Personally it does not bother me that Penn State is or was
known as a party school. We are still one of the top schools in the nations. We
like to party hard but study hard as well. Partying relieves stress. Imagine a
life with all work and no play. Life would be extremely boring and predictable.
However when you add partying into your schedule it adds a little “flavor” to
your life style. Personally I live in New York, the first thing people do when
the get off work is go to a bar to dance and drink. State college is not the
only place where people drink they lives away on the weekend. Another question
we need to ask our selves is why is drinking associated with partying or having
a good time? I feel as though drinking is apart of our society as whole. However
I do think from the stories I have heard and from the pod cast The American
Life, Penn State did and does need rules and laws to keep them from getting out
of hand. The part of the podcast I found to be most memorable was the scene
where the 50 year old women gives the 21 year old a drink to help celebrate her
birthday. This specific gesture shows how embed drinking and tailgating is with
out Penn State society. It has been apart of culture for a long time and I personally
feel like it will never change. I cannot imagine going to a football game with
out watching people chug beer and eat pulled pork on a roll. While at time I did
feel the piece was a harsh, it displayed the truth about what was taking place
on a regular night. I feel as though they looked at both sides. The speakers
remembered being young and in college and they talked about their personally
college stories. They talked about how they drank and did idiotic things in
college. But I think the factor they were trying to stress was it is “OK” to
party and have a good time but do it moderation. People do not need to drink
until the black out or die. I would like to stress the Pod Cast did not change
any of my views about the university. I would love it here no matter what. I am
not worried about getting a job after I graduated. It also does not bother me
when people as me If party a lot or that my school is associated with partying.
I do believe that the focus needs to be on our pride our unity and strength as
a community! Over and Out!
I agree that there is nothing wrong with Penn State being a party school! As a matter of fact, it is to be expected because this school is so big and State College is one of the safest places in the United States. Sometimes I do not understand why drinking has to be seen in such a negative light. I have grown up to accept that alcohol in moderation is acceptable; it is a form of celebration. When I am with my family, they often give me wine or sangria but does this make drinking horrible? What is not okay is blacking out or getting sick every time that you drink. People also have to learn how to be responsible. Responsibility is something that people can’t always be told.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you, Penn State is a party school especially when activities like tailgating have been part of the university's culture for years. Kids need a break from studying, so hanging out with friends and partying is a definite stress reliever. I agree that "it is “OK” to party and have a good time but do it moderation", because we can't have people peeing on someones property every night out. The podcast was the harsh truth, but as you said, there are so many more positives about our school that should be focused on a lot more.
ReplyDeleteI have the same exact opinion as you do on the whole penn state party school matter. nice post. i like your writing.
ReplyDeleteI like the different prespective. I wonder if this opinion might change after you graduate from college.
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