The Orion Online

Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: courtesy of Radar Magazine [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Dan Doxater, Oscar Chacon and Dane Koch [Click to enlarge]

With about 22 bars in a two-mile radius, a former professor arrested for possession of marijuana and a fraternity with a pornographic past, Chico State is the second most degenerate student body, according to Radar Magazine.

The university is runner-up to San Diego State because "the only thing Chico State can't claim is a 75-student drug bust," according to the article.

Though Radar has labeled the university degenerate, its ranking has yet to discourage the faculty, said Joe Wills, director of public affairs and publications. Its slanderous words are not even worth contacting the publication about.

"It's clearly poking fun at higher education," Wills said. "I think this particular Web site is trying to be outrageous."

Other schools around the nation have been branded "Most Superficial" and "Biggest Rip-off" on the site.

"Almost any school you can imagine is on their Web site getting criticized for all kinds of things, which are just ludicrous," Wills said.

The article's purpose is to draw out outrageous and embarrassing tidbits about every school it can think of, he said.

The Phi Kappa Tau pornographic film incident in 2005 was cited by Radar on two separate occasions as proof of the university's degenerate student body.

"It's old news," said Matthew Stewart, president of Phi Kappa Tau. "It's something that happened in the past that we're not proud of. We realized our mistake and moved on."

Stewart finds it frustrating that Web sites and magazines such as Radar are bad-mouthing the school, he said.

"I think it's bullshit," he said. "It's not fair to the people who have done so much work here. The fraternities have been doing a lot to get involved with the community and we're not throwing huge parties."

Ever since student Matthew Carrington died, the hazing incidents and the fraternity's porno shoot, students and the school have revamped their image with a calmer party scene and community service projects, Stewart said.

Phi Kappa Tau has come a long way since the porn incident, receiving an award last year from the city for its help in community service, he said.

Although Radar highlights all the bad and none of the good, President Paul Zingg isn't worried it will destroy the image of the university, he said.

"These ratings are a joke on par with someone's personal blog," he said in an e-mail. "They don't really have any credibility or influence."

He would find the publication more valid if it were to focus on the high regard the faculty and students have for school programs such as Campus Compact and the Sierra Club and not base its opinions on anecdotes, he said.

The article hit Chico with insults by referring to a low four-year graduation rate and the students' drinking practices.

But if anything, the faculty, staff and students aren't taking the rating to heart.

"I don't think there's anything credible or serious about the article," Wills said. "It's not unusual for colleges to be targeted by a variety of sites. They're just trying to be funny."

Raelene Willis can be reached at
rwillis@theorion.com

Related links
President's report 2008

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