#1 Party School

The This American Life Podcast is a podcast that focuses on journalism, but an “entertaining kind of journalism that’s built around plot.” An episode from December 18, 2009, titled “#1 Party School” showcases the number one party school named by The Princeton Review at the time, Penn State! The episode represents the commonplaces and ideologies found throughout Penn State and the largest one is partying.

Commonplaces and Ideologies

The largest commonplaces that makeup the partying ideology are alcohol, tailgating, sex, pregaming, drugs, and many other popular things that helped Penn State earn its place as the number one party school. These commonplaces can be found all over campus from the dorm halls to the frat houses, to anywhere else kids can consume alcohol without being caught. The most widespread and habitual of all the commonplaces would have to be alcohol. Whether it’s out of a solo cup at your friend’s small apartment or out of a keg while some kid does a handstand on top, alcohol is the life of the party and is what brings so many students together every single night.

The Dark Side of Alcohol

Surprisingly enough, it’s not all fun and games. The drinking problem at Penn State has probably led to more bad things than good. Plenty of nights up at Penn State that involves alcohol end up with some rather negative commonplaces such as students suffering from alcohol poisoning, students being victims of sexual harassment, and lots of laws being broken. Most students at Penn State can name one or many regrets they have from doing something stupid after a night of drinking. 

All Hopes Not Lost

There is no debate that Penn State has a drinking problem, but not all hope is lost. Most of the issues arise from peer pressure and expectations. If the students at Penn State can eliminate common expectations to party hard and live by the cup, then we wouldn’t be so bad after all.