Social drinking as a part of the social aspect of being part of the University faculty is common and seems to be routinely expected, unless you're an alcoholic, in which case not drinking is respected.
I'm the only non-drinker in the department, so far as I know. I drink soft drinks, usually Pepsi, rather than alcohol because I like the taste and strongly dislike the taste of alcohol. This was remarkable enough to have drawn some criticism and more than a few critical remarks.
I think maybe some drinkers take it as a personal offense, a judgment of them, if they're drinking with someone who isn't. This seems a strange reaction to me, but it is what it is.
Is it any wonder that college student subcultures often have strong pressure regarding binge drinking? We've created a culture in which it's not only acceptable, but expected that consumption of alcohol accompanies social functions. College binge drinking is a logical, if extreme, extension of this. A foolish one to be sure, but the idea that people should drink at social functions is foolish to begin with, so the extreme version practiced at the college level is just that same foolishness taken up a few notches.
This is why I was home alone last weekend while my family went bar hopping.
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Last edited by Gilda; 01-18-2007 at 04:15 PM..
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