Reflection: Blue Mountain State, A Real Life Depiction of College?

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