i i i omc’ pm gib we are a generation whose time has come. Until this point, though, we were a generation with little direction, with no rallying point, no Vietnam. Thus, the people who want to define us now have a hard time doing so. We are an enigma. We make their jobs difficult. Do we care? "We live small lives on the periph ery; we are marginalized and there's a great deal in which we choose not to participate We want ed silence and we have that silence now.'' Douglas Coupland. Generation X So what s all this s< training' ( )ui patents' llatdlv Hu liib\ Boomtis 1 a Klip \Nhai Mill he*.11 iv ihr None* «>t a Krnrtation ihal atilhoi Douglas ( oupland apll\ mini (.nutation \ It s a voitv of atluhv |8 (o J*I vt aiv old whit an In million strong. a sour suddtnlv cvnvonc wants lo lirai “You tan'i ignuie tin proplt- <>t Min genet adon. ~ savs lake* IVikms. a Viiginia 1 ec li semoi \inri k a should Ik- iradv \ rl it isn’t < >m geneiation linallv has collie o| agi Ihu ihfii dies \r known v%<- \srir ^iowiu^ up and into 1 hen Woild long before we ditj \nd dies should have known what we were going to be all .iIxmii \Nc had no \ lelnam Uai t«i mohili/r us We had u«> l>tpression to make us t .lulumis spendeis V11 wr had was Konahl Reagan and a pocketful ol nionev that i an out when we ian oil in Id9i ( oupland s (•rnrtfitinn \ till the U h ikstoi rs. paintuik a pit tme ol a burnt out. anonvtnou.s and uiidiin tc*d new generation, the twentv somethings. awash in the main Mir.tm ul the Ha In llomnris Nun (lie vunr nrtwe>i kv |)(iI)Ik.Umiiis ami inailrtcis, oner |HriK(it|)ir(l uilh I hr Hig ( hill gr nr rat inn. air Mumbling mri raclioihri Inireogm/r anil dc-tinr its sue i rwnc I hr eaillegr agr i ul Imr — um r a ninr gatr-e rashri mi ihr i ul till.cl Mfiir — suddrnli has limmir Amri u a s guest ul In mm "Imi'ir going lu see a IHO-drgirr turn a i um ul in mat la-ting lu i nllrgr ituiirnli ill < In* m\l Inr wan wn Sr an IWcmii, a v>|>liu muir at tin- I ul M ism hi 11 " Mtrriiatnr is Mailing lu Im-iuiiii- inaiiiMirain I lien ir in mg lu allai L thisdrive In hr ditlrirnt " I hr iiuirwin ul (hr Bain linouieis have brrn lallril mam tilings align. uinuniMii . i ninplai rnl. viIh i , Illinium. idralistie Him Ini all thr hv|X- MiiTuini(hllg I hr new grncia Hi ill, II has Imiii haul li iilrliur I u Itrgiu unit. Vnair liimr lanalh and rllinic alh dlsriv than am grnriaiiun Ixlnrr il “Krn within cniing adults, mu hair a lul ul riillrrrm gioupv' sm 11 | Amulet. a me |*i c side- u I at Ini Hi uadi a si mg ( u “It's a him (mu ul mu siK irii ," Um ihr duel sin ul (*riiriaiion \ goes Iximid inrir driuugi a|ihu s Ihr [iriirncd Single- uillide-dnrss of the (ids grnriaiiun, nhieh i allied aiuiind ihr issue- ul ihr \ ir main Wat. has lamshrd hum tmlas s ml le-ge--agr < iillui r "... Growing up. Vietnam was a background color m life, like red or blue or gold — it tinted everything. And then suddenly one day it just disappeared. Imagine that one morning you woke up and sudden ly the color green had vanished." Kn\ sr.u at knit Sun- t , Minimi', .mil l.n nils guthrt m mrmois i>( ilir slain student »*.n prutrstrts ulin ssnr shut In National <•11*11(1 II(MI|>\ III M.n l*l7ll llnl (Ins same i .unpus is < 1 is idrd iion i is 1*1 issues ol humo sexuality .ind i .u r i rlutu ms suss scin< n Mi m.t N .tcljtk I lint- is in i Vicin.tiii l.n Xris.ii krill Xiaic \iul something s missing " I li.il mill ed krill Stair .111(1 Us students." she vns "Hill (sr irails don't hasr anything to units us " I odat s I ollrgr Students. tlllliu used oil auv our liallonal Issue. hasr Imume a sulr ‘ulluir ol siiIh nit hi r-s, desuting llirmsrlyrs •<> multiple (auscs. Iisiriung to iiisuad grilles ol inusu and ahandoiimg liadillonai pails alliam rs 11 ugmrnluUi m is csriYsshcir Brendan (.illrn, a junioi al ilir l of Mu lug.in and inusu diiri loi ,u campus radio station \\ ( BM lias untie ed II ill I ad u i “l-'ii rsris