Spring 2006
Bobby Casiano
A Penn State 2004 Survey
reports a decrease in high risk
drinking of undergraduate
students. The high-risk drinking
rate in 2004 was 55.2%, a
decline from 60.4% in 2003.
The percentage of “frequent
high-risk drinkers, or students
who reported having binged 3
or more times during a two
week period, decreased slightly
since 2003 but was still higher
than what was reported in 2001
‘and 2002.”
Mont Alto Freshman
Melanie Prempeh says “it
sounds really good to hear that
there is a decrease in drinking
but there is still a lot of peer
pressure from people to drink.”
According to the survey, when
asked about their perceptions of
others drinking, students
“overestimate the overall
drinking at Penn State with
62
60
58
56
54
Percentage
52
50
2000
2002 2003
Year
2004 2005
73.3% believing that most Penn
State students , typically
consume 5 or more drinks
when partying” and “in
comparison, 49.7% report that
they consume 5 or more drinks
when they party.” Non-
minority student, off campus
residents, students of legal
drinking age, upper class
students, and members of
fraternities and sororities were
more likely to be high-risk
drinkers. Non-minority
students (57.5%) were more
likely thank minority students
(38.1%). Off campus residents
(65.5%) were more likely than
on campus student residents
(44.4%). Students of legal
drinking age (61.8%) were
more likely than students under
21 (50.1%). Members of
fraternities and sororities
(76.8%) were more likely than
non-members (52.0%).
The average numbers of
drinks consumed when
partying varied among these
groups. For the non-Greek
there was an average of 4.81,
Greek, 6.24, 21 and older, 5.88,
under 21, 4.34. Among off
campus students 6.14 and on
see Drinking page 3
Erica Panico
An anonymous Mont
paying parking tickets, tuition
continues to go up each year,
and. it’s sad that Penn State
threatens students to leave the
university for $50.00. I would
like to see where my money
is going.”
Like the anonymous
sophomore most students are
worried and curious where
their tuition is being allocated
to. In fact, all Penn State Mont
Alto Students have to make a
contribution each semester.
Mont Alto’s Director of
Finance, Kenneth Gill states
that “about 80% of the tuition
bill is put towards the staff’s
salaries and wages” and “20%
or less of the remaining money
is put towards the utilities
bills.” A straight forward Gill
stated that “the Mont Alto
campus has a 40 year mortgage
with each dorm that is built.”
Mont Alto “borrows the
money to build the dorms and
sell their bonds on the stock
market.”
A portion of our money of
that 20% goes toward paying
off the interest of the bonds
being sold. Non- Pennsylvania
state residents must pay more,
because Pennsylvania students
see Tuition page 3