I always get constantly asked, “Why did you chose Penn State?” Truthfully, I just did not have a better option. It is a well rounded and respected school, with many alumni ties. How could I not choose PSU? However, before I usually get a chance to answer, that person jokingly states, “It’s because of the parties right?” I usually roll my eyes and laugh it off, or amusingly agree. This may seem like a harmless question, but there is an underlying message to it. This college is particularly known for excessive alcohol use, parties, and even Fraternity deaths. But, ever since I accepted the offer of admission, these negative stigmas of this institution is now being projecting onto me. Since I am affiliated with the school, people tend to assume the “wild college girl” stereotype can be applied to me. It can’t.
The reality of it is, many students do not fit into this image. Even though there may be only a relatively small percentage of students who do not drink or party, since “…almost 60 percent of college students ages 18-22 drank alcohol…” (College Drinking Fact Sheet); they are still a significant amount of adolescents who drink and party responsibly. Many people do not drink until they blackout or throw up, as social media or television perceives college kids to be. They are able to have a few drinks and go back to their homes, and make it to their classes the next day. But, these aren’t the students who are making headlines in newspapers and academic articles about drinking. Media permeates the “disruptive drunks” like in New York Times. One of their article’s headlines are:
“Why Colleges Haven’t Stopped Binge Drinking”
Social media also shares this same idea with its constant photographs and videos of students being belligerent.
I am not claiming that there is not a binge drinking issue on college campuses, because “…almost 2 out of 3 of them [60 percent of college students] engage in binge drinking during that same timeframe” (College Drinking Fact Sheet). There is an alcohol problem. However, society has begun to stigmatize all college students as alcoholics. This is not true in many cases, and it leaves a “drunken mess” label on people who haven’t earned that title. It coincides with diversity. Everyone is different, and you cannot simply assume all college students are the same.
Of course media is going to post about the biggest trending topics circulating, and since alcohol related deaths have been publicized more and more, these headlines don’t surprise me. These are people’s children and they care about these issues, but society needs to see the good in college students as well. Back in the day, college was for the academic elites and there was a high respect if you completed your degree. Now, since it is a mass education system, standards have been lowered. We need to change it around and restore the honor in going to college. College needs to be shown as an institution were adolescents go to better themselves. The media needs to highlight the small percentage who do put their education above partying. These achievements should not go unnoticed, because these are the next generation to uphold our society. Past generations should not have to shake their heads at graduates who they see as people who underwent a four year drinking haze.
The situation you described at the beginning was very relatable. There’s definitely an assumption that if you go to Penn State, you decided to come here for the parties. That really does a disservice to students who worked hard to get here. You also make a good point about the media’s portrayal of college, where they highlight students getting blackout drunk every night. Not only is this misleading, it can send a poor message to future students. By only focusing on the amount of drinking students do in college, people can be lead to believe that it’s normal to get crazy drunk all the time. This encourages irresponsible behavior and can lead to people getting hurt. Focusing on students who enjoy college while also putting their education first may encourage others to do the same.
I can relate to your experience at the beginning. I don’t party and I don’t drink, but people see Penn State as a place where everyone does this. People are even extremely surprised when I say that I will not drink any alcohol. Penn State has such a well known reputation for partying and drinking that it is being pushed onto students who don’t deserve that, and this needs to change. I didn’t choose Penn State so I could go party, Penn State was my safety school and they had some interesting academic programs. Newslines like the one in your post mislead everyone because that is all they think when they think about Penn State or any other college. The first thing that comes to mind with colleges is usually alcohol and parties, but it shouldn’t be, it should be academics and higher learning. I definitely agree with you that we need to notice academic achievements instead of the party aspect of college.
I can completely relate to the experience you described at the beginning. My parents attended Penn State , so they are aware of what the culture is like here. But they also know that there are other opportunities for me here besides drinking. Although I do experience this situation a lot with my high school friends. The only things they hear about Penn State are headlines in the news about partying, fraternity deaths, etc. Therefore, they assume that one of the main reasons I chose Penn State was for the parties, when in reality the fear of it was one of the reasons that I was apprehensive to choose Penn State.
Social media and the news can be very dangerous and misleading, especially with issues like this because it ends up being all that anyone believes about it, without learning the facts.