Before old friends and new faces arrived on campus this fall, our university was bestowed an honor met equally with delight and abhorrence. The Princeton Review released another year's worth of meaningless college rankings in mid-August, presenting UW with the crown for the nation's top party school. Despite the fact that the rankings hinge on flawed data compiled from a few thousand half-baked undergraduate questionnaires, most students (myself included) were quick to swell with pride when presented with this dubious tribute. UW's reputation of being a drunken haven is nothing new. It seems, however, that this distinction is catching up with us.
Indeed, recognition does not come without a price. The boozing image, coupled with the idiotic actions of students drinking during events of years past, has provoked the Madison Police Department's steep rise in drinking-related fines and harsh crackdown on house parties. Overshadowing UW's academic achievements, the party-school label has continuously spawned resentment within the halls of the state Legislature, helping justify incessant cuts in the university's budget. Many lawmakers' views of the student body as lazy alcoholics compel their lack of compassion when contemplating how to disburse state funds. City bars and taverns have had to endure attempts by City Council members to abolish drink specials and eliminate happy hours in order to minimize their contributions to students' excessive drinking. With 162 liquor establishments in downtown Madison alone, such drastic ordinance changes would present a much larger threat to city businesses than a smoking ban ever could.
It's true that drinking causes problems on college campuses and has led to disastrous repercussions in years past. Yet reactionaries and alarmists have utilized the hype of UW's party rankings to fabricate and inflate statistics, exaggerating the severity of problems associated with student alcohol consumption. These individuals have used UW's social distinctions as ammunition to fire off claims that a drinking epidemic is infesting the student body.
I don't buy it.
According to studies done by PACE (Policy, Alternatives, Community and Education), the UW project attempting to alter the university's drinking environment, binge-drinking rates on campus are significantly declining, as is the total proportion of students who drink at all. Negative effects students experience from drinking (missing class, being the victim of unwanted sexual advances, etc.) have been dropping while the number of students being educated on alcohol misuse is on the rise. No matter what The Princeton Review claims, UW students spend far more time at the library than they do at the bar. The quantities of knowledge they pump into their brains far exceeds the amount of liquor they pour down their throats. And, for most, drinking is not the sole extracurricular activity.
People need to be rational when looking at the dangers of college drinking, for drinking itself is not the problem — its unintended consequences are. Reckless individuals committing lewd acts in drunken hazes should be held accountable, but not at the expense of those enjoying Madison's vibrant social scene in a responsible manner. As students, we should all be able to enjoy the nightlife without doing the stupid things that put UW drinking into the less-than-glamorous spotlight. Personal responsibility can be a solution within itself.
It would be tragic if faulty and insignificant ratings were allowed to undermine the more legitimate rankings that this university cherishes — ones which reflect UW's academic merit, its quality of faculty, its commitment to research and new ideas, its bright student body and active campus life. The focus should be on students' academic achievements, not just their social endeavors. Considering the retaliatory measures undertaken amid our national recognition, being No. 1 is an honor I think UW could do without. We don't need flawed party rankings to appreciate our school's illustrious social scene — particularly when they eclipse the scholastic foundations of the university and taint the perceived priorities and intellect of the student body.
UW's eminence revolves around the "work hard, play hard" mentality, the fact that our academic aspirations match our social ambitions — a rare phenomenon on today's college campuses. If we're going to revel in rankings, then let's celebrate U.S. News & World Report's lastest issue, which selected UW as the No. 8 public institution in the country.
Hell, I'll drink to that.
Adam Lichtenheld ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science and African studies.
