Beloit College’s Class of 2002 ‘Mindset List’
There’s been a lot of talk about this year’s Mindset List, so I went back and checked the list for the year I would have graduated from college, had I not, well, not graduated from college. I think I might relate to more of the items on this year’s list than I did on that one…
1.The people starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1980.
-I was born in 1981.
2.They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he had ever been shot.
-I do remember Reagan, but only because a friend’s mother had a “Ronald Reagan Doormat” dish towel, and I remember being astonished that anyone would think ill of a PRESIDENT.
3.They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
-This is true.
4.Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression.
-This is less than true, but not false.
5.There has only been one Pope. They can only remember one other president.
-First part is true, but as stated above, I remember Reagan and the first Bush.
6.They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and do not remember the Cold War.
-I very much remember the cold war, and remember the Berlin Wall coming down.
7.They have never feared a nuclear war. ‘The Day After’ is a pill to them — not a movie.
-I remember fearing nuclear war. I have never seen ‘The Day After’ but ‘Amazing Grace & Chuck’ was one of my favorite movies.
8.They are too young to remember the Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up.
-I don’t have a clear memory of it, but I do remember being told about it.
9.Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
-This is true
10.They never had a polio shot, and likely, do not know what it is.
-I have never had a polio shot, but I definitely knew what it was by the time I entered college. I think I have memories of one of the teachers at school showing us her scar. I must have been 7 or 8.
11.Bottle caps have not always been screw off, but have always been plastic. They have no idea what a pull top can looks like.
-Bottle caps have always been screw off, unless we’re talking about beer, in which case they aren’t plastic. I can think of several things that might be called a pull top can, I’m not sure which is actually called a pull top can.
12.Atari pre-dates them, as do vinyl albums.
-This is true.
13.The expression ‘you sound like a broken record’ means nothing to them.
-I think everyone knows what this means.
14.They have never owned a record player.
-This is true, but I do remember my parents owning one, and I had a BLAST when I was little playing their old records.
15.They have likely never played Pac Man, and have never heard of ‘Pong.’
-Please.
16.Star Wars looks very fake to them, and the special effects are pathetic.
-This is true now, but hasn’t always been.
17.There have always been red M&M’s, and blue ones are not new. What do you mean there used to be beige ones?
-I did think there had always been red M&M’s, but blue replaced beige while I was in high school.
18.They may never have heard of an 8-track, and chances are they’ve never heard or seen one.
-My family had an 8-track player. I’m not sure I ever used it.
19.The compact disc was introduced when they were one year old.
-I remember when the standard was tapes, though.
20.As far as they know, stamps have always cost about 32 cents.
-No way. I remember low 20s.
21.They have always had an answering machine.
-When I was little, we had an answering machine in my father’s office (he was self-employed and worked at home), but didn’t get one for the residential line until much later.
22.Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a black & white TV.
-I grew up with a TV set with only 13 channels, only 5 of which were programmed (as they were the only 5 we got). I have seen a black & white TV, but have never owned one.
23.They have always had cable.
-I didn’t get cable until after I entered college.
24.There have always been VCR’s, but they have no idea what Beta is.
-I remember pre-VCR, but didn’t learn what Beta was until after I entered college.
25. They cannot fathom what it was like not having a remote control.
-We had no remote control for most of my childhood.
26. They were born the year Walkmen were introduced by Sony.
-I remember people being hugely excited by the idea, not much else.
27. Roller-skating has always meant in-line for them.
-Still doesn’t.
28. “The Tonight Show” has always been with Jay Leno.
-Nope, although I doubt I ever saw it with Johnny Carson.
29. They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.
-I remember them being VERY cool, I have no idea why.
30. Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
-No way.
31. They have never seen Larry Bird play, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a football player.
-I was in Boston the day Larry Bird announced his retirement, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is most definitely a basketball player.
32. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.
-That’s true.
33. The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as WWI and WWII or even the Civil War.
-Not true for any of us, probably. Our fathers were either in the war or have a story about why they weren’t.
34. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.
-I may not have known this when I entered collge.
35. They can’t imagine what hard contact lenses are.
-Not true.
36. They don’t know who Mork was, or where he was from.
-Ork.
37. They never heard the terms “Where’s the Beef?”, “I’d walk a mile for a Camel” or “De plane, de plane!”
-I know the first one, never heard the latter two.
38. They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is.
-This sounds really familiar, but is true.
39. The Titanic was found? I thought we always knew where it was.
-I knew we didn’t always know where it was, I don’t remember that time.
40. Michael Jackson has always been white.
-He’s always been a freak, I would not say he’s always been white.
41. Kansas, Boston, Chicago, America, and Alabama are all places — not music groups.
-They’re both.
42. McDonalds never came in Styrofoam containers.
-Don’t the Big Breakfasts still come in styrofoam containers? Or are they plastic now?
43. There has always been MTV, and it has always included non-musical shows.
-I never knew what was on MTV since I never had cable.