Detailed Outline

1. “Knock Knock!” Must be one of my friends in my hall just stopping by. “Come in!” I yelled. But to my surprise, it was a cute brown haired, brown eyed girl dressed like she was ready to party. I couldn’t help but notice how revealing her top was and how short her skirt was. “Uhh hi?” I mumbled to her awkwardly. “Hi, I’m Christina; do you need me to get you any alcohol? I’m going on a beer run.” I was so confused at the whole situation that I just stared at her blankly. Why was this girl asking me, of all people, if I needed alcohol?
2. “Nah I’m good, thanks though.”
3. I am writing about underage drinking in East Halls here at Penn State University. I want to find out how many freshmen actually partake in this and to what extent. I also want to obtain more insight into what the university is doing to stop drinking in east halls.
4. Freshmen have always drank in their dorm rooms before going out to parties; many call it “pregaming”. Not only is this illegal, it can also be very dangerous; even deadly. Freshman drink in their dorms before going out to parties because it is so difficult to obtain alcohol when at a crowded party.
5. “Over summer session, my roommate was smoking a black and mild, and the RA thought it was weed. The cops showed up at our door along with the RA and searched our room. They ended up finding our alcohol hidden under the bed.” This quote is from Ron Hainy, 18 year old freshman DUS major. This quote shows that people do in fact get caught with alcohol in their dorms. Even if you weren’t drinking it, you could still get in trouble just for having it in your dorm.
6. “She’s the shit! I get a bottle of Vladdy from her every weekend!” This quote is from Joe Downy, 18 year old freshman engineering major. This quote is about Christina, the Brumbaugh alcohol runner, and highlights how excited people are at the ease of obtaining alcohol at Penn State.
7. “Drinking is a part of the undergraduate culture for many students, and culture is something that is notoriously difficult and slow to change.” This is a quote from Betty Harper, director of student affairs research and assessment. This quote shows that the university knows it is going to take time to combat alcohol issues here at Penn State. But in time they feel as if they will be able to contain many alcohol issues on campus.
8. Overall, drinking is apart of the culture here at Penn State; especially in East Halls. Students usually obtain their alcohol from an upper classmen they went to high school with. There is really no need to hide the alcohol in your room because the only way your RA will come in your room is if he or she is suspicious. But if necessary, most students choose the closet or under their beds. Students drink in their dorms before they go to frat parties because it is very hard to get alcohol there; especially if you’re a guy. According to my survey, over 80% of students admitted to pregaming in their dorms on a daily basis. The university has implemented different educational programs and stricter penalties to help combat underage drinking in the dorms. The harsh fines have persuaded some students to refrain from drinking in the dorms, but for the most part students still do it. The university knows that the drinking problem on campus and in East Halls will take a lot of time before it is brought under control. It’s hard to combat drinking in the dorms at a “drinking school with a football problem”

Investigative Report

Good old East halls, the place where most freshmen here at Penn State University call home. I am conducting my investigative report on underage drinking in East halls. East halls are made up of almost twenty dorm buildings of various sizes. I live on tenth floor of Brumbaugh hall. Although it is pretty cool to be on the “penthouse” floor as we call it, taking the steps is no fun when the elevators break. My room is at the end of the hallway; room 1012. Being at the end of the hallway is nice because it is a little quieter, but not many visitors stop by since I am kind of secluded.
As you enter room 1012, you immediately get a whiff of True Religion cologne. The next thing you will see is a breathtaking view of the mountains off to the west; the sunset is quite amazing. After you are done gazing at the view, you will see a small 19 inch LCD TV on top of the microwave and fridge. If you turn to the right you will see my roommate’s disheveled bed and desk. You will also see a poster that barely takes up any wall space and a small black fan. But when you look left, you will see a perfectly made bed and organized desk. Everything has to be in order on my side or I will become stressed. OCD maybe? Anyway, my cork board is full of the syllabi from all of my classes. My wall is decorated with an array of vibrant posters and flags; my favorite being the Flyers flag. Many pictures of family and friends line the ledge next to my bed. I am reminded every day of the support of my family and friends have for me. There is definitely a home-like feeling to my room.

