The Mindset of Freshmen

Beloit College tries to help academics each fall with a "mindset list" to explain the perspectives of the new class of freshmen.

This year's list noting that most freshmen were born in 1987, explains that, for them:

• Liberace, Jackie Gleason, and Lee Marvin have always been dead.
• Heart-lung transplants have always been possible.
• Wayne Gretzky never played for Edmonton.
• Iran and Iraq have never been at war with each other.
• Voice mail has always been available.
• Bill Gates has always been worth at least a billion dollars.
• They do not remember "a kinder and gentler nation."
• They never saw the shuttle Challenger fly.
• They never saw a Howard Johnson’s with 28 ice cream flavors.