Party School?

We’ve been ranked a “10 Most Underrated” party school. Can I add that to my résumé?

It’s more than a little absurd that we celebrate each time our school is included, if only periodically, on one of the countless “best party schools” lists.

Most recently, Rollins was featured at number four on college party site BarstoolU’s “10 Most Underrated Party Schools in America,” with the ranking accompanied by a short description citing drugs, cash, and hot girls in a country club setting as qualifications and a video of a recent party as an illustrative tool.

There’s nothing wrong with being a school where students know how to party. The problem lies in being labeled as such, a label that can subsequently lead to being known for that and only that, even in cases where academics are decidedly just as strong or stronger. Every college parties–private or public, small or big: on some level, it’s an intrinsic part of our subculture. There’s no need to brag about being recognized for our aptitude in this particular field.

As a high school student, these types of lists played both positive and negative parts in my college decision. Now, as a college senior, I’m feeling a special aversion to the matter. I’m approaching not only graduation, but also the competitive job market that awaits me along with the apprehension fundamentally attached to interviewing with potential employers – potential employers who will review both my skills and education in order to determine if I’m fit. Seeing Rollins’ inclusion on one of the many “party school” lists floating around the Internet isn’t likely to help.

There’s nothing wrong with being a school where students know how to party. The problem lies in being labeled as such, a label that can subsequently lead to being known for that and only that, even in cases where academics are decidedly just as strong or stronger.

And let’s be real: as a student here, the inescapable “wait… you go where?” has become more than familiar. But I’d like not only myself, but also the kids I’ve spent my four years with (and the kids who have yet to spend their four years here) to have every chance. Have you ever heard anyone say that they secured an opportunity because of their school’s party reputation? Socializing and networking are beneficial, to be sure, but to applaud and even seek to overshadow our academics can really only hurt us.

A few weeks ago BuzzFeed, a topical news and popular culture site, compiled statistics from other lists, both academic and social, to create a less concrete but more visual ranking: “The Smartest Party Schools in the Country.” Delivered in the form of an infographic, Rollins was plotted on that graph, in the top 25 percent as based on studying and partying. I won’t recognize this as ideal, either, but I suppose I’ll see it as a move in the right direction.