I thought this was going to be a drag to listen to, I was regretting this assignment since I heard about it. I mean just listening to something for an hour and a half? I could not have been more in the wrong. This podcast was actually extremely accurate and informative. Since I’ve been here I have seen a kid running down the street with a street sign. I have seen countless people hiding either in bushes, behind dumpsters, or ironically, behind a generator deciding to risk It and release their urine in public. Listening to the nightlife, it reminds me of my weekend almost picturesque like. Even though all these things take place, I don’t feel upset. Yes, people make bad decisions while drinking, but I would be lying if I said that I haven’t taken part in a few bad decisions while under the influence. This doesn’t upset me because I feel college is a time to find yourself. A time when it’s all up to you to make your own smart decisions. If you want to risk it and drink underage, that’s on you. You just must know the consequence and be ready to deal with it if you are caught in the wrong. I believe for the most part this is an apt portrayal. We are Penn State.
The ethos in this podcast is extremely strong, especially for the arguers. I believe the argument ethos wise lies largely in the tradition Penn State. Almost every alumni, as said in the cast, would be highly distraught if they were to ban alcohol at tailgates. Drinking is just a way of life here. Even Graham Spanier, the president of the university, when asked about the amount of alcohol consumed said, “I’m happy they are having fun”. This shows that even the highest up in authorities connected to the campus believe that everything is fine and no radical change is needed. Arguers just hear of stories and jump to conclusions such as Penn State parties too hard and its dangerous.
This podcast brings up a plethora of emotions. I was particularly angered with one part of the cast though. When the male student at the fraternity stated, “ I just want to get her drunk and take advantage of her later”. This legitimately upset me to the point where I actually got red in the face. The girl even just kind of blew it off and said something along the lines of, “That’s creepy”. Other than that though, most of the emotions were actually humorous such as when the kid took a leak behind the generator.
Most of the logos used in the cast consisted of statistics dealing with drinking. They stated that 75% of students drink on the weekend. Most people will say that is a lot of people seeing as how that is about 30,000 students most of them being underage. But to me it seems kind of low. I don’t know of a single person that would not accept an invitation to a party on the weekend. This is where the arguers edge out the defenders of the college. Statistics don’t lie, but they also don’t tell the whole story. I guarantee most of the people arguing for change, went out just about every weekend whether they went to college or not.
The mention of a “fracket” brought a grin to my face. The first night I got here I wore a sweatshirt to my first fraternity and asked where I should put my sweatshirt. Everyone laughed and explained the term. Though most people will look at the definition and be disgusted, I see it as funny because it is the reality. Let’s be completely honest, most of those large fraternities get wild and messy most of the time, that’s just the way it is and will always be. Pre-gaming is also a definition up for discussion. This describes the act of having a few drinks (which usually turns into a lot) before you go out to your destination. Most people are aghast when learning of this practice, but why? I do not believe it leads to more drinking, which most people argue, because once you get there you will probably only have a few more drinks because your already fine. Also, when you consume the most alcohol that night, it is not in a party atmosphere but usually in someone’s dorm or apartment.
I believe this podcast depicted Penn State as a place of partying hard, but also working hard. Yes there were some ridiculous things such as the delivery mans car, but then it also talked about the success of the students. I believe it depicted Penn State as the type of place that works so hard, why not be able to let loose on the weekend. We only have this chance for so long, why not live it up?
