Posted on 04/04/2006 6:16:41 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, WI (AP) -- Where's the best place for a college kid to party? Right here in the heartland, Playboy magazine says.
The magazine, breaking a four-year hiatus by issuing a list of top party schools, has named University of Wisconsin-Madison No. 1 in its study of "books, babes and beer."
The issue hitting newsstands Friday cites two annual parties that UW-Madison students love: a Halloween Party that attracts up to 100,000 people and a rowdy spring block party in the heart of campus.
But the magazine also commends the city's vibrant music scene, its enthusiasm for the Badgers sports teams - and yes, its reputation as a good academic school.
The magazine features a staged photo of a party at a fraternity house featuring more than 40 UW-Madison students wearing clothes in Wisconsin red and white. A senior art major poses nude on the next page.
University officials said they weren't thrilled about topping another list for party schools after the Princeton Review named the school its top party school last year. But they said the Playboy ranking at least considered factors other than just the amount of alcohol consumed.
"It's good to be known as a place where there's a lot going on for students," said UW-Madison spokesman John Lucas. "It's good they do take into account the academics."
Still, Lucas said officials fear the rankings give UW-Madison a party school reputation that encourages students to drink more.
Playboy editorial director Christopher Napolitano said the question the magazine was trying to answer was this: "Where would a guy who wants to live the Playboy lifestyle want to go to school?"
Magazine staffers came up with the rankings after informal surveys of its representatives on 250 campuses and discussions with professors and students, he said.
Playboy has only issued rankings twice before, ranking Arizona State No. 1 in 2002. Students at California State University, Chico, which topped the inaugural list in 1987, "still brag about the title as if it were a national championship," the magazine says.
Napolitano said this time the magazine focused more on the overall social scene at the universities rather than just which ones host the craziest parties.
"It comes down to the music scene, the athletic scene and the great academics," he said of UW-Madison's top ranking. "And the fantastic parties at Halloween and Mifflin Street. We've got great feedback from people who have attended and thought you guys had the best thing going on there."
Studies consistently show Wisconsin students binge drink at a higher rate than their peers nationally. Both of the annual parties cited by Playboy have been marred in the past by violence, vandalism and other problems that alarm university and city officials.
Student body president Eric Varney said most students know their limits when it comes to drinking but "our limits are just higher than every other school."
Varney said the ranking could be a recruiting tool and reflects a campus culture where students party as many as four times a week - starting on Wednesday nights at the bars. He said he can't wait until the April 29 block party, which he described as "Christmas with beer."
"I actually think it's a great honor to be named that," said Varney, a senior finance major. "Hopefully, it will attract a lot of students that are smart and want to have a good time."
Before or after Katrina?
Damn! Lost again! Hopefully, this year we'll move up to #1 in binge drinking.
My son goes to school there, courtesy of the US Navy.
It was when I was there in law school in the mid 90's. Still is now when wifey (also an alum) and I go back.
Well, at least we're number one in something!
It's those kind of idiots that ruin it for all the decent party loving kids. :-)
Go Badgers!
My alma mater, too. Bascom Hill? Lake Mendota? The Pub? Too cold in the winter, though.
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