Re: Something to keep in mind!

[Zach Wolff <zachary_wolff@YAHOO.COM>]

I was born in 1980 and feel I have to stick up for my
generation.  This list insults our early childhood
memories as well as our knowledge of recent history.
I have included individual comments below.  Yes, times
have changed.  No, kids today aren't from another
planet.

--- "Shapiro, Mark" <mshapiro@EXCHANGE.FULLERTON.EDU>
wrote:
> The following might be useful to help put your
> students in perspective as
> the new semester
> starts....
>
> Mark Shapiro
> http://www.IrascibleProfessor.com
>
> > especially for you people with children...
> >
> > >              Just in case you weren't feeling
> too old 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
> > > that year's
> > >     incoming freshmen.
> > >                                   Here is this
> year's list:
> > >            The people who are starting college
> this
> > >       fall across the nation  were born   in
> 1980.
> > >        They have no meaningful recollection of
> the
> > >        Reagan Era and   probably did not know he
> had
> > >        ever been  shot.

Admittedly my memories are vague, but the shooting is
common knowledge.

> > >          They were prepubescent when the Persian
> > >       Gulf War was waged.

True, but I remember watching the newscasts and
calling friends when I heard that the first shots were
fired.

> > >            Black Monday 1987 is as significant
> to them
> > >      as the Great  Depression.
> > >
> > >            There has been only one Pope.
> > >
> > >            They were 11 when the Soviet Union
> broke
> > >       apart and do not remember the Cold War.

I remember.

> > >            They have never feared a nuclear war.

I was scared.  I'm still scared of India and Pakistan.
 The threat of nuclear war didn't disappear with the
USSR.

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

My 1st grade class watched it on TV.  I think the
emotional reaction of 25 confused kids and a teacher
was just as intense as what any adults got from it.

> > >           Tianamen Square means nothing to them.

Again, I may not remember, but I am educated.

> > >                Their lifetime has always
> included AIDS.
> > >           Bottle caps have always been screw off
> and
> > >       plastic.
> > >
> > >            Atari predates them, as do vinyl
> albums.
> > >       The expression "you sound  like a  broken
> record" means nothing
> > > to them.

Albums haven't been popular in my lifetime, but I love
my dad's old vinyl and everyone still knows the
phrase.

> > >              They have never owned a record
> player.
> > >           They have likely never played Pac Man
> and
> > >        have never heard of Pong.

Pac Man is an arcade classic that everyone has played.
 Anyone with even a surface knowledge of video games
has heard of Pong, though few my age have played it.

> > >             They may have never heard of an 8
> track.
> > >       The Compact Disc was introduced
> > >           when they were 1 year old.
> > >
> > >             As far as they know, stamps have
> always
> > >                      cost about 32 cents.

I remember 25 cents, but nothing before that.

> > >              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.

I've never had cable, but I guess that makes me an
oddball even today.

> > >            There has always been VCR's, but they
> have
> > >                   no idea what BETA is.

I remember the thrill of getting our first VCR, and
though I don't remember BETA I'm educated enough to
know what it is (or was).

> > >                 They cannot fathom not having a
> remote
> > >       control.

The VCR mentioned above did have a remote control, but
it was attached with a cord.

> > >           They were born the year that Walkmen
> were
> > >        introduced by Sony.
> > >
> > >             Roller-skating has always meant
> inline for
> > >      them.

I owned a couple of pairs of  wheel skates when I was
younger.  Never owned inline.

> > >             Jay Leno has always been on the
> Tonight
> > >        Show.

My Grandma used to let me stay up late to watch Johnny
Carson.

> > >             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.

Little kids do watch basketball.  I remember his
retirement.

> > >          They never took a swim and thought
> about
> > >      Jaws.

You're underestimating the power of the VCR's you
mentioned above.  I was terrified.

> > >          The Vietnam War is as ancient history
> to
> > >     them as WWI, WWII and the Civil War.
> > >
> > >             They have no idea that Americans
> were ever
> > >      held hostage in Iran.

WE'RE YOUNG BUT WE DO KNOW SOME HISTORY!

> > >             They can't imagine what hard contact
> lenses  are.
> > >                   They don't know who Mork was
> or where he
> > >      was from.

I remember Mork and hs home planet of Ork.
Syndication is a wonderful thing.

> > >            They never heard: "Where's the
> beef?", "I'd
> > >      walk a mile for a  Camel," or   "de plane,
> de plane!"

Heard all 3, even if it was only in parodies.

> > >           They do not care who shot J.R. and
> have no  idea who J.R. is.
> > >

I don't care who shot him, but I remember not caring
while the adults watched.

> > >           The Titanic was found?  They thought
> we
> > >       always knew where it was.

Wrong again.

> > >                      Michael Jackson has always
> been white.

I know Thriller.

> > >            Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and
> > >      Alabama are places, not  groups.

Classic rock is still big.  Wayward Son is a personal
favorite of mine.

> > >           McDonald's never came in Styrofoam
> containers.

Wrong again.  Keeps the hot side hot and the cold side
cold, right?

> > >                           There has always been
> MTV.
> > >              They don't have a clue how to use a
> typewriter.

Took my first typing class on one.

> > >             Do you feel old yet?   Pass this on
> to other oldtimers!!
> >


Sorry to rain on the old-timers parade.  Or maybe I
just made everyone feel a bit younger.  Wait five
years and this might be accurate.


Zach Wolff
University of Arizona


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