A better cause to celebrate the University

One thing to think about over the weekend is that the University was ranked as the No. 16 party school in the nation in the most recent edition of The Princeton Review. While the methodology behind the rankings is far from scientific (a survey of 120,000 college students), it is hard to discount this school's historically lively reputation. However, now that we are on the list for one more year, it is time to think about our image and this school's overall quality.

This university has produced some of this country's greatest achievements in culture, technology and literature. We can claim the integrated circuit, the Netscape browser, film critic Roger Ebert, actors Gene Hackman and Jerry Orbach and dozens of other award-winning faculty and alumni.

But the problem this university seems to suffer from is that it has lost its identity.

Instead of trumpeting the long list of accomplishments this school can take credit for, the past few years have mostly shown the University in a bad light.

We do not need The Princeton Review to tell us that there are a lot of parties here. One of Campustown's biggest events of the year, Unofficial St. Patrick's Day, draws college students and alumni from all over the state for a Friday full of alcohol and stumbling that many, for one reason or another, do not easily remember.

The fact is, it is hard for many students to be inspired when this university has buildings falling apart, student discipline problems across the board and administrative missteps on issues ranging from cultural issues, information security and fiscal prudence.

When these problems are juxtaposed with other formal rankings that show this university as one of the top public schools in the world, there seems to be a disconnect between what this school is, and what it feels and looks like.

Most students choose the University looking to further their education with hopes of getting a good job after they leave this place. But while they are here, the gap between what most achieve and what most are truly capable of is far too large.

The kind of inspiration this school needs won't be found in a glass this weekend. For this university to continue being this state's flagship institution, everyone needs to demand that this era of too few good examples does not endure.

The Princeton Review says that this is a party school. But it seems to us that now is the time for this university to regain the identity that made everyone proud to say that they were Illini.

Then it would be time to truly celebrate.