by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
If you’ve walked the old stone steps of Old West or belted out “Noble Dickinsonia,” you know about Dickinson’s timeless traditions. You also know that campus life changes over time. So how do our newest grads compare with their elders, in big and small ways? We scoured headlines, yearbooks, magazines, Pew Research studies and other sources to mine a few touchstones for the classes of 1917, 1967 and 2017.
1913-17: The Tramp, In the Land of the Head Hunters, Les Vampires, Intolerance, The Birth of a Nation (highest-grossing movie to date in 1915) 1963-67: My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, A Man for All Seasons, In the Heat of the Night 2013-17: Argo, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman, Spotlight (star Mark Ruffalo visited campus twice) 1913-17: “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny,” “It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary” 1963-67: “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “My Girl,” “San Francisco” 2013-17: “Stay With Me,” “Lemonade,” “Harlem Shake” (first viral song to hit Billboard No. 1)Acclaimed movies
Popular Songs
Class of 1917: In childhood, many heard family Civil War stories; the FBI, NAACP and World Series were formed; Jim Thorpe won Olympic golds; Arizona became a state and child labor was legal. Children lived at home until marriage. Formative events: Industrial Revolution, women’s suffrage, psychoanalysis, Titanic disaster. As adults, they saw women vote, watched hemlines rise and listened to “War of the Worlds.” Some lived to see two world wars. In 1913-17: 1963-67: Born in the wake of Hiroshima, they had “duck and cover” drills in school. They were infants when Dr. Spock popularized “common sense” parenting. The TV market grew; kids watched Howdy Doody. In high school, “the pill” became available and the first black student enrolled at Ole Miss. When they began college, Kennedy was in office and the first lady set the fashion; by graduation, the president had been assassinated, America was at war and the counterculture movement was afoot. They graduated into the “Summer of Love.” One year later, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated; two years out, a man walked on the moon. In 1963-67: Class of 2017: Many used computers in grade school and iPhones as teens. The 9/11 attacks occurred when most were age 6; this may have contributed to a
protective parenting style. Some had metal detectors in school. They’ve never known a world without terrorism, frappuccinos or a Disney movie starring an interracial couple. They’re more educated and less religious than their predecessors, less likely to drive, more likely to identify as politically independent and gender-fluid. They get along with their parents. Formative events: the Great Recession, advent of social media, cyberbullying laws, election of Barack Obama as first U.S. president of color. In 2013-17:History and Culture
1913-17: The Metamorphosis, O Pioneers, Sons
and Lovers, Psychology of the Unconscious, Foundations of the General Theory of Relativity 1963-67: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, In Cold Blood, The Feminine Mystique, Human Sexual Response, The Psychedelic Experience, The Virtue of Selfishness, The Warren Report, Why We Can’t Wait 2013-17: The Goldfinch, Go Set a Watchman, On Immunity, The Sixth Extinction, The Hunger Games series, The Gene: An Intimate History 1913-17: Model Ts shared the road with trollies and horses (many Americans walked). Washing machines made housework easier. Silent movies used new blue-screen technology. Penicillin, flu shot and other life-saving vaccines not yet available. Electrocardiograph invented. 1963-67: Students called home long-distance, wrote letters. Computers were room-sized. Mumps vaccine, soft contacts invented; first human heart transplant. Color TVs in most homes. Portable LP players, transistors, car eight-tracks took music on the go. Typewriters were essential. 2013-17: Students grew up with computers, widespread internet access, Google, 24/7 shopping, microwaves and cellphones. They think “shopping” when they hear “Amazon.” Most would rather text/type than call/hand-write. Many can’t read or write cursive. Inventions: VR 360, Facebook Live, hoverboards, smart tech, wearables, genome editing, health apps and more sophisticated robotics.
Buzzed-about books
Science and technology
1913-17: Supermarkets introduced. Families ate home-cooked food. Food marketed as “sanitary,” “pure” and “untouched by human hands.” Lard was
a staple. Hamburger bun invented. Coca-Cola
introduced its iconic bottle. 1963-67: Julia Child brought French flair to American TVs and stovetops. Packaged/frozen food and fast foods boomed. “Health foods” emerged. Party food included onion-soup dip and grape-jelly meatballs. Themed dinners were in. The California wine industry picked up pace. 2013-17: Hand-crafted/small-batch/artisan and local/sustainable, organic fare. Food Network. Online ordering. Avo toast, cronuts, acai, bacon and cold brews were popular. Burger King aspired to new markets with “Satisfries.” Photos of idealized meals posted on social media. Named generations: All born within a few years of a generational switch. 1917: Antebellum/Lost Generation. 1967: Silent/Boomers. 2017: Millennials/Generation Z. Bridging physical distances: 1917 grads minimized distance with the new automobile, airplane and cross-country phone line. 1967 grads drove on highways and saw Americans travel to the moon. 2017 grads live in a world of internet-based conversation and telecommuting.Fashionable food
Connections
1913-17 1963-67 2013-17 1917: Stuffed shirt, spiffy, cushy/cinch/snap, in the flap (worried), simp (fool), dope (gossip or something enjoyable), on the make/giving the eye, crabbing (complaining), scabbing (studying late), pipe (easy class), peach/dish (attractive woman), brick (attractive man). 1967: Flake, flip/freak/cop out, hippie, downer/bummer, blown away, with it, groovy, heavy, bag. Far out, freaky, out of sight! Let it all hang out. Don’t be so negative. Peace. 2017: Unicorn, triggered, bae, probs, trill, FOMO, sweet, woke, can’t even, extra done, FR, low-key, high-key, selfie, fam, creeper, dad jokes/jeans, RT.Dickinson Moments and Milestones
Slang
What else stands out for you? What do you think the class of 2067 will experience? Email dsonmag@dickinson.edu with your thoughts!
Read more from the fall 2017 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
Published October 24, 2017