In 2009 This American Life released a podcast profiling the unhealthy alchol habits of students at Penn State, the #1 party school according to the Princeton Review. Throughout the podcast there were numerous commonplaces expressed by state college residents, the narrators (Jane Feltes, Ira Glass, Sarah Koenig, and Lisa Pollak), and even students of Penn State University.
The podcast began on a night when Sarah Koenig recorded the mayhem happeing around her house. There were young girls peeing in her yard, students making loud noises while walking down the sidewalk, littering, and even two men who had uprooted a stop sign from the corner. These images lead to the assumptions that penn state college students participate in alcholic activities which result in bumbling young adults disturbing the peace in state college neighborhoods. That commonplace contributes to the mindset that all students in state colleges have no sense of self-control or respect for the neighboring towns.
At a frat party the producers spoke to various college students about their craziest party experiences. One man recounted a party the previous week where he streaked acorss the house acting like a monkey. When asked why he would do such a thing he responded “when else am i going to be able to?” The commonplace represented here is that college is a place to create memories of crazy events. This contributes to the mindset that you should take advantage of being in college, because it is the time in your life when you can act out without consequence.
Finally, a State College residence described an instance when he was passing by a frat party with his son while they were lighting furniture on fire in the lawn. He did not call the police about this incident. The man said he hoped the frat members would hurt themselves, becuase that might be the only way they would learn not to do the same things again. The assumption represented here is that college students will learn on their own that what they are doing is irresponsible. These commonplaces prevent authorities from interviening in possibly dangerous situations and are part of the ideology that students are capable of becoming model citizens all on their own.