[Infowarrior] - Yes, You Are Old

[Richard Forno]

Blackboard | The Top 10 List
Yes, You Are Old

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/education/edlife/beloit.html?ref=edlife&pa
gewanted=print

For the last 10 years, Beloit College in lower Wisconsin has issued the
Mindset List. The creation of Tom McBride, a humanities professor, and Ron
Nief, the public affairs director, the popular list is distributed at the
start of each academic year to faculty and staff (and the world at large) to
remind them of the perspective of each year¹s entering freshmen. Below are a
few items from the decade¹s lists.

Class of 2010
‹ ³The Phantom of the Opera² has always been on Broadway.
‹ A stained blue dress is as famous to them as a third-rate burglary was to
their parents.
‹ Brides have always worn white for a first, second or third wedding.

Class of 2009
‹ For their daily caffeine emergencies, a Starbucks outlet has always been
around the corner.
‹ They have always entered the Louvre through a pyramid.
‹ Snowboarding has always been a popular winter pastime.

Class of 2008
‹ They were born as the last Playboy Club was on its way out.
‹ They have always watched night games at Wrigley Field.
‹ AZT has always been an answer to AIDS.

Class of 2007
‹ Paul Newman has always sold salad dressing.
‹ Bert and Ernie are old enough to be their parents.
‹ What¹s leaded gas?

Class of 2006
‹ A hotline is a consumer service rather than a phone used to avoid
accidental nuclear war.
‹ They grew up in minivans.
‹ They grew up with cyberspace.

Class of 2005
‹ They were born about the same time as the PC and Mac.
‹ The Social Security system has always been on the brink.
‹ There has always been a hole in the ozone layer.

Class of 2004
‹ They have never heard a phone ³ring.²
‹ There have always been ATMs at banks.
‹ They neither know who Billie Joe was, nor ever wonder what he was doing on
the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Class of 2003
‹ They never knew Madonna when she was like a virgin.
‹ They have no idea how big a breadbox is.
‹ Travel to space has always been accomplished in reusable spacecraft.

Class of 2002
‹ They have always cooked popcorn in the microwave.
‹ The expression ³You sound like a broken record² means nothing to them.
‹ They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.