Why is drinking so prominent amongst Lawrence college students?

Why is drinking so prominent amongst Lawrence college students?

The best way to answer this question is with a quote taken from several friends of mine. "Hey man, what is there to do in this town? Well, about the only thing to do is go to a party or go to a bar and get drunk, at least that's what everybody I know is doing tonight." That question was what I asked when I was new to this town and the answer was a quote I have received from almost everybody I asked and I'm sure that its been said more times than I can count. As long as I can remember the first thing associated with partying is drinking alcohol and at least ninety percent of everyone that I hang out with or know here in Lawrence drinks on a somewhat regular basis. By that I mean every Friday and Saturday night, and sometimes much more.

[Portrait of Juan Tizol(?) and Lawrence Brown(?), ...

Drink&Straw

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I think we have all been brought up in a culture that promotes alcohol use as a good thing when used in moderation. Many people around the world drink but my question is: why is drinking so much more prominent among Lawrence college students? The answer I immediately came up with is drinking amongst college students is prominent because it is an easy way to release and it is historically connected with most forms of celebration.

If you were like me when you were in high school you drank and went to parties because it was fun and a good way to meet people. But when I went to college everyone was suddenly a stranger again and it was time to branch out and find a new group of friends. So naturally I thought of the bars and house parties as the best...