Thursday, August 18, 2016

Decoding the Beloit Mindset List

Typical of most years, Beloit College has announced its "Mindset List" for the collegiate class of 2020. Like most years, the Beloit list reflects the thoughts of its writers (all Boomer Generation) rather than our college incoming students (among the last of the Millennial Generation).

If you want to read Beloit's list, the link is here:
https://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2020/

If you want some listings a bit closer to the students (and how those of us beyond college connect with them), here are a few tidbits:

Students have never known a world with Frank Sinatra, Florence Joyner, Phil Hartman, Sonny Bono, Tammy Wynette, Stokely Carmichael/Kwame Ture, or Carl Wilson.

Students have always been able to Google something.

Students don’t remember a world without Facebook.

The only connection students have to Camelot is Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg.

Donald Trump has always been involved in bankruptcy action. Hillary Clinton has always been a public official. Bill Clinton is remembered primarily as a political spouse. 

Students barely remember a car concept called Saturn.

Hate crimes legislation has always been a subject of debate, with Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. as inspirational figures.

Students have never known a Winter Olympics without Curling. For that matter, they’ve never seen both Winter and Summer Olympics in the same year. 

There have always been tobacco settlement dollars as part of US state appropriations.

Quebec has always been declaring independence from Canada.

Judge Judy has always been reigning over afternoon court.

Madonna has always been a mom. For that matter, Eminem and Madonna have invitations to parents’ weekend for their honor roll daughters. 

These students have no native memory of 9/11.


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