Playboy's Top Party School list was the buzz around campus this week as OU took the top spot. Many celebrated the victory and claimed that the university had finally regained its rightful place since falling off the top 10 list published by the Princeton Review last year. Everyone keeps saying "We won!" But what is it exactly that we are celebrating? The party school mantra has been debated for ages, for some it's a good trait of OU and others beg to differ.

OU has always been stereotyped as a party school. It's the first thing out of anyone's mouth. "Oh, you go to OU? Do you like to party?" It's a generalization that has been made about our overall community, even though we know that OU has a lot more to offer than just Court Street. We have incredible student involvement, arts, culture and amazing scenery. We pride ourselves on a "work hard, play hard" mentality, but the media rarely shows the "work hard" aspect. It's easy to see from the inside looking out that OU students are driven, passionate, creative and academically successful. However, those outside of our little college town only see what is published about us by Playboy, the Princeton Review and similar titles. They just see partying.

While we know that "A little party never killed nobody," people outside our little Athens bubble have the misconception that it is all we do. When I leave Athens to got out into the real world, I want future employers to be excited and proud when they look at the education section of my resume, not worried that I may turn out to be irresponsible and lazy because I graduated from a party school. I don't want parents of future bobcats to doubt the legitimacy of the programs at OU because we were labeled the No. 1 party school. I'm not saying we should stop having fun, I just wish that people could see the multiple layers to our school, beyond the party school reputation.

I'm proud to be a Bobcat, and I can't imagine going to school anywhere else. But I'm proud to be a Bobcat for much more than the parties, the fests and the bars. I'm proud of what Athens has made me over the past four years. I don't want a stereotype to lessen the education that I have received, and I would hate to see my reputation and the university's reputation tainted by a Playboy listicle.