Party!!!

#1 Party School is titled after a 2009 ranking by Princeton Review naming Penn State the number one party school in America. It discusses the problem of drinking at State College. The reason that the problem is being investigated is because it causes local disturbances, causes damage, and takes lives. The intended audience is primarily those in State College who do not have a holistic view of the drinking situation. This includes students, faculty, residents, and entrepreneurs. The report clearly shows how drinking affects different groups. For example, it affects residents. One resident complained of burning furniture in neighbor’s yards, condoms and tampons in his lawn, and severe noise complaints. He even installed motion detectors to prevent future problems. Alternately, local businesses also have to adjust. McLanahans once had to order extra marshmallows because they became a fad. The report makes a stunning conclusion. It concludes that the drinking problem is so deeply rooted in Penn State culture that it is impossible to remove. Graham Spanier, the president of Penn State, mentioned that he is not hopeful for the future of drinking at Penn State, and that all they can do is try. Graham Spanier actually got booed the first time he made a public announcement scorning the drinking at Penn State. His powers are limited, despite his position. The report concludes that drinking will not and cannot be completely banned from Penn State, and both the administration and the students are uncompromising in disallowing people of legal age to drink. The report included a lot of research and interviews. The journalists first sat on a porch and watched the results of drinking first hand. Then they interviewed students, residents, and business owners. The journalists even interviewed cops and had the cops take them around town. The journalists were also well researched, pulling out information like Penn State is the number one party school but also the safest metro area, and that 1700 students die of alcohol related injuries each year. The journalists employed many powerful narrative techniques. For one, they stayed on topic. I could not find a single instance of when they would deviate from their topic or play a clip that was unrelated to the story they were telling. Their research was very well researched, and they clearly defined any terms they believed not everybody would know, such as the nickname for Natural Light Beer. Their design did need work though; at one point they played a clip that was clearly meant to be seen and not heard. Lastly, the transitions were clear and easy to follow. I never felt lost. Splitting the audio into several chapters also helped me stay on track.

I liked #1 Party School. It was informative and a good listen. What I liked most was how balanced the report was. It did not treat drinking as taboo, nor did it favor it. For the writing assignment that was due Wednesday about Penn State’s Liquid Cocaine, I was able to find a small bias. In this report, I listened carefully and I could not. The narrators were neutral and relied on their sources to tell the story rather than themselves. I don’t know what I would have liked to have heard more or less of; the story was balanced and informative. It felt complete. It was very good and I thoroughly enjoyed it.