Lisa Powers Confirms Penn States Has a Self-sustainng Party Culture

A couple of weeks ago I wrote

The reason there is an alcohol problem at Penn State isn't the bars, it's because of the party school culture amongst the students, as SOS has so clearly shown us. Many student select Penn State because of that culture and many of those that come here for other reasons are soon enough adopted into the culture. This means that it is self-sustaining. And the bars are a product of the culture not its cause.

On Thursday, Penn State flack Lisa Powers confirmed my observation.

"There is a stronger correlation between applications and the social experience of football," Powers said. "More students apply because they want to be a part of the Penn State atmosphere of football -- like the school spirit and tailgating -- which is one of the perks of being at a large university."

Oh and by the way, there is evidence that that football atmosphere is a contributing factor in campus alcohol abuse. This is from a recent report by a committee of the University Faculty Senate.

A 2002 task force report on high-risk drinking in college note several risk factors related to college characteristics. With the exception of size of enrollment, Penn State’s University Park campus embodies
all of the risk factors noted in the report.

…historically Black colleges and women’s colleges tend to have lower rates of alcohol use, while colleges with a Greek system and colleges that place a heavy emphasis on athletics tend to have higher rates of alcohol use. Commuter colleges and 2-year institutions tend to have lower alcohol consumption rates than noncommuter schools and 4-year institutions. In terms of size, students at
smaller colleges tend to drink more than students at larger schools. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002).

I rest my case.


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