- The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1980.

- The Iranian hostage crisis occurred before they were conceived.

- They have no memory of a time before M-TV.

- "New Wave" is their PARENTS' musical generation; the Beatles are their GRANDPARENTS'.

- They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era.

- They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.

- Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression.

- Their world has always included AIDS.

- Having not endured the Disco Scare, they can romanticize the 1970s.

- They see "Family Ties" as something middle aged ladies watch.

- They watched "Star Wars" years ago, when they were kids – on video.

- Atari predates them, as do vinyl albums and cassette audiotapes; they may have heard of an 8-track, but probably never actually seen (or heard) one.

- From their earliest years, a camera was something you used once and threw away.

- As far as they know, stamps have always cost about 32 cents.

- The oil crisis is history of which they probably know nothing --and why anyone WOULDN'T buy a Suburban is beyond them.