RCL 1 – Commonplaces and Ideologies in Penn State

A commonplace that holds truth in Penn State among the students definitely includes partying on weekends and drinking. In This American Life podcast, the main focus of the episode was to highlight the ideologies of the #1 party school in America as chosen by the Princeton Review. Penn State fits the criteria for a large party school: a large undergraduate population, a nationally known football team, and a large fraternity system. Hosts of This American Life podcast went around Penn State to football games and fraternities, highlighting the ideas among the population at State College.

Fraternity parties are common among younger students, since they aren’t old enough to purchase alcohol themselves or go to bars downtown. Underage drinking is a commonplace among Penn State students, as walking down E Fairmount Ave has endless frat parties that could give easy alcohol access to students. Especially freshmen, they are looking for that “college experience” that everyone who went to college in America loves to talk about.

(Students having their “college experience” at a frat party)

“Niche,” a common website students use for comparing possible options for college, has a specific section for party scenes, in which Penn State is rated an A+. Incoming students are always informed about the typical “college experience” through social media, TV shows, and even family members. This would definitely cause an incentive for students to lean more toward picking more “fun” colleges instead of others simply because they’re looking for that experience of binge drinking, going out late with friends, and messing around the streets late at night.

This American Life podcast mentions how much Penn State students usually drink when they’re out, and it comes to about over 30,000 students drinking an average of four and a half drinks per person. About 75% of the undergraduate population drinks every Friday and Saturday night, which definitely makes binge drinking a common ideology among Penn State students. 

Kids just wanna have fun, right? While drinking and going out to parties can definitely make college nights memorable, these students can get loud and rowdy during the late weekend nights. Workers at Canyon Pizza definitely suffer from Penn State students messing around in front of their property waiting for pizza, as a delivery worker was telling the host of This American Life about the constant harassment and destruction of property outside the pizzeria. These intoxicated students definitely mess around Canyon Pizza for shits and giggles, but the workers suffer as their cars get beat in and they get physically assaulted by the students. 

(Line outside Penn State’s Canyon Pizza late at night)

Another commonplace at Penn State that goes hand in hand with binge drinking is attending football games. The football season is among the most exciting at Penn State, with huge parties every football weekend and the lively student section who pre-gamed a few hours before in preparation of the game. Sales in State College skyrocket during a winning streak, since business and the students’ drinking rely on the success of the Nittany Lions. Lions win, sales rise and drinking goes up. Thousands of students adore Penn State’s football spirit and the student section, which makes a common ideology among Penn Staters.

(Lively student section at Penn State White Out game)

Penn State commonplaces and ideologies in State College definitely include good characteristics of being determined to learn and make a difference in their community, however, when else would they get the chance to drink and party every weekend? These students want to create the best possible college experience while they’re here, and they want to have memories to brag about for a lifetime. Binge drinking is definitely the most infamous commonplace at State College, as students and alumni will talk about their experiences for the rest of their lives.