins till I was 16.)
67. Reindeer at Christmas have always distinguished between secular and religious decorations. (Okay, what does that mean? If you're religious you aren't suppposed to have a Reindeer at Christmas??? Since when???)
68. Entertainment Weekly has always been on the newsstand. (This, I remember...)
69. Lyme Disease has always been a ticking concern in the woods. (Nope. You find a tick, you yank it off and keep on playing...)
70. Jimmy Carter has always been an elder statesman. (Well, he's always been elderly, right?)
71. Miss Piggy and Kermit have always dwelt in Disneyland. (When did that happen, anyway? It just seems one day I woke up and BAM! Disney had Miss Piggy and Kermit.)
72. America's Funniest Home Videos has always been on television. (LOL in one form or another since the beginning of time...)
73. Their nervous new parents heard C. Everett Koop proclaim nicotine as
addictive as heroin. (I always knew I was smart to stay away from that junk...)
74. Lever has always been looking for 2000 parts to clean. (Gosh, I LOVE those old commercials. lol)
75. They have always been challenged to distinguish between news and
entertainment on cable TV. (Sadly, no, this is a developement of recent years.)
Okay, now, not only am I frightened by how OLD I am, but by how IGNORANT I am. Why do I feel the sudden urge to grab a freshman and grill him on who is the leader of the Philippines?
*Note: My comments will be in ( ).
BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST® FOR THE CLASS OF 2009
Most students entering college this fall were born in 1987. (Yikes! I was in the 3rd grade by then!)
1. Andy Warhol, Liberace, Jackie Gleason, and Lee Marvin have always been
dead. (Okay, so who the heck are these people and why am I supposed to know about them? Yeah, I've heard of Andy Warhol and the Name Jackie Gleason sounds familiar...guess I'll have to Google them... Oh wait...wasn't Liberace the guy with all the "ice"?)
2. They don't remember when "cut and paste" involved scissors. (Uh, what level of bozos are we dealing with here? As far as I know, kindergarden still cuts and pastes the old fashioned way...or is Mississippi still behind in this?)
3. Heart-lung transplants have always been possible. (Duh...)
4. Wayne Gretzky never played for Edmonton. (Um...I know he played hockey but uh...that's about ALL I know about the dude...)
5. Boston has been working on the "The Big Dig" all their lives. (What's "The Big Dig" and why don't I know about it? Sheesh, maybe I need to start watching the news...)
6. With little need to practice, most of them do not know how to tie a tie. (With a dad that never wore one, I don't know either.)
7. Pay-Per-View television has always been an option. (Gosh, I remember the first time I heard the term "Pay-per-view"...I think I was 17?)
8. They never had the fun of being thrown into the back of a station wagon
with six others. (Neither did I, thank goodness. We had the fun of being thrown in the back of a pickup with six others. At least when someone "broke wind" back there we had lots of fresh air to keep the stink out.)
9. Iran and Iraq have never been at war with each other. (Again, I REALLY need to start watching the news...)
10. They are more familiar with Greg Gumbel than with Bryant Gumbel. (Now THAT is sad. Bryant was a genius in his field. Greg? Doesn't he do something with sports?)
11. Philip Morris has always owned Kraft Foods. (Philip Morris owns Kraft Foods?? What the...??? Isn't he the tobacco dude?)
12. Al-Qaida has always existed with Osama bin Laden at its head. (It hasn't? Dude. I never knew I knew so little....)
13. They learned to count with Lotus 1-2-3. (Okay, color me stupid....what the heck is a Lotus 1-2-3??)
14. Car stereos have always rivaled home component systems. (These kids have obviously never ridden in my '91 Cavelier. It barely even HAS a stereo.)
15. Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker have never preached on television. (Ah, now we're talking. I even remember when Jimmy Swaggart got busted. Never knew too much on Jim. I'm more familiar with Tammy Faye. Someone get that woman to a salon and show her how to buy stock in make-up remover! ASAP!)
16. Voice mail has always been available. Okay, I barely even knew what voice mail was until I started college.)
17. "Whatever" is not part of a question but an expression of sullen rebuke. (Oh yeah, bay-beee. It was also the ending to many a sentence in my college years, or whatever.) hehe
18. The federal budget has always been more than a trillion dollars. (Gosh, if I could only see a trillion dollars...)
19. Condoms have always been advertised on television. (Is it just the south or is it still not entirely common? I know I've seen a couple of Trojan commercials but even those are rare...)
20. They may have fallen asleep playing with their Gameboys in the crib. (Yeah, if they had bad parents...babies don't need Gameboys...duh.)
21. They have always had the right to burn the flag. (They better watch their backs if they do, though. We don't put up with that crap down here...)
22. For daily caffeine emergencies, Starbucks has always been around the corner. (They obviously assume all kids grow up in major metropolis areas. We JUST NOW got Starbucks coffee in our snackshop...but it isn't considered a Starbucks...)
23. Ferdinand Marcos has never been in charge of the Philippines. (Okay, seriously people, they probably don't give a flying leap WHO has been in charge of the Philippines. Where are the Philippines again?)
24. Money put in their savings account the year they were born earned almost 7% interest. (And their parents are probably spending it on college.)
25. Bill Gates has always been worth at least a billion dollars. (And I've always wished he would share with me.)
26. Dirty dancing has always been acceptable. (Hehe! I remember many a sermon preached against that movie. My parents actually had to view it first before they would let us watch it!
27. Southern fried chicken, prepared with a blend of 11 herbs and spices, has always been available in China. (Yeah, but is it actually chicken...)
28. Michael Jackson has always been bad, and greed has always been good. (If only things had stayed the way they were...)
