Where\'s the party?

I noted, with a mixture of surprise and chagrin, the recent analysis conducted by some organization called the Princeton Review (obviously trading off the prestige of the Princeton name but having no affiliation with Princeton University) which said IU was now the new No. 1 party school in the country. I have been here for two years -- where are the parties? \nI am a pretty socially active person, and I surely would have found them by now. Instead, what I found here my first two years was a university filled with organizations for every imaginable interest, an educational institution with demanding scholastic requirements and a community devoted to improving all aspects of its student body. If we have a lot of fun while doing it that doesn't make us a party school. It makes us, as Time magazine determined, the No. 1 school in the country among research universities.\nInitially, I wrote off the Princeton Review study on the basis that it was utterly nonsensical. The previous year we were not even listed as a party school by the review, and we have seen several fraternities expelled from campus. Unfortunately, most people (myself included) read a paper or hear a thirty second sound bite on television and accept the pronouncement as gospel. We believe the commercialized conclusion simply because it was published and disseminated. It was then I recalled something my Dad told me. When you hear something, critically examine it; know the source of the information. \nBut you cannot do that with Princeton Review since its research methodologies are not subject to question. All we know is that in some totally unscientific canvassing of certain students at various universities, this organization makes its determinations without revealing any of its raw data. As a result, its conclusion has little viability. \nThe ramification of such a study may lead to an increase in applications at IU, but those prospective students better visit first because they are in for quite a surprise. \nAs I begin this semester as an IDS columnist I think it is only fair in the spirit of full disclosure, or something similar, that you know a little bit about me. I leave it to you to evaluate what I say with the perspective of, at least in part, knowing the origin of the material. \nI got involved with the IDS because I was unhappy with something that was written last year and commented on it. I found, as with virtually every other organization at IU, if you make any sort of effort to get involved, you are accepted and welcomed. \n I'm from the East Coast and am glad I made the trip. Whether it's the people who walk across 10th Street without the fear of being run over or the friendly faces who give directions to my dad and I on the most scenic way to travel to Lake Monroe, it was comforting for me to see people being free to lend a hand and help others no matter the reason. I joined a sorority, and I love it. If you are thinking about joining a fraternity or a sorority, give it a good look. I played basketball and softball in high school and brought my glove to college. I still like having a catch.\nI cannot believe that I am halfway through my college experience here at IU. Hopefully, in writing this column, I will get to slow down and share with you my opinions of "real life" in Bloomington. I look forward to the experience.