What it means to be number one

I really enjoyed this radio broadcast. Although it was painfully long, I thought it was pretty cool. It was almost like reading, but a lot easier. I was able to picture the different scenes in my head as they were unfolding. Some of the quotes were funny, although one sounded a little awkward to me. When the kid said “I’m just trying to get her drunk so I can take advantage of her” I was sort of taken aback. I didn’t know if he was serious or just playing around, but that is definitely something you do not mess around with. I would’ve liked to hear more about how the students felt about the number one party school ranking, but overall I thought this was very interesting.
The author is very direct about the issue of problems that come with a number one party school ranking. Ira does a great job putting us in the moment and painting a descriptive picture of the different situations he experiences.
The issue needs to be further investigated because the university has accepted the problems that come with the ranking. They’re not doing much to stop the drinking; they just want the students to be more responsible drinkers. Binge drinking at Penn State has even led to the death of a student, Joe Dado. I think the university needs to step up a little and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.
In the beginning, Ira gives us insight into how the residents of State College are affected by the students partying. As he is sitting on the porch with Sarah Koenig at her home, they see many groups of loud drunk students walking the streets. Ira and Sarah also see two kids dragging a stop sign down the street and a group of girls peeing on her lawn. Although the noise is a nuisance for the residents, there is a greater issue. Once in a while, a drunken student will enter a resident’s home and sleep in their bed. I didn’t believe that this actually happened up here. I had heard about it before, but thought it was just a myth. I was shocked when the mother told the story of how her daughter found a student passed out in her bed. Creepy.
The writer quotes mostly students, although he does obtain some quotes from President Graham Spanier, a police officer, and other residents of State College. Ira is able to show the students motivation for acting certain ways. When the writer asks a freshman girl “Did you guys always dress like that in High School?” the girl replied, “No, we just got slutty after we got into college”. Really? Come on, I thought people that went to this school had more class than that. Another student gives his perspective on drinking by saying “If there was a drunk button, I would buy one”. One State College resident seemed to have been through a lot. He talked about how he installed motion sensors on his lawn in order to monitor students walking on his property. The man also talked about how he saw some fraternity kids throw furniture off the roof, then set it on fire.
The writer wants readers to see exactly what goes on at the country’s number one party school. He also wants the readers to come to the conclusion that heavy binge drinking can be contained, but the school and the town have to work together like at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The writer reveals to us through his talks with Spanier that banning drinking at Penn State would only cause more problems. Alumni would no longer come to games or donate money and the drinking would just be driven more underground.

"Shitty first drafts"

“Shitty first drafts” by Anne Lamott gives us insight into her very own writing process. Anne takes us through all of the things she does to turn a first draft into a final paper. She tells us that it is okay to have a “shitty” first draft, because eventually you will tweak it to perfection. Lamott also gives us a little background about the type of writing she does. She tells us that she used to write for California magazine as a food critic before it folded. As she would sit in restaurants surveying different types of foods with her friends, she would write every little thing down. Everything from the way the food looks, tastes, smells, all the way to the things she and her friends would discuss. This goes hand in hand with writing a first draft; the only important thing is getting all of your ideas down on paper. Lamott emphasizes the fact that the first draft is all about the process, not the product. Through the process, you will reach the product. I agree with her position one hundred percent. When I write a first draft, I am not really concerned with the quality of my writing; I just want to have all of my ideas down on paper. She even talks about how it is okay to have ridiculous lines in your first draft, such as “Well, so what, Mr. Poopy Pants?". Later on when you are on your second draft, you may find some inspiration from a ridiculous quote like that. Anne’s story really illuminated the fact that I am not the only one who struggles to begin writing a first draft. She even talks about how a lot of famous authors often struggle to begin a first draft. A writer that Anne knows tells her every morning that he says to himself, “It's not like you don't have a choice, because you do -- you can either type, or kill yourself.” Lamott’s process is very easy to relate to. She talks about how getting started is the hardest part and sometimes you feel as if you’re going to kill yourself if you don’t come up with a good story. Personally, getting started is the hardest part of the writing process for me. I usually sit alone, in silence, for thirty or so minutes before the writing starts to flow. And like Anne, I may go grab something to eat to sort of calm myself down and achieve a feeling of satisfaction from being full. But once I start writing, it’s just as hard for me to stop as it was for me to begin. I write all of my drafts on paper, and then I go back and type them. I like to do this because it is almost as if I am writing my second draft when I type; I am able to make corrections and eliminate different ideas as I type. Overall, I thought “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lammott did a wonderful job of outlining what the writing process is all about.