29. The Starship Enterprise has always looked dated. (Yep. Pretty much.)
30. Pixar has always existed. (Now surely these kids remember a time pre-Pixar. My cousin is a year older than this and HE remembers life before Pixar...)
31. There has never been a "fairness doctrine" at the FCC. (My ignorance is showing...)
32. Judicial appointments routinely have been "Borked." (And the ignorance continues...)
33. Aretha Franklin has always been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (She hasn't?)
34. There have always been zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. (Okay. I'll ask. What are zebra mussels? Not only am I ignorant, I'm uncultured as well. *rolls eyes*)
35. Police have always been able to search garbage without a search warrant. (They can do that? And it's admissable in court?)
36. It has always been possible to walk from England to mainland Europe on dry land. (Okay, when did that happen?)
37. They have grown up in a single superpower world. (I'm assuming they're talking about the fall of Russia?)
38. They missed the oat bran diet craze. (As we all wish we had, may it rest in peace.)
39. American Motors has never existed. (Now see, that's sad. They'll never know the tragedy of losing American Motors.)
40. Scientists have always been able to see supernovas. (Yay! This one I knew!)
41. Les Miserables has always been on stage. (Of course it hasn't...they had to get rid of "Cats" first.)
42. Halogen lights have always been available at home, with a warning. (Never knew what a Halogen light was until I met my BIL eight years ago and he had one.)
43. "Baby M" may be a classmate, and contracts with surrogate mothers have
always been legal. (Tearful memories...)
44. RU486, the "morning after pill," has always been on the market. (Oh the sermons preached on this, too...)
45. There has always been a pyramid in front of the Louvre in Paris. (Never been to Paris so how should I know?)
46. British Airways has always been privately owned. (It is??)
47. Irradiated food has always been available but controversial. (I'm not even going to bother...)
48. Snowboarding has always been a popular winter pastime. (Yeah if you're north of the Mason-Dixon line. Winter sport around here involves a rifle, lots of camo and a four wheeler. If ya don't hunt you're outta luck.)
49. Libraries have always been the best centers for computer technology and access to good software. (The one I grew up with barely had books...)
50. Biosphere 2 has always been trying to create a revolution in the life sciences. (Again, not going to touch this one...Do regular people actually know about this stuff??)
51. The Hubble Telescope has always been focused on new frontiers. (Well, Piccard always said space was the final frontier...)
52. Researchers have always been looking for stem cells. I remember the first time I heard about stem cells...I think it was on an episode of "Picket Fences.")
53. They do not remember "a kinder and gentler nation." (Neither do I.)
54. They never saw the shuttle Challenger fly. (A whole generation that will never know the tragedy...)
55. The TV networks have always had cable partners. (Ah yes...CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News, blah blah blah)
56. Airports have always had upscale shops and restaurants. (Not if they look like the airports on an episode of "Friends.")
57. Black Americans have always been known as African-Americans. (Would be nice if that were true.)
58. They never saw Pat Sajak or Arsenio Hall host a late night television
show. (Pat Sajak hosted a late night TV show?? And these kids will never know how to "woof woof woof"?)
59. Matt Groening has always had a Life in Hell. (dee dee dee dee dee...have NO idea...)
60. Salman Rushdie has always been watching over his shoulder. (Honestly...is this someone I'm supposed to know?)
61. Digital cameras have always existed. (Ah, heck no. Surely these kids remember life before digital. SURELY)
62. Tom Landry never coached the Cowboys. (So far as I know or care, he didn't.)
63. Time Life and Warner Communications have always been joined. (Heeeee! The one time I actually watched the news!)
64. CNBC has always been on the air. (Only if ya got cable...)
65. The Field of Dreams has always been drawing people to Iowa. (Half of these kids prolly haven't even SEEN Field of Dreams.)
66. They never saw a Howard Johnson's with 28 ice cream flavors. (Me either. I never saw a Baskin Robins till I was 16.)
67. Reindeer at Christmas have always distinguished between secular and religious decorations. (Okay, what does that mean? If you're religious you aren't suppposed to have a Reindeer at Christmas??? Since when???)
68. Entertainment Weekly has always been on the newsstand. (This, I remember...)
69. Lyme Disease has always been a ticking concern in the woods. (Nope. You find a tick, you yank it off and keep on playing...)
70. Jimmy Carter has always been an elder statesman. (Well, he's always been elderly, right?)
71. Miss Piggy and Kermit have always dwelt in Disneyland. (When did that happen, anyway? It just seems one day I woke up and BAM! Disney had Miss Piggy and Kermit.)
72. America's Funniest Home Videos has always been on television. (LOL in one form or another since the beginning of time...)
73. Their nervous new parents heard C. Everett Koop proclaim nicotine as
addictive as heroin. (I always knew I was smart to stay away from that junk...)
74. Lever has always been looking for 2000 parts to clean. (Gosh, I LOVE those old commercials. lol)
75. They have always been challenged to distinguish between news and
entertainment on cable TV. (Sadly, no, this is a developement of recent years.)
Okay, now, not only am I frightened by how OLD I am, but by how IGNORANT I am. Why do I feel the sudden urge to grab a freshman and grill him on who is the leader of the Philippines?
Comments
Oh well, whatever LOL
The glass pyramid at the louvre...big, UGLY, doesn't belong there. It's totally out of place with the historic old buildings there, especially the former palace that is now one of the most famous museums in the world.
Zebra mussels...little, ugly invasive species choking out native fishes in the Great Lakes. They were first discovered in the US about 1988 and we can't go a summer without hearing about how something needs to be done about them.
Can't wait to see what you write about next! ,-)
Heather~See my e-mail my professor, you. lol
Alley~Hey girl! Great to see you in here!! I totally remember antea's with the aluminum fail balls on the ends. lol