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”
Ryan:
ReplyDeleteI love all the great anecdotes and examples you've gotten from your reporting. Good job. I also like that you've essentially organized your paper according to what each example shows about the drinking culture in the dorms. I think this is smart.
Just so that you stay focused for your paper, I want you to consider what is EXACTLY the point of your essay. I don't think you are simply writing about underage drinking in the dorms. And, it's not that it is necessarily a NEW problem, because it's not.
This is what I think the "story" is -- what should be explicitly stated in your nut graph:
Despite the fact that Penn State has gotten tough on underage drinking in the dorms, it still goes on. A LOT! Mention that this is the first year that dorms are completely dry -- even if you are 21 you can't bring booze in. Yet, students still do it. And your paper is going to show us how they work around the rules.
I think that in the background, when you mention that drinking is deadly, you need to mention Dado and that, as a result of his death, the school felt it necessary to enforce stricter underage drinking laws. As part of that, they banned all drinking in the dorms -- regardless of age.
Then, i think that, after you give us this background, each of your anecdotes should point to how students are still drinking in the dorms. How they get their booze. How they avoid detection. That, even when they are caught, it doesn't stop them.
I think this approach will make your paper unique in this conversation and it also gives it a very INVESTIGATORY feel, because you are letting us into a world that, unless we are living in the dorms, we can't see entirely.
Good luck!