It appears many of the colleges in my corner of the world are having “move-in” days for freshman this week and are gearing up to start classes next week.  Each year, about this time, Beloit College publishes their “Mindset List” noting events that have shaped the incoming freshman class.  This week I thought I would share some of the items from this year’s list that caught my attention and reminds me that I am getting old!  If you want to see the whole list go to http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/

Most students heading into their first year of college this year were born in 1997. 

Among those who have never been alive in their lifetimes are Princess Diana, Jacques Cousteau, and Mother Teresa.

When they were born, cell phone usage was so expensive that families only used their large phones, usually in cars, for emergencies.

They have never licked a postage stamp.

Email has become the new “formal” communication, while texts and tweets remain enclaves for the casual.

Google has always been there, in its founding words, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible.” 

They have grown up treating Wi-Fi as an entitlement.  

Their parents have gone from encouraging them to use the Internet to begging them to get off it.

The Airport in Washington, D.C., has always been Reagan National Airport.       

They have avidly joined Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione as they built their reading skills through all seven volumes.

The Atlanta Braves have always played at Turner Field.

“Crosstown Classic” and the “Battle of the Bay” have always been among the most popular interleague rivalries in Major League Baseball.

The eyes of Texas have never looked upon The Houston Oilers.

TV has always been in such high definition that they could see the pores of actors and the grimaces of quarterbacks. 

In a world of DNA testing, the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington has never included a Vietnam War veteran “known only to God.”

The Lion King has always been on Broadway.

Splenda has always been a sweet option in the U.S.

Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith have always been Men in Black, not their next-door neighbors.

The proud parents recorded their first steps on camcorders, mounted on their shoulders like bazookas.

Copyright© 2015 Beloit College

Thought for the Week

“If the college you visit has a bookstore filled with t-shirts rather than books, find another college.” ― R. Albert Mohler Jr.