What party?

IU was ranked the number one party school in the United States last week, based on what administrators said was an unscientific survey conducted by the Princeton Review in its annual Best 345 Colleges, released Aug. 20. \nThis ranking was determined by individual questions about the school's social scene, in which students responded that IU had an abundance of beer, hard liquor, marijuana and a large greek presence.\nAll IU surveys were submitted online -- the method the administration preferred in cooperating with the Review. \nUniversity officials now say this electronic method left plenty of room for opinion and error, but little for fact. The "random sample" was also too small to generate reliable data, as an average of only 300 students from each of the 345 colleges responded, administrators said. \nThe release of the survey came one week before the University's largest incoming freshman class was scheduled to move to campus. \nPresident Myles Brand and Chancellor Sharon Brehm wrote a letter to the Review's CEO, John Katzman, saying it was absurd for IU to be listed as number one party school when it had not appeared on last year's list.\nBill Stephan, IU's vice president of public affairs and government relations, said the letter was written to express the University's profound disappointment and frustration with the Review. \nStephan said the administration's future intention is to minimize potential damage of the ranking by continuing to issue public statements and speaking with community members. President Brand plans to write an editorial to the local papers which will likely mention some of IU's strides in cracking down on alcohol use.\nAs a result of tightening regulations during the past four years, IU is now one of the top six public schools for alcohol and drug arrests. \nAlong with the six fraternities that have been kicked off campus since 2000, there were 479 illegal consumption arrests in 2001 and 1,037 more incidents reported by Dean of Students Richard McKaig. In response to this, Brehm formed the Campus and Community Commission on Alcohol to keep her advised on alcohol issues in the Bloomington community.\nThe administration advised the Review that the only thing they should be reviewing is their methodology and marketing strategies. \n"The Princeton Review is rather infamous in higher education," Stephan said. "It's a New York-based, for-profit organization with no association with Princeton University. I think their tactics, credibility and methodology are all highly suspect."\nRobert Franek, the Review's editorial director, pointed out the information generated was based entirely on student response and therefore must, to some degree, be accurate. \n"Basically, schools that are on good lists love us, and the schools that appear on less-than-stellar lists poke holes in our survey and claim it's not based on fact," Franek said.\nStephan said while the administration recognizes IU made it onto some of the good lists -- great theater, newspaper, sports, administration -- they still put more stock in indicators and rankings with sound scientific methodology instead of relying on the Review's assessment.\nThe administration said they hope most parents and students recognize the list for what it is -- a marketing ploy to sell copies of the Princeton Review. \nBoth Brehm and the American Medical Association hope to put a dent in those publications by requesting they stop ranking party schools.\nThey claim the label glamorizes and undermines the problem of parties and unhealthy behavior associated with them.\n"I do agree with the AMA that binge drinking is a problem, but this book in no way glorifies drinking or drug use on campus; it simply presents the information," Franek said. \nThe administration admitted there's still a drinking problem at IU, but said the Review isn't handling it properly.\n"I don't want for a minute to say that we don't have alcohol abuse issues on this campus," Stephan said. "I think virtually every campus has those issues. We've had very serious tragedies and issues with (alcohol) lately, and we've tried to treat it seriously. And I don't think the Princeton Review is doing that. I think they're trivializing the issue and doing us all a disservice."\nAdministration officials said some students have come forward publicly to express their own concerns with the ranking's accuracy. \n"I think the party issue is just skewed because of the Final Four, because we had a lot of national coverage about riots and stuff," senior Emily Thorne said. "There were a lot more parties my freshman year -- you could drive down the street and find one. It's a lot harder now."\nMost students said the ranking hasn't changed their opinion of IU and it wouldn't have affected their decision to come here.\nFreshman parent Leanne Rosenfeld said she isn't afraid of student opinion being changed so much as their behavior.\n"(The ranking) makes me worry," Rosenfeld said. "It might make everyone feel like they've got to jump in and join the party."\nRegardless of how students, parents and the administration choose to react to the ranking -- be it fact or fiction -- Franek said he won't alter the lists in the Review.