The Syracuse Chancellor Is Freaking Out About Being Named The #1 Party School In America

PARTY CITY

From: Chancellor Kent Syverud
Sent: Tuesday, August 5, 2014 3:24 PM
Subject: Boundaries

August 5, 2014

Dear Orange Friends:

Yesterday, The Princeton Review, a for-profit corporation with no connection to Princeton University, designated Syracuse University as the top “party school” in the nation for 2014, replacing the University of Iowa, which was selected last year. The methodology for earning this year’s label is unclear, but based in large part on a survey of a small sample of our students in 2012.

It is not a good thing for a school to be labeled as number one in partying. I’ve heard about this ranking in the last two days from all sorts of folks around the world. To put it bluntly, the hundreds of thousands of alumni, students, faculty, and staff who have poured their lives into building Syracuse University did not do so primarily to create a party. Sure, they are social people. They are not pompous. They enjoy a good time. So do I. But more than anything else, we work hard to promote a University, which is to say a place that educates and empowers people and pursues truth. So many of you have worked hard to do that and have been successful at it.

So let’s take the “party school” label as a wake-up call at Syracuse—a call that we have two things to work on. One is to make people around the world even more aware of the educational excellence here and our commitment to enhancing it and integrating it into every aspect of student life, including what happens on evenings and weekends. Two, we have to pay even more attention than our peers to the aspects of student life—and parties—that get in the way of students succeeding. High-risk use of alcohol and other drugs (not unrelated to a party culture) ranks number one on that list.

We must move fast in effecting this change. One thrust of the University’s strategic planning process will be to examine the overall Syracuse undergraduate experience and identify how we will work together to ensure that academic, residential, and co-curricular experiences reinforce each other. We must focus our efforts to ensure that learning and education are at the forefront of all that we do and every student ultimately benefits fully from their time at Syracuse.

We face a balancing act in the year ahead. Like most of our alumni and students, I found that my time as a university student was importantly and positively defined by the friendships and experiences I had in social activities with my friends. The last thing I needed or wanted was some university official to program every step of social development. Yet at times I did need boundaries, and I also needed a sense that the community cared about those boundaries and was there to care about, and at times guide and help me and my friends. My belief, which I hope some of you share, is that to be labeled the number one party school is to be told those boundaries need more attention. With your help, they will get it this year.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

This is the definition of not being able to handle success.    Like being named the #1 party school in America is the best thing that can happen to a college.  You can’t pay for that type of publicity.  Honestly do you think more incoming Freshman care about the nightlife or having a good Communications department?   Not to mention the fact nobody said you can’t be a good academic school too.   Nobody said anything bad about your Science department.   They just said the Orange likes to get after it.  And who can blame them?  It’s in the middle of nowhere.  It’s negative 800 degrees most of the year.  It’s a pit.  If you can’t drink and party who the fuck would want to go to Syracuse?  The answer is nobody.  So stop being a wet blanket and making vague threats about cracking down on partying just because of this award.   Wake up bro.  This is the best recruiting tool possible.  You got to own it.  You should have a signs as people drive into Syracuse.  “Welcome to Orangeman Country…Party School of the Year 2014.”   Learn how to market yourself for me 1 time.