suhllr niiani r dial i oinrs mil in inusu . ilirir s a Sshoh* ness l.n 11011." (.illrn sals ■ I hr giungr i ultilic i an I like In lino, and (trehno laiuj can't like hip Imp I hrs 1 rente thru own personalities " hid the same goes lot student ac lisisni. sals t.ieg I risis. a srnioi al the l ol ( alilomia Beikeles "Mr'ir all doing dlllri enl tilings, hr suss “ 1 hr issues dial moljy-al f(l .u 1 is isi 11 hasr expanded lai Ix sond sslial dies ssrie m dir sixties * ( oitsidermg the exploding number of non profit tnteirst groups, it is easv to m i wh.it hr means I hr issues have pmltfeiated and while i .inses mu h as animal testing and i e< \« ling ate serious, the\ ate not Ilkelv lo inspire mass mo\rnients What thev have inspired, it nothing else, is a (imitation, ( trated in part, bv the U< k of nothing to piotest Rob \el\on. the l»H* \eai old 10 founder of lead oi I rave a |*»htt« al wau hdog group, is hanking on that liustia lion Nelson believes issues like the ledeial delu it will pull voting adults o| ( H'neiation N together “I think that we will Ik- the genera tion that goes to hat and makes om < ountrv a ix*uet pla< e loi the jx ople after us he savs in teims of voter turnout, that seems to lx hapjx mug. I he Ro|x i < hgam/ation tejxuts that 7’» |xai< nt of tollrge students voted in the elei lion, < om pared to \ \ |>etient of volets l H to 2 I, at < oi ding to R< m k the \ ote do you really think we enjoy hearing about your brand new mil lion dollar home when we can barely afford to eat A home you won in a genetic lottery, I might add, sheerly by dint of your having been born at the right time in history. You'd last about ten min utes if you were my age these days ..." I r\ t<> trll bab\ huslris that thcVir Im-Hc t oft 11i.m thru |*ai ruts ( m» a hr ad .itui 'lii»w thrill (hr \ C Ks .iikI Mrin *s me »sl eai t nil loeedlrgr Kut Ik* prepaird to Ik mi alxntt Mil MlJlflg |>1.11 icI. m Hailing n minim Mini a vnlatilr w«>| Id vshe ir \ris vs.4it loi (tic'll (titti In Like* a stab Ml polishing oil thru IkmiI. biokrn and (at mshrd stive i s|mm>iis “It s vriv sohe ting, savs Perkins who dmpprd mil o| \ ll ginta I re h hn tvso vrai s lo ram tuition inonrv "It v haidri («» ge l a h<ius<\ U s haidri te» ge t a job, it's haidri t“ c am the* making i<h»m lot thru idrav .»»»t! talrntv “Non hr.il ihr |okr\ alxiut < ollrgr |xo|»lr working at Mi ! >«maid *» I'nlim WHl, 1 ha\r mam liirmh doing lh.il Ii v no jok« Nowadaw .» I mi hrloi s dcgtrr dorv not gli.il antrr ihr middle* * law I if * lifwrtN and jnil Mitt of happinrw, tin A i nr in an duam "... I envy their upbringings that were so clean, so free of future lessness. And I want to throttle them for blithely handing over the world to us like so much skid marked underwear. lot mam buvtriv it A just hard to grab on to a Intuit whrn it v slit krd with vo mu* h K a l hr grnriattonv in |m »v%rt have* left m with a \ r i \ umciiam future." I rad or I ravcA \rlvon sav > I br\ \r m vomr Haw all*>wrd tbr \m< in an lb ram loionir to an end Not that amour r\ri vani irac hmg thr \mrtitaii Diram Hould lx rav\ It v |uvl that ihr i boK rv to ge t it ba\r fx-i oine* wnonijiln I ON II Minn It s not \o unit h th.it htistr i n .ii« «lt f mint; tlirmsrlw N f>\ « h.illcn)* thr mil ' uurMtotuii}' ,mih« t\ Km vsli.it thr\ .m- vt.uttn^ to «111<•Niton tv thr Vv.iv in whit h jitotliii tin o| t on Mini ft |{imk1v nrvvv .uul |>olitii n .u« ivm Imi}; the in It \< i no hkr n^hl now thrv sv tin d to take wh.it tiM il to Ih- .iltc'in.ittvr .iml m.iikrt n c .illrn n.i> s ot mumi < )in t vmi find soiiii ilnii; mil n NtJtiv; hl|5 old Lit i*n\N h.ild tin;, with I itf.ii v t«ikr it awa\ I tom \ou Sni h diNlmst m.ikc N tt chilli lilt lot ad\rtti% rtv the mrdi.i .mil ixilttic I.iiih to adapt to thr voittigrt tfrnr t atinn Nrvn iliHcw tin s air tftvtlltf It thr tfood old « nllctfr ti\ Mow lli.it votil tfrtirtalion in *jw ndmtf as tntic h .in it in, nrojilr .nr MiddruU hndititf thru i;« in i lhott vtv\ !Voh ( #iu t loin- |i .rill lot .itit! imblidtri of S/mh a ftUlMi iii.i^.i/inr Il thr pop » nItuIr in hctfinnintf to notu v ( .