It's that time of year, and the Beloit College Student Mindset List has been published. It always makes for an interesting read, and attracts a lot of media attention. Basically the list reveals how cultural icons change from one generation (focusing on college freshmen) to the next. You can take a quick look at the 75 items here.
The official explanation:
Each August since 1998, Beloit College has released the Beloit College Mindset List, providing a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college this fall. The creation of Beloit’s former Public Affairs Director Ron Nief and Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride, it was originally created as a reminder to faculty to be aware of dated references, and quickly became a catalog of the rapidly changing worldview of each new generation. Mindset List websites at Beloit College and at mindsetmoment.com, the media site webcast and their Facebook page receive more than a million hits annually.
The item attracting the most media attention this year is the chronological fact that the high school kids in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" are now old enough to be their parents. Thanks to cable TV (especially Comedy Central) re-runs and YouTube (check this out…priceless), most freshmen today are probably familiar with the film's characters. But this too shall pass. Faculty members who presently get an easy laugh on the first day of class by calling the roll with "Bueller? … Bueller?" or by asking "Anyone? … Anyone?" will eventually seem eccentric—perhaps even sad and pathetic.
The term "solipsistic" comes to mind when we are surprised to discover that the cultural phenomena that were significant in our lives don't last forever. Nevertheless, the rise of the new media has obviously accelerated the ability of young folks to reject the past quickly and move on to the next big thing. If you don't understand Lady Ga Ga, or haven't caught Bieber Fever, just wait a little while.
Oh, yes. "LBJ" stands for LeBron James. It is written. Now go forth and sin no more.
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