Beloit College Mindset

As college freshman, we all have the same goal: Graduate. How we get there, what we encounter along the way and how we accomplish our goal is up to us. As Beloit's College Mindset List (BCML) spells out, as the class of 2014, we already have a few mindsets before we step on campus. We are a generation that has many advantages over those of the past. We have millions of resources at our disposal at the touch of a button. This isn't bad but what has growing up in the early 2000's influenced us compared to those in the past?


One of the things BCML states in their list is about the human genome. It says "DNA fingerprinting and maps of the human genome have always existed." This is weird to think about because it is always in the back of my mind when I'm geeking out and watching crime shows about past unsolved crimes. Every time they say something about evidence I think to myself, "Why didn't they get fingerprints" or "What about hair samples?" If DNA fingerprinting wasn't around, not only would science be hindered but also things like television fiction would be changed. One of the most popular shows today is CSI, a show that would be lost without collecting the samples and hunting down the unknown criminal. Who would sit and watch detectives think and drink coffee?


Another statement that stood out to me was "Adhesive strips have always been available in varying skin tones." I guess I never noticed it. I recently bought a pack of band-aids and it was a dark tan which I didn't notice until I got back to my dorm. It might be the fact that I've never actually purchased "normal" band-aids, I prefer Toy Story themed ones personally, myself before but I seriously thought they only came in one color. It makes sense from a business stand point to offer other colors to promote use (and sales!) to those who prefer to not have a mismatched colored bandage on their skin. 


The last statement that I wanted to challenge is "Nirvana has always been on the classic rock station." The first time I heard a Nirvana song on one of my classic rock stations it definitely caught me off guard. I do remember one time when I asked my dad what made a rock song "classic" and he told me "Things from around 20 years ago." This was back when I was 9 or 10 so of course Nirvana didn't quite fit into that category at that point. Now that it's 2010, it is about time they hit the classic stations. Yet something deep down in my mind says that this just isn't okay. For me, classic rock will always be 80's and earlier. Not that I'm arguing the classic-ness of Nirvana, I just personally feel like there should be a 90's music station to statify the need for that decade to become "retro". Most of the songs from that decade, especially the early part, are completely different than today's music and music from my definition of "classic." I think we could all use a station that has exclusive rights to hits like "Mmmbop" and play it 24/7 like our bathroom radios blast "California Girls."


It would be interesting to see what might be on the list in five years. Even in high school there were distinct differences between the freshman and seniors for my last year of school. Even more between the middle schoolers and the class of '10. It'll be a great read nonetheless. Now the waiting game.