On Tuesday President Bill Clinton gave a historic speech from the site that used to mark the division between East and West Berlin. It marked the climax of the first presidential visit to a reunified Berlin.
News like this has an effect on a generation and in many ways Dartmouth is the perfect microcosm for the study of that effect.
We do not need a transcript of Clinton's speech to know that the act itself seems to proclaim, "The battles of your parents' age have been fought and won. 'Enemy' is now an uncertain term. The American Century is coming to a close."
Into this vacuum fall today's college-age men and women. Certainly it is a partial vacuum. While the Cold War may be over, the globe is not secure.
And though the Civil Rights Movement is a thing of the past, there is still much more work to be done to fight discrimination. But in general the lines have become hazy, the issues abstract.
Toss in a mild recession a few years back and the recipe for a generational stereotype is complete. The stereotype labels our generation as one lost without goals. A generation of slackers. The stereotype is a myth, but the ethos is a reality.
Nowhere is this more clear than at Dartmouth. As an Ivy League institution it goes without saying that the majority of students here are not slackers.
It is interesting, however, to note the divisions that exist between the achievers among us.
A certain portion of the "successes" at Dartmouth are virtually blind to the uncertain future that seems to face our generation. These are the students for whom Dartmouth is merely a stepping stone to a good business, law or medical school.
For these students, "D" might as well stand for dollars. These are the students who flash a wide grin every time they notice that the light atop Baker Tower is the color of money.
At the other extreme are the genuine slackers.
Some students are overwhelmed by both generational and personal uncertainty. The questions without answers are insurmountable and motivation is impossible to come by.
These two groups are not without value for those of us who fill the wide spectrum in between. The former will some day donate some of their Dartmouth green to the school and the latter boost our class rank.
Further than that there is nothing like an argument with a selfish, greedy jerk to spark a little idealism. That idealism can provide the motivation it takes to identify areas where it is possible to make a difference.
An attempt to change the mind of a single jerk is a good start.
The slackers provide us with perspective. They remind us that before we can attack the big problems we need a stable foundation and some sort of work ethic.
Our generation need not be one of slackers if we pay attention to both the greedy jerks and the motivationless ones.
For a while it appeared that Clinton might stop at Dartmouth to deliver the commencement address before his tour of Europe.
He certainly would have mentioned the challenges that face the Class of 1994. Perhaps he would have spoken of slackers and the Money Light. Then again, maybe not.
