I first saw the Beloit College “Mindset List” a few years back, and I was astonished at how much had changed just in the few years since I’d graduated college. This year’s list, released today, is no different. For the uninitiated, two professors at Beloit College in Wisconsin have, every year since 1997, come up with a list of factoids about the lives of that year’s incoming freshman class, offering some perspective on 17- and 18-year-olds that some of us “older” folks (Hey! I’m only 30!) sometimes lack. My favorites from this year’s list:
1. The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union.
2. They have known only two presidents.
15. They have never had to distinguish between the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football teams.
16. DNA fingerprinting has always been admissible evidence in court.
19. “Google” has always been a verb.
20. Text messaging is their email.
24. Madden has always been a game, not a Superbowl-winning coach.
25. Phantom of the Opera has always been on Broadway.
32. Reality shows have always been on television.
33. They have no idea why we needed to ask “…can we all get along?”
34. They have always known that “In the criminal justice system the people have been represented by two separate yet equally important groups.”
41. They have always been able to watch wars and revolutions live on television.
46. Public school officials have always had the right to censor school newspapers.
47. Small white holiday lights have always been in style.
55. They have always had access to their own credit cards.
75. Professional athletes have always competed in the Olympics.
Some of the items on the list are hokey, as they always have been, but perspective is a fascinating thing sometimes.