< in i .it ion \ tin N.ttnr gt(( \ to. poll111 n \riN wrrr om r tin jwislrt t Illicit« ti lot votrt .i |>.i I Ii v t hat ton ha\ t h.in^rd l*ii Nidt tit ( III Itc »n lived \1 l\ v < hi*Wr ot I ovr ijlirv rhese UCLA students belong to a generation of 46 million voices - too many to be Ignored. (lull .11i .tllNtot t 1* >| Hill. II paid lit) mii w «o««m vime level of m«»nr\ as out pairnls Kare n Kite hie srmoi vice* pirsielrnt at Me < aim h lie kson Moiidvslde. all ael agent n III Detroit. sa\s all attitude like IYl kills is not the- exception among hustris Its tile- title I a st I all. Kite hie- ve.n lie-el a e i mst* II lie ill *»1 maga/me editors and ptihlishe-is I«* stop ignoring the- voiingn gcnriation “ l he- sss teiti hasn't been ve rs good to thrill so lai I odas s 18 to 29 e mud is laigelv the- Me tun «it hail time s I ae e el vsilh issue s e»1 MDVdiug addle lion and elate- tape. \ris hasr hern i clue tan ( to “pat tv " as thru par ruts die) *|()ili patent*} verir uomed alwuit getting YD MV Stores about \IDS I *e * I kills sa\s “ I hr\ talked alwiut smoking |mm. for us it’s e lat k I he stake s have liern up|M <1 Dlls IS a gcliei atle >11 tishei eel ill e»H ~4 Vs he »le Miles ot 111 l Ills k\ r\t‘l»ts." Kite hie vi\s "fills uas a grneiatie»n that uas txiin in the he ight ot hi11 h e ontrol and aljoitionoiKlrinand Mhe*n dies giev% up. the- institution of the Iannis uas faltering .is diveue e tatc-s lose ( onhdrrur in \meiiean gose'i ninent had fallen ill the uake- «»t Main gale Sow as \eis giaduate from se he»ol and rntri the joh mat ke t. (lie's confront a sotit eeeuioinv that isii ( "Option paralysis: The tendency, when given unlimited choices, to make none. F«h < .illrn and In* * lassina(c*s at thr l e»l Mu hii'.in nothing in simple* anvuioir Kvrn oidrim^ pi//a inram tnnir than .^om/iii^ i»vrt toppings i hr o\y|K*i «*1 I mil no n Pl//a. pnptilat *»lh mam eeillcge* sttielrnts. in a Ntaiim h Ni)p(Miitn «»f anti almition groups. a lai t mam siudriils t onsieie r whrii llir\ pie k lip thru pheuie s mendri <*illenvavs hill simple* tonsumc iiNin has linunic eomplev hr sa\s I hr moir \«>u know and (hr moir irali/atinns you haw. ihr haidri lilr m'ts You have* teMiursfion rvrrvthing It e iralrs an an ni elc-spaii I his soi t ot attitude* uoi i irs K 111 hie* 1 hat n the* one* air a whne the Boomri * serin te» have* It all eivri \rrs. she savs I he*v knew hem (o have* tun "7 + 2 * 5-ism: Caving in to a marketing strategy aimed at one self after holding out... » |l *1 I .111*1 .» I r". “(Politic tail*| irali/c* the* nrw i>( m i.iiiuii in < uiiimg, IVi hn> $*»> s So .iic \ci n iraelv lo lake* (he* lr.nl' “IVri .HIM' llirv ir mi |»l.ie In .il .UKI |>f.l^HMl|t . I hr \ i e taking pirUN geierti tale* of thrill >rl\rv Rile hie* savs I he v ll |M ohahlv he < >k In thr meantime-. chough, thr tvsriilV'onie* thiitR ^riie-i.iiion mav Ik In'ifri oft not listen III)* to fhe; irv.ile liriv iheiv vnIio ur te lling ll vn hill II likes. \nIi.U ll Ik Ile xe s, Vsh.lt ll Hants "I flunk if voil vs.Ue h too mite h ( \\ like IIIV Ilium s .1 ( N\ junkie .Iiul she phone s inr up r\rt\ time* soiiMrthing hisioin .*1 Ii.ijijk iis. vs hie h is vsh.ll. like «»lit r .1 el.iV ' if \e»|J take* III foo hum h fiom this information dense sot i rl\ flunks elo i*rI pietlv < lilt ke n I Ulle \ou efo ihmk ilie- skv is tailing down anil it’s jiisi not dial wav I eion I vsant to sounel like* a Miss \ me 11< a e onlrslant. hut vou kiun% thr ft mu r is not that heuiihlr. < emplane! savs 1 he* Vole e*s of this jgrilf'l atiOft e otlld have told him that U Dan Sathn. Dallv IVnnsv Iv anian. I of Drnn%yivanM, tnUmnrwrd /hwgitt\ ( tntfdnnii fat ihn \tori By Miy-atM’lli !**«*, The Flat Hat, College of William and Mary