Rowdy parties win campus recognition

Students at only ten schools in the nation party harder than those that attend UVM — at least according to Newsweek/The Daily Beast’s list of the top party schools.

UVM ranked eleventh in the nation’s rowdiest schools and is considered the best fit for students interested in attending a big time party school, the Daily Beast’s website stated.

Colleges that made the cut were evaluated on the number of on-campus arrests and per-student disciplinary actions for drugs and alcohol that occurred in 2010.

Those statistics for UVM, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, include:

• 474 on-campus disciplinary actions for drugs

• 1,301 on-campus disciplinary actions for alcohol

• 42 on-campus arrests for drugs

• 7 on-campus arrests for alcohol

In a formal statement, UVM spokesman Enrique Corredera said the ranking should be thought of as entertainment, and that its emphasis on disciplinary action demonstrates the University’s commitment to cracking down on drug and alcohol use.

“UVM’s rank is distorted by the fact that we are far more aggressive than most in identifying student behavior that is in violation of drug and alcohol violations,” Corredera stated.

“The goal of our aggressive approach to enforcement — and related education and outreach efforts — is to create an environment that is safe for everyone and conducive to academic engagement and success,” he said.

Student reaction to the rankings was mixed, with some affirming The Daily Beast’s rankings and others saying that the party scene isn’t as wild as it may sound.

“I don’t know if I agree with that, exactly,” said sophomore Jack Norman. “It seems like the school is trying to be seen as more academically oriented.”

Juniors Katy Ripple and Margaret Quinn said that before arriving at UVM they hadn’t expected the parties to be anything too crazy.

“I honestly thought it would just be more about the drugs,” Ripple said.

“Yeah, I didn’t anticipate all the basement parties,” Quinn said, laughing.