As you’ve probably heard, the University of Iowa is officially one of the top 10 party schools in the country. Playboy has ranked the school as the 10th best school in the country to go crazy, while the Princeton review ranks it at No. 9.

Although determining a “party school” isn’t an exact science, there were some definite criteria these organizations used. Male-female ratio, volume of drug and alcohol use, and average daily study time per student were among the variables considered to determine the lucky schools.

However, this is not news to those familiar with the culture at the University of Iowa. It’s pretty common knowledge that the bars at the University of Iowa do not require a customer to be 21 for entrance and that the party scene there is extremely active.

One question being asked, though: “Should we be jealous?”

No. This dubious honor is something that we should be glad not to be granted.

Our school has a different culture about drinking, partying and life in general. Students here tend to be students first and partiers second. We have a much more academic focus, we work harder and our reputation as a school shows it. Employers know ISU graduates are among the best.

Not to mention the problems which come along with a culture of serious partying. There were numerous, well-publicized examples of students last year, and in the past, who died in accidents on nights they had been drinking, and the police blotter mentions at least one person hospitalized due to alcohol almost daily.

That doesn’t even cover drug use, one of the most frightening criteria for the party school surveys. Is drug trafficking really something that needs to be increased on campus? Is that what we want?

Even something that seems relatively harmless, like the male-female ratio, can be less than good for us. Iowa State is a predominantly male campus, whereas most of these party schools were heavily female.

The clear implication here is that it was much easier for the guys to hook up with the girls at will. The Playboy survey was even completely overt, giving mention to “Fish-In-A-Barrel” colleges.

The moral merits of wanton sex, hookups and drunken revelry are something for another time, but it should be noted that there are about 6,500 new STD cases per year reported in Iowa for people between ages 15-24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bottom line is that Iowa State should be proud of what it is, or more accurately, what it is not. There are plenty of opportunities on campus to party, but Iowa State’s priorities are in the right place.