This podcast made a lot of different emotions and feelings trigger through my mind. Right off the bat, I felt proud to be a part of Penn State’s community. Even though the narrator began with such criticisms of this university and harsh views on the nightlife, I know that if I think of it differently, I would have a whole different meaning to me. So I didn’t really take what he was saying, to heart. When I was applying to college, mostly my whole list consisted of big schools with a football team and school spirit. At the same time, all of my friends were doing the same thing. Thinking back to this, we knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into: possible distractions, big social scene, and a lot more. This did not change our views or even decisions on the schools we were applying to, because partying is just one aspect of college. College is about school itself; helping you get to the next stage in your life.
Keeping all of this in mind, it did not change anything for me. Going out at night here at Penn State is a life experience I have to say. Everyone on the buses, and streets are always so spirited, no matter what they are doing or where they are. It just makes everything that much more fun. I personally don’t think it’s a bad thing if someone is screaming “WE ARE PENN STATE” late at night, it’s called school spirit and having a good time. I understand that the town we live in still consists of people not in college, but if they are living here, they must be pretty big fans themselves.
Ethos is shown when the narrator interviews certain students on the street, and asks them about what they are doing at that moment or where they were coming from that night. Their answers usually reflected some kind of partying that night, which showed viewers the aspect of Penn State being a party school. Also like I mentioned before, the bus rides at night are filled with singing songs and screaming with school spirit, but I personally think that is the fun side of this school. You can be anywhere and still show school spirit. The interviewers made it seem like all of what was portrayed was a bad thing about this school. I disagree and I’m sure a lot of other students would do the same if they heard this. Another thing they talked about was the way the girls dressed to go out at night. This was actually funny to hear them be so appalled at this because if they went to any other state school and interviewed girls and young people out at night, they would get the same answers all over.
Pathos was shown through how the interviewers reacted to each interviewees response, and what they saw out at night as well. The part of the podcast that I was most angered about was when they said how they saw two girls peeing in the lady’s lawn- that I don’t think is respectful and classy at all. Even though Penn State is a very diverse community, nobody should be acting that way, it makes our school seem unclassy and unsanitary, and that is not how we are- it reflects onto everyone. I was also very moved when the guy interviewed at the frat house said that he couldn’t wait to get this girl drunk just so he could take advantage of her. That just shows in general how guys can be, at any school too. The fact that the narrator had to add that in to this podcast specifically reflecting on Penn State’s community, was not necessary because it happens everywhere. That is college and frat life for you. The part where I was most proud was when you hear everyone screaming and singing on the buses together, at the game, and in unity. It makes me proud to be a PennState student, and show off how cool and spirited my school is.
Finally, logos is used in the way that some statistics are told out loud throughout the interview about intoxication and other things, to make the podcast’s credibility shown.
One word used was “fracket,” which is a jacket that girls wear over their mini skirts at night to keep from the cold when walking to the frats, and one that they wouldn’t mind losing once there or getting dirty. Another word used was “drunk kid in the house.” This term was used in context when the narrator told how a little girl wanted to go to sleep, but she went to get into her bed and there was a boy laying in it, and she went to go tell her mom and she did not believe her. This term was then used, that there was a drunk man in the house, because the residents of state college have experience with this.
Overall, I think that this podcast did show the good and bads about college night-life. The bad thing was that the way they worded and made some things seem, were geared too much towards Penn state’s community, when really almost all of what they mentioned could have been the exact same at any huge state school, such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Syracuse, etc. It is a shame that some people cannot keep their acts together when out at night or even at a football game tailgate, and that is reflects onto Penn State’s community as a whole. But looking at all of this in a general perspective, it really can happen anywhere, as mentioned before.
