We did it. Georgia is the nation’s number one party school. We’ve got downtown Athens, which was described to me by a greater-Atlanta magistrate court judge as “The alcohol capital of the state”. We’ve got the Greek life scene, which has been healthy at UGA for a long, long time. Finally, we’ve got the general dedication to a good Friday night possessed by most – if not all – University students. Georgia is just NUTS, right? The perfect storm of PARTY. Boom.

But here’s a challenge: call up anyone you know who went to Georgia 10 years ago. Ask them what it was like. Ask them about the rule that stipulates that two alcohol related events within a year of one another will get a student suspended. Ask them about the increased security at bars downtown. Ask them about the newly-instituted pairing of police officers on practically every street corner downtown. Aid them in retrieving their jaws from the floor. Ask them about their craziest college memory – I’m willing to bet its pretty wild – or at least wilder than yours. Aid yourself in retrieving your jaw from the floor. Inquire into how the Greek life scene was back in the day – then tell them about all of the rules and ‘regs currently in place. Their jaw again.

Hypothesis: Georgia parties LESS than it used to.

Georgia has climbed the list of top party schools, from No. 7 two years ago, up to No. 4 last year, to No. 1 this year – but things in the Classic City aren’t getting any crazier. In fact, due to the uptight administration who cares more about the Princeton Review than its own students continues to institute anti-alcohol, anti-tailgate, anti-Greek, anti-party policies that have tried to sterilize the atmosphere and fight against something that we all know – including these 100 university presidents –  to be a simple reality: college students like to party.

But even this phenomenon has been in decline. The hard facts say that Georgia is much, much harder to get into than it was as little as five years ago. Compared to 20 years ago? No contest. Students that are as good at high school as one needs to be in order to gain entry to UGA these days are not students that drink until they throw up on someone’s shoes six nights a week. Just three or four. Which is normal. Minus the shoes part. Studying until 2 a.m. in the MLC is way more popular than drinking until 2 a.m. in the bar. The University regulations have only increased. Greek life is closely, closely monitored – much more so than in the past – and the ACCPD as well as the UGA police are netting record numbers of alcohol-related offenses.

I would assume that this is taking place at more and more universities – especially large state ones that are seeing increased competition in the admissions office. So what has happened here is that UGA has fallen down the ladder a little bit less than everyone else – we’re definitely not partying more than we have been.

I do not mean to be a debbie-downer. Rejoice in the No. 1 ranking. All that drinking we’ve been doing these last three years has finally paid dividends. But a word to the administration: don’t listen to the Princeton Review. Don’t ruin the way college has been – and ought to be – for the incoming class of freshmen. Start running buses to cut down on DUIs. Sign that petition. Quit expelling good students for doing what everyone does. Let the Greeks be Greeks – students who have fun, raise money for philanthropy in record-high numbers, participate in shenanigans, serve the community, make their pledges do things that pledges do, and make better grades than the all-male average every year. The rest of the numbers show that the UGA student body is doing really, really well in all facets of being a college student – know that we’ll continue to do so. You’re welcome for that, and with regard to the No. 1 ranking thing … Sorry for partying.

Randall Bourquin
4th Year, International Business, Spanish, Marketing
Suwanee

Why bash Lindsay?

Yep it’s pretty easy to jump on the bandwagon and bash on Lindsay, but why?  She is an entertainment representative. Let me explain, we elect representatives to make the political decisions we are too dumb to make. We have Hollywood stars to live the lifestyles we are too boring to lead. And then when they mess it up, the public feasts on their misery. There are a number of reasons to explain Lindsay, but we just love seeing her go to jail.  The legal system just lumps this beautiful actress into the big house. Shouldn’t her punishment be more fitting, like talking at high schools at least?

John Henry Ward
2nd Year, Business
Dalton