12/17/99

Contacts:
Nancy Miller, Textiles and Clothing, (515) 294-1930, (515) 296-1802
Barbara McManus, Agriculture Information, (515) 294-0707

ISU STUDENTS AREN'T WORRIED ABOUT Y2K BUT SEE CHANGES AHEAD

AMES -- Iowa State University students are ready to tackle new technologies in the new millennium but aren't sure what they'll do to ring in the New Year. Those responses were collected in October as part of an informal survey of 260 students on campus.

The survey was completed as a team assignment in a textiles and clothing class to teach students how survey methods can be used to assess consumer behavior and attain marketing information. Miller said students chose to ask their peers about issues relating to the approaching millennium and about their plans for New Year's Eve.

"They thought this would be a chance to collect information from students about this once-in-a-thousand-year event," Miller said. "They wanted to see how students would greet the New Year and they wanted to know if they were optimistic or pessimistic about the new millennium."

A majority of students responded that they weren't worried about the availability of goods on Jan. 1 and 69 percent of the students said they weren't making any special preparations for Y2K. When asked about technology in the next millennium, students said they expect technology to continue to expand and change. About 85 percent said they were ready to learn and adopt new technologies.

"They feel very positive that they can adopt to changes in the new millennium," said Nancy Miller, ISU textiles and clothing professor.

An equal number of men and women, mostly 20 to 23 year-olds, were randomly interviewed on the ISU campus. Since the survey originated from a textiles and clothing class, students were asked about their plans to purchase new clothing to celebrate New Year's Eve. The results indicated that half of the students surveyed didn't plan to buy new clothes for New Year's Eve.

When asked about their plans for New Year's Eve, 14 percent of students were planning to spend the evening with family, 23 percent would be with significant others and 44 percent said they would be celebrating with friends. Eighteen percent didn't know their plans.

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