"BELOIT, Wis. - For this year's crop of college freshmen, Starbucks has always been around the corner, "America's Funniest Home Videos" has always been on the air, and men named George Bushave been president for more than half of their lives. Born in 1987, the freshmen attending their first college lectures around the country this term grew up with pay-per-view television and voice mail on their phones, dirty dancing at school proms, and the United States as the only superpower.Those are some of the cultural landmarks on the Beloit College Mindset List, an annual compilation that offers a glimpse of the world view of each incoming class. The list was released Wednesday by the private school of 1,200 in this southern Wisconsin city.
The Class of 2009 has never known Andy Warhol, seen Jimmy Swaggart preach on TV, or watched Arsenio Hall.
Jimmy Carter? "That's just another name people throw around," said Abby Engebose, 18, who was going through orientation Tuesday on the school's 40-acre campus.
Technologically savvy, the students grew up with home computers, digital cameras, and souped up car stereos. Cable television has always been powerful and has blurred the lines between news and entertainment.
Like most of the men in his class, Joe Erkenbrack, 18, of Pella, Iowa, admitted that he didn't know how to tie a tie. He doesn't even own one.
The list reminds older generations what's happened in the last 18 years and aims to educate professors about the lives of their young students, said Tom McBride, a humanities professor at Beloit who has compiled the list for seven years."
If you want to review the complete list you can go here.
7 comments:
That article shows me how the parents of 1987-present are robbing their children of the better parts of life...those that don't involve money and media
I have a daughter who was born in 1990 and I am trying real hard to expose her to past generations so she can have respect and knowledge of how life was run pre internet and media world domination.
don't worry, I was born in 1987 and I not only own a few ties, but I know how to tie them as well.
My daughter is in that class, although she was born in 89.
Crap, I feel old. A friend of mine is taking her son this week to begin his freshman year at the same university I attended. I about fell out of my chair when I realized that I started college (gulp!) 19 years ago this week.
Thank you for reminding me that I have become old. Well, at least, not young anymore.
You are all getting older- Hahahahaha!
No Arsenio Hall? What a great life.
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