I’m not usually a fan of swapping “kids these days” stories about my students with other teachers.  To my mind college students are too old to be kids, so I usually just stick with calling them “students” instead.  Still, I had a classic “shake my head at kids these days” moment recently.  While we were chatting over the photo-copier, one of the staff-members in my department described a mysterious “dead room” in the newly renovated library.  Sure enough, when I went over to check out books later in the day it also caught my eye.  My conversation with the librarian about it went something like this:

Me, while checking out books:  The renovations to the library look great! But what on earth is “Dead Central?”

Librarian:  That’s where the Grateful Dead Archive will go.

Me:  Of course, awesome!

Librarian:  Lot’s of the students have never heard of them.

Me:  !!!!!!!

(On the other hand, earlier this year one of my students came across the job announcement for a “Grateful Dead Archivist” and pronounced it the coolest job ever…)