by: Tim Owen (Penn State University)
Penn State’s #1 Party School legacy was immortalized this past December. Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life devoted an entire show to Dear Ole State. It is an in-depth look at the party scene here. If you have not heard it yet, listen to it here. It is titled “#1 Party School” (12.18.2009). I HIGHLY recommend everyone listen to it—funnier than hell with some awesome insight!
First off, let me commend Chicago Public Radio on this coverage. I felt like they conveyed everything pretty well. Some chicks kind of ruin it for themselves in their interviews, but it definitely adds to the humor. It offers a bunch of different angles on the constant partying. They interview the frat boys, girly girls, bar owners, THE sober kid, a pizza boy and a resident—residents see some shit. One reporter even rode around with a cop for the night. Of course Graham Spanier gets his voice time too, but he does offer some decent arguments, which is rare.
They hit on the importance of the football team as well. The team means so much to this university and town it’s not even funny. Businesses get screwed when the team sucks and prosper when they are competitive. Police see a spike in crime when the national title is in reach, but a drop when it’s not. Even the general mood across campus is dependent on the success or failure of the freaking football team!!
The show talks about other traditions at Penn State besides football, but the focus remains on the booze. A few of the booze stories used are plain hilarious—public urinating, tailgating, birthdays.
The host ties it all together well. I love how he refers to State College as a “Chevy commercial.” This town just has one of the purest atmospheres. Malicious crime is basically obsolete. However it is the mass consumption of alcohol that contributes to the negative consequences. The show covers that too.
We hear about it ALL the time on campus: DRINK RESPONSIBLY. We all see it; We all hear it; We all know it, but we just don’t all do it. The show does touch on some sad points, but it belongs in the conversation. It keeps it real. The show offers some alternatives to mellow the drinking and start talking about the broad spectrum of binge drinking– things we constantly hear. But the problem is much bigger than Penn State and will take much more than one organization to produce any change.
Boozing is a tradition here—always will be. It is infused in the sports, the bars, the streets, the mascot, and the alumni. And what do they have in common?
You guessed it—the dough, the moolah, the beans, the scratch, the fuckin’ cash if you know what I mean! So I really don’t see the parties going anywhere. We just have to keep it safe and take care of each other! We have to stop the douche-bags who are beating the pizza boy’s ass and passing out in little girls’ bedrooms! (The police officer refers to these people as “Drunk-kid-in-the-house”) I believe it’s up to us to really make any difference because we are also ranked among the top in career services, college newspaper, and the #1 sport fans! But most importantly, WE ARE… PENN STATE!
