We have
all seen the gross exaggerations of what college looks like through the eyes of
cinema. Movies like "Accepted", "Animal House",
"Legally Blonde", and "Old School." As well as TV shows
like "Greek" and "Hellcats." Even music of our time
falsely depicts the typical college experience. Pop culture of the recent has a
specific idea of what college is, even though it may be a dramatic version of
the truth.
My friend recently suggested I watch a relatively new show,
“Blue Mountain State.” I didn’t
have any expectations for the show because I wanted to be open-minded. This
show, like many other cinematic portrayals of college life dramatizes the aspect
of partying, drinking, sex, and hazing. For some programs, this is the price to
pay for accessing the humor of their viewers. And from what I can see, it is
working. Although the show may not be a completely accurate depiction, most
college students I’ve talked to, like the show a lot- in large part due to the
ridiculousness.
I’ll start off with a brief synopsis of the show. Alex
Moran, the main character of the series, is recruited to the Blue Mountain
Goats football team as a first-year to the role of back-up quarter back. He
attends Blue Mountain State with his childhood friend and roommate, Sammy Cacciatore.
Sammy believes the only way to “meet girls” is to become the mascot so he can
get closer to the cheerleading team. (He only acquires the position because of
an unfortunate problem the current mascot has.) Craig Shilo is also a gifted
young athlete that is recruited as starting running back. He arrives to BMS
with his high school girlfriend, Denise Roy. She is his manipulative,
controlling girlfriend that is clearly only interested in Craig’s professional
level potential. Last but not least, there is Kevin “Thad” Castle. He is a narcissistic and borderline sociopathic
upperclassman on the football team. He is the equivalent to the “big bad frat
boy” that’s often depicted in movies. (Like the one in the movie “Accepted” for
example. But that’s a whole other story.) The show starts off with the first
day of practice where Alex and Craig become acclimated to the team.
There were a lot of “loopholes,”
I will call them, in this particular show that exemplify the common
misconceptions that can give colleges in general a bad name. Some kids in high
school really have no idea what college is actually like, and watching TV shows
and movies like these that depict these false images can give them a skewed
judgment of their own school. For example, a reality to college life is
drinking, however Rutgers, as well as many other schools, make it hard for
students to get access to alcohol on campus as well as encourage students to
educate themselves about the harmful consequences of binge drinking. In my
opinion, there aren’t specific schools where it’s easier to drink over others-
these commonly known as “party schools.”
I think you will find people willing to make risky decisions at any school. In
Blue Mountain State, Alex, Craig, and other members of the football team go to
several teammates’ house to party almost every night! This is another daunting illustration of college life. In
reality, these players would have drug tests on game days, in particular, and
there would be serious repercussions to showing up to practice hung over. In
the second episode, Alex has the opportunity to be starting quarter back, due
to a regrettable mistake made by the current QB, Travis, causing him to be
suspended. Throughout the episode Alex does whatever it takes to get Travis
back on the team because he’s afraid of the responsibility and possibly being
ridiculed by students at BMS. This part really resonated with me. I think this
is a huge, underlying aspect of college life that most first-year students
experience: coming to terms with your newfound responsibilities. College is a
time to be on your own, you are responsible for yourself, and for some, this is
the first real time in one’s life.
Now, even though this show is focused on the inner-workings
of the football team, I think its core values are the same with any
organization. Drinking, hazing, and bullying aside, the team works together to
accomplish a goal: to win. You will find this in any athletic team around
Rutgers, or even, the organizations around campus. Each Sorority and Fraternity
has a set of values and beliefs that their brothers and sisters pledge to
follow. Whether it be an academic, social, or music organization, people I know
in these fraternities are happy to be apart of something that brings them
closer in the Rutgers
Community. Also, Dance Marathon is a very important and prominent tradition at Rutgers.
This 32-hour program is the second largest philanthropic event in New Jersey. Volunteers
around Rutgers come together in pursuit of a common goal: to raise money for
children with cancer and blood disorders. Although the show has some outlandish
plot lines and character dynamics, I think there are some interesting and
important underlying aspects to the college life that the show exposes.
---Christina Ludwig
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