Penn State: The #1 Party School?

    At first, I really didn't want to listen to this. I have heard about Penn State being huge party schools ever since I applied here and listening to this podcast would just make me feel as though it's being beaten into me once again. But, as I got deeper and deeper into it, I became intrigued because most of the things that I heard, if not all, were true. As a Penn State student, it makes me feel like other schools and institutions don't take us seriously. This school is known for its academics, its large undergraduate population, its football record, and the guarantee of a job after graduating. Adding "#1 party school" to that list doesn't make me feel proud. If anything, it makes me feel like everyone else outside of the university forgets about the important things we offer and focuses on the alcohol and partying that occurs. As a college student in general, I feel as though all schools party no matter where you are. I still don't feel good about the aspect of drinking, but that's probably one of the biggest reasons kids are so excited to go away to college. I definitely think this is an apt portrayal. I witness different things every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night and they are either close to or worse than things I hear on this podcast.

    The ethos is particularly strong when listening to the partying and hearing all the things college students are saying when they're drunk. It sounds like a typical Saturday night at Penn State, from what I've heard. The ethos is also strong when you hear the interviews of the people who work and live in State College. They see these things happen first-hand every weekend and saying that this school is huge on partying would make this claim very credible. The ethos is weak when the drunken people are being interviewed. In my opinion, it sounds a little fake and scripted. It wasn't believable to me because I have a hard time believing that drunk college students would give a stranger their consent to record them saying that they're intoxicated. At the same time, they are under the influence so it's not surprising. The pathos appeals to me because at times, I felt a little embarrassed for Penn State, but at other times, I was laughing. I was most proud when I heard Graham Spanier's opinion on it. He turned it in to something comical, but he also made some valid points. He said that Penn State was only voted the #1 party school because of the students. Some students like to drink and they love the fact that their school is considered a big party school so they create this poll of whose school is better and they're proud of it. This piece makes use of logos very well, in my opinion. It interviews students, residents of the town, talks about Graham Spanier's stand on the issue, and even sheds light on the death of a student due to alcohol.

    The issue is defined very well in this podcast. All of the things explained, whether it was by students, faculty, people living in the community, or the president, were all true. A person who’s never been to Penn State could listen to this podcast and come here on a Friday night and hear the exact same things we did in this. Although it defines the school well, it doesn't recognize the good things about us. The students are seen, as people who sleep all day and party all night and the faculty, who are residents of State College, are victims to the actions and words of their students.