Our kids started back to school today. They got out the door on time to make the bus (at least I think so... the schools haven't called us to tell us they are truant!) I remembered to go to the schools and drop off their "controlled medications" (aka Tylenol!) to the Health Room.
In my inbox this morning was the annual list from Beloit College on the class of 2011 (the present crop of 18 year olds.) They listed 70 things... I've culled out the ones that struck me. (The complete list is here.)
Great commentary on culture and the future of the church...Most of the students entering College this fall, members of the Class of 2011, were born in 1989. For them, Alvin Ailey, Andrei Sakharov, Huey Newton, Emperor Hirohito, Ted Bundy, Abbie Hoffman, and Don the Beachcomber have always been dead.
#1. What Berlin wall? No, it never existed. But they know about it.
#3. Rush Limbaugh and the “Dittoheads” have always been lambasting liberals. hmmm... no comment.
#4. They never “rolled down” a car window. I hadn't thought about that one!
#7. They have grown up with bottled water. Yeah. Well, since the school drinking fountains are shut down because of lead in the water, I don't mind sending bottled water to school!
#11. Rap music has always been mainstream. Um... not in my river. But OK.
#35. Stadiums, rock tours and sporting events have always had corporate names. Huh. Yeah. Consider this: "Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center" on the campus of Ohio State.
#64. Chavez has nothing to do with iceberg lettuce and everything to do with oil. Funny one.
#68. Burma has always been Myanmar. And my spell-checker STILL suggests I spell it "Mylar."
Deb
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Interesting stuff Deb- my youngest two graduated High School and start University this fall... help how old am I????
I am humming "It's the most wonderful time of the year" along with the staples commercial as I anticipate my son's first day next Tuesday.
The good news is that college football season starts tonight!
--O--H
LOL - when I was teaching, my department chair suggested I use a movie about major events in 1989. I am sure I looked puzzled as I asked her whether anything of importance had happened that year. "Uh, the Berlin Wall?" she suggested.
Three kids five and under. Missed it.
All that is true about an 18-year-old's body of knowledge is, of course, even more true of younger kids. After my husband gave our eight-year-old friend Philip a ride one day, Philip remarked to his grandmother that we had a "very old-fashioned truck". Reason? You had to turn a crank to roll down the window!
Oh this is good. I hope your kids have a good school year.
I think we as clergy professionals need to remember this when we are using illustrations or talking to this age group.
My kids started at the first of the month.
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