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Community Corner

University of Iowa Officials Aren't Celebrating Party School Ranking: Daily Iowan Reader, August 21

Also inside: The Iowa City City Council may end its Youth Advisory Commission, Iowa City school district officials say they're confident in safety procedures after a bomb scare, and read the DI's 2012 Hawkeye wide receiver preview.

UI officials balk at party school rankings

The University of Iowa moved up on the Princeton Review’s top 20 party schools list this year by two spots, despite many recent initiatives to combat the binge drinking culture at the university.

“We find it amazing that any one pays attention to such an unscientific, invalid survey,” UI spokesman Tom Moore said. “There’s no validity to it whatsoever.”

President Sally Mason offered no statement Monday evening.

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UI freshman Will Hean said he knew the UI was considered a party school but was surprised to hear about the university’s new ranking.

“It’s great the world knows we’re having fun,” he said.

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Leah Cohen, the owner of Bo-James, 118 E. Washington St., said she is not surprised by the new ranking, despite efforts to reduce excessive drinking, including the 21-ordinance and the Iowa City police Party Patrols.

“Iowa has always been known as a party school, and it is going to take a number of years to reduce,” she said.

Though the UI jumped in the rankings, the statistics do show some changes on and near campus.

In fact, the number of several alcohol-related charges decreased for the first weekend of this academic year compared with the first weekend last year.

Iowa City police issued 23 PAULA citations this past weekend, down from the 38 issued during the first weekend last year. The number of citations officials doled out for the use of fake IDs over the first weekend decreased from 12 in 2011 to just one this year.  Charges for presence in a bar after hours also decreased from 10 in 2011 to three this year.

Read more here.

 

Iowa City City Council may end Youth Advisory Commission

 The Iowa City City Council will vote on a resolution tonight to decide the fate of the Youth Advisory Commission.

Read more here.

 

Iowa City school district officials confident in safety procedures after bomb scare

 School officials say protocol is in place for circumstances such as Monday's bomb threat at Regina High School.

Read more here.

 

UI alum to help usher Chinese students to campus

 Ying Xu was hired by the Office of Admissions over the summer as the assistant director of admissions for China and Asian recruitment.

Read more here.

 

Iowa City parents eye lower costs for school groundskeeping

 At a meeting Monday night, the Iowa City community school district discussed possible changes to make to the lawn care contract, such as the cost and the functionality for students.

Read more here.

 

Hawkeye Football Position Previews: Wide receivers

The Iowa offense lacks former star Marvin McNutt, but the receivers think they could be even better without him.

Read more here.

 

Despite big goals, don’t count out UISG

 With political propaganda, complaints and unrealistic campaign promises — like concerts that could fill Kinnick Stadium, or free taxi rides for any University of Iowa students — some could think UISG is too good to be true.

Read more here.

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