Territorial Bloggings

For each of the past 11 years, Beloit College has released the “Mindset List” for that year’s incoming Freshman Class – i.e., the list of things that the kids in the class have always/never known. It’s always a fascinating read, guaranteed to fill you with amazement & consternation, as well as make you feel really, really old. This year’s list, for the Class of 2012, is no exception.

Of particular interest to me:

• Students entering college for the first time this fall were generally born in 1990.
• The Warsaw Pact is as hazy for them as the League of Nations was for their parents.
• Schools have always been concerned about multiculturalism.
• IBM has never made typewriters.
• The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at 11:35 EST.
• Lenin’s name has never been on a major city in Russia.

Fascinating stuff, both the things that kids can take for granted as “normal”, and how quickly we can assimilate changes & start to accept them as normal ourselves.

-ghp