College: What will you choose to do?

In my mind, the quintessential college movie consists of a toga party, a legendary performance of “Shout!” and a parade gone wrong to conclude the whole thing. That’s right, I’m talking about National’s Lampoon’s Animal House. In this classic college film, the story follows the lives of two incoming freshmen as they deal with the adventures college has in store for students. When I first watched this movie, I was intrigued by the many thrills that college seemed to have in store for me. Watching this movie again as a college student, the absurdities and exaggerations of the film became immediately apparent to me. This movie glorified the party side of college and barely acknowledged the foundational aspect of college, i.e. the education. For the many scenes where the students are shown drinking and going crazy, there is a total zero scenes in a classroom setting. While this obviously is meant to produce a more enjoyable and comical movie for the audience, the absence of any teaching does bring into question the perception that many have about what college is. 

Of the many scenes portrayed in the film, the most common themes that ran throughout the film were those of sex and alcohol. Bluto, played by the late John Belushi, is portrayed as a drunken, sex crazed seventh year college student who continually tries to win the heart of a cheerleader and sorority girl. His tactics in this endeavor, however, are less than noble to say the least. At one point in the movie, he uses a ladder to spy on the unsuspecting woman as she engages in a pillow fight with her fellow sorority sisters. Another character, Otter, who is the unofficial leader of the fraternity to which many of the main characters belong to, successfully seduces the college dean’s wife. 

After experiencing college for just short of two years, I can say with honesty that while the aforementioned scenes may be slightly exaggerated, the general picture of debauchery painted by them are realistic if a student chooses them to be. While college brings with it a great sense of freedom many students have never before experienced, it also brings added responsibility which needs to be equally as practiced as the freedom. A student cannot realistically attend a toga party the night before a big exam and expect to receive a good grade on   said exam. Balance is needed, as with all things in life, between that which is pleasurable and that which is necessary. It is not for me to judge the activities of the characters as “right” or “wrong” as every individual has separate values and beliefs which shape their view of the world. It is in my power, however, to choose for myself what I believe is right and wrong and to act accordingly. Yes, a toga party may be great, but so is not getting kicked out of college.