• Advocate Opinion page staff
• Published: Jul 29, 2009 - Page: 8B

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There was a time, not so long ago, when LSU was considered the embodiment of the term “party school.” Let’s hope that era has ended.

The Princeton Review, a company that offers test preparation, tutoring and other services related to education, named LSU the nation’s No. 1 party school in 2000 and No. 2 in 2001. LSU was No. 13 two years ago.

We’re pleased LSU didn’t make the top party schools list last year or this year.

Being tagged as a leading party school is not a compliment, in our view. We see it as pointedly derogatory. Anyone who considers it cool should be embarrassed.

The party-school label suggests students and standards that are less than stellar, and a college or university not to be taken seriously as an academic institution.

The term really isn’t about students having fun. More than anything else, it connotes conspicuous episodes of drunkenness.

LSU has had a couple of sobering experiences in that regard: the binge-drinking deaths of two students, one in 1997 and the other in 2003.

Stuart Watkins, LSU’s student government president, said LSU is “still a great place to have fun,” but he also took note of something far more important.

“Hopefully, we’re moving into being a more academic school,” he said.

That’s not to say LSU doesn’t have room for improvement.

The Princeton Review surveyed 120,000 students nationwide and compiled 62 lists for its “Best 371 Colleges” guide.

LSU was sixth in “Students Study the Least” and eighth in “Class Discussions Rare.” On the positive side, LSU was 10th in the category of “Best College Newspaper.”

LSU should take pride in no longer making the Princeton Review’s list of the nation’s top 20 party schools.