[kj] Feeling Old

[Alexander Smith]

For those of you -- like myself -- especially feeling the passage of time.

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Just in case you weren't feeling old enough today, this will certainly
change things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts
together a list  to try to give the Faculty a sense of the mindset of this
year's incoming freshman.

Here is the 2003 year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in
1985.

They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan Era and probably did not
know he had ever been shot.

They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.

They were 8 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold
War.

There has been only one Pope in their lifetime.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle Challenger blowing up.

Tianamen Square means nothing to them.

Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.

Atari predates them, as do vinyl albums. They have likely never played Pac
Man and have never heard of Pong.

They have never owned a record player. The statement "You sound like a
broken record" means nothing to them.  They may have never heard of an 8
track.  The Compact Disc was introduced when they were 1 year old.

They have always had an answering machine.

Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a
black and white TV. They have always had cable.  There have always been
VCRs, but they have no idea what BETA was. They cannot fathom not having a
remote control.

They don't know what a cloth baby diaper is, or know about the "Help me,
I've fallen and I can't get up" commercial.

Feeling old Yet? There's more:

They were born the year that the Walkman was introduced by Sony.

Roller skating has always meant inline for them.

Michael Jackson has always been white.

Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.

They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.

Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.

They have never seen Larry Bird play.

They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.

The Vietnam War is as much ancient history to them as W.W.I, W.W.II and the
Civil War.

They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.

They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.  (The correct answer, by
the way, is Ork)

They never heard: "Where's the beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel," or "De
plane, Boss, de plane!"  They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who
JR was.

Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not bands.  There
has always been MTV.

They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

Do you feel old yet? If you do, then pass this on to some other old
fogies...but don't send it back to
me, I feel old enough...