1)One o’clock Sunday morning in Stuart Hall has a distinct flavor. Girls start to wake up, and greet each other with tired smiles in the bathroom as they wash off eye makeup residue from the night before. Friends that went out together the night before make eye contact and only manage to smile, groaning and chuckling about the previous night. Quiet knocking and squeaky door hinges opening are the only other sounds that accompany slippered feet trudging down the hallway. Small groups trudge to the commons in UGGs and pajamas, with barely open eyes, desperate for pancakes, waffles, coffee, and other satisfying hangover foods. Two o’clock is a lazy hour, but when three o’clock rolls around, there is a steady exodus of backpack and book-laden girls, heading to study lounges or the library. Everyone is ready to dive back into the daily grind, after blowing off some steam on those glorious Friday and Saturday nights. The few lucky ones who have completed assignments, or the bastards that never had any, are repeatedly turned down by those who “have a ton to do for tomorrow.” Friday and Saturday, Stuart Hall lets its hair down, and slips on a dress, but Sunday afternoon, the hair is back up in a messy bun, and sweatpants are a staple as girls start to study.
2) “I make a point not to drink on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, unless something special comes up’” Rob Kumar, fifth year senior PSU, occupant of notorious party house, Pre-law major
“I write my essay, do my homework, study some, and then get drunk. My most productive afternoons are on Thursday and Friday,” Nichole, freshman PSU College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
“I know when I have time to go out, I mean if I have a studio project due, and know that even if I didn’t sleep from Friday to Sunday it still wouldn’t get done, I’m obviously not gonna get drunk and waste all that time,” Lauren, freshman, Architecture major and sorority member
3) The percentage of student drinking reported on Wednesday and Thursday nights has declined since 2008 – Penn State Live -“Penn State survey gauges student drinking behavior at UP -5/25/10
Nearly half of students—44.7% in 2009—said they consider themselves moderate drinkers, while only 6.9% say they are heavy drinkers – The Daily Collegian- “Report: PSU alcohol statistics increase” – 1/10/10
State Patty’s Day, for example, set a record for arrests. The student-created celebration also spawned other, more modest student drinking days. A hazing incident at a Penn State fraternity sent some students to the hospital with alcohol poisoning. And before the semester ended, a drunken student was badly injured when he stepped in front of a police cruiser during Blue- White weekend. –Centre Daily Times- “Penn State alcohol debate turns to action” – 6/7/10
Data released by Penn State show that Penn State students made 586 alcohol-related visits to Mount Nittany Medical Center in the 2008-2009 academic year. That's up from 445 visits in the prior year. In the 2008-2009 year, those students who arrived at the medical center had an average blood-alcohol level of .253, up from .233 in 2006. –State College.com- “Alcohol Abuse a Primary Concern for Penn State President Graham Spanier” – 4/2/10
4) I am really interested in looking more into how students feel when they are drinking, if they keep in mind that they maybe have a paper due the next day, or if they know when they start to lose control and will be basically functionless the next day. I also really feel like I want to talk to some more professors about if they can tell in class which students went out Thursday night and managed to make it, hungover, to class on Friday morning. I also am waiting on some answers from the University about how many drop-out are due to alcohol related causes per year.
No comments:
Post a Comment