Perspective

The Class of 2010:

Members of the class of 2010, the freshmen entering college this fall, were mostly born in 1988.
For them ...

... the Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union.
...They have known only two presidents.
... U.S. airlines have always been bankrupt.
... There has always been only one Germany.
... They have never heard anyone actually "ring it up" on a cash register.
... They are wireless, yet always connected.
... Smoking has never been permitted on U.S. airlines.
... Faux fur has always been a necessary element of style.
... They have never had to distinguish between the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football teams.
... DNA fingerprinting has always been admissible evidence in court.
... They grew up pushing their own miniature shopping carts in the supermarket.
... They grew up with and have outgrown faxing as a means of communication.
... "Google" has always been a verb.
... Text messaging is their email.
... Mr. Rogers, not Walter Cronkite, has always been the most trusted man in America.
... Bar codes have always been on everything, from library cards and snail mail to retail items.
... Carbon copies are oddities found in their grandparents' attics.
... Young women's fashions have never been concerned with where the waist is.
... They have rarely mailed anything using a stamp.
... Brides have always worn white for a first, second, or third wedding.
... "So" as in "That is sooooo New York," has always been a drawn-out adjective modifying a proper noun, which in turn modifies something else.
... They have always been able to watch wars and revolutions live on television.
... Retin-A has always made America look less wrinkled.
... Small white holiday lights have always been in style.
... They never played the game of state license plates in the car.
... They have always preferred going out in groups as opposed to dating.
... There have always been live organ donors.
... They have always had access to their own credit cards.
... They have never put their money in a "Savings & Loan."
... Bad behavior has always been getting captured on amateur videos.
... Disneyland has always been in Europe and Asia.
... Beach volleyball has always been a recognized sport.
... Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti have always been luxury cars of choice.
... Television stations have never concluded the broadcast day with the national anthem.
... Disposable contact lenses have always been available.
... They have always "dissed" what they don't like.
... The U.S. has always been studying global warming to confirm its existence.
... Richard M. Daley has always been the Mayor of Chicago.
... They grew up with virtual pets to feed, water, and play games with, lest they die.
... Professional athletes have always competed in the Olympics.