ASU has long had a reputation for being a "party school."
In the national rankings for party schools, ASU has usually been at or near the top of the list.
No more: We're not even among the Princeton Review's list of the top 20 party schools in the U.S., as well as Newsweek magazine's list. Where did we go wrong?
The Newsweek list is based on the number of arrests for drugs and alcohol that occur on campus, while Princeton Review relied on student interviews to determine how party-worthy each major university has become (In case you're wondering, Brigham Young University was rated the lowest on the party school scale).
This must be a major blow to our self-esteem. If we're no longer the top party school, what else do we have going for us aside from an improved national reputation?
We've lost Alpha Drive, fraternity parties have moved off campus and the Vue is now 922 Place. No more "Vuesdays." Club Hayden isn't even a club. Who are we?
In the long run, the loss of our "party" reputation is not a huge loss at all: It's not like parties have disappeared.
If we can party and still receive more credence in the real world, because we went to a university now better known for its research facilities and technological innovation than for its party culture, isn't that just a win-win situation for all of us?
We should be happy to escape the stigma of the party school. As much as we might like it to, college won't last forever. What happens if we emerge into the real world and employers won't take us seriously because we graduated from a party school with a (relatively easy) degree in political science or communication?
Of course there's more to college than just the degree. The experience and the connections we forge in these four (or more) years can be invaluable in our future careers. Bonding with our fellow Sun Devils at parties is definitely a good use of our undergraduate years as long as you can still pass your classes and get your ducks in a row by graduation.
What does our ranking on a list of party schools really mean to us? Not much. So party on, ASU. Party on and study while you're at it. We're Sun Devils — we can handle it.
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