UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ENTERTAINMENT
MONDAY. AUGUST 18. 1997
Socializing, sobriety can be good mix
SECTION D
Students who don't drink often face criticism, social pressure
By Chris Yancey Special to the Kansan
Saturday, 9:00 p.m.
Before leaving Eldsworth Hall for an after-hours fraternity party, my friends Brian and Chris mix two Jack Daniels and Cokes in 32 fluid-ounce glasses. They raise their drinks over their heads.
"Gentlemen, start your engines," Brian says, as his glass touches Chris's to complete the toast.
The first alcohol of the night enters the systems of these college-drinking veterans.
"The evening has begun," Chris says.
I'm a of veteran of college-drinking culture. During my two years at the University of Kansas, I have sat on the sidelines watching countless students get smashed. I am one of the few who chooses not to play this game. Unlike most KU students, I have never had that first drink, and for the time being, I have no desire to take it. I am the designated driver. I am the guy with the Coke at the four-kegger. And I am my friends' feet when they can't walk home.
We're off on another weekend.
About 85 percent of college students drink alcohol, according to a study by The Chronicle of Higher Education. About 44 percent of them are binge drinkers, which means taking at least five drinks in one sitting for men and four for women.
Only a small number of college students who choose not to drink.
The reasons for students' decision not to include alcohol in their lives range from a desire to live a moral life to not liking alcohol's taste.
But Jason McKinney's reason for being a non-drinker is as thick as blood.
Before McKinney, Olathe freshman, was born, his grandfather died from an aneurysm that occurred after many years of alcoholism.
"Alcohol has killed almost every man in my family." McKinney said. "I am one who sees the long term. Alcoholism runs in my family, and I don't want to become one of them."
Even though McKinney has had only a few drinks during his lifetime, he has witnessed alcohol's potential for tragedy. When McKinney was a sophomore in high school, one of his friends was killed when the friend drove into a light pole at 115 mph. His friend was drunk.
"I was supposed to be with him that night, but I was grounded," McKinney said. "Everybody, when they're young, thinks they're immortal, but it could have easily been me."
"I like to have control over myself, and I just didn't have control like I thought I would," he said. "I can have just as much fun when I'm not drunk."
McKinney got drunk once to see how it felt, and he said he did not enjoy the experience because he told his friends things that he later regretted saying.
Saturday, 10:30 p.m.
Brian stumbles into a wall as we walk upstairs to pick up the rest of the gang for the party. I ask him if he feels well enough to go.
"I'm all right, Yancey," he says, as if there is no way he is going to be left behind. "I'll be fine once we get there."
"That was horrible," he says, wiping his mouth.
"Let's eat foolin' around. I'm ready to go."
Chris and I help him up the stairs, and we walk in on our friend Troy who, at the urging of many spectators, chugs the rest of his plastic bottle of cheap vodka.
Our group of five quickly becomes eight as we head downstairs. We all dash through heavy rain and pile into my 1987 Toyota Tercel hatchback. It's a record number of passengers.
"Guys, I went to one of these before spring break and there was a band in one room, dancing in the living room, and there were four kegs." Troy says.
As I start the car and put it in reverse, I hear the "question" once again.
"Hey Chris, I'm just curious. Why don't you drink?" Mindi asks, as if there is something wrong with me.
As usual, I'm at a loss for words. Why can't people understand drinking is something that I just don't want to do?
When the drinking age was raised to 21 in 1987, the University had to decide what stance it would take on alcohol.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the University decided to ban alcohol from campus because most students were under 21. This included student housing because the majority of students who lived in on-campus housing were freshmen and sophomores.
"Many other campuses still allow students over 21 to have beer in their room, but this is unrealistic because many of these students have roommates who are 18 and 19." Ambler said.
Ambler said he believed the drinking age should be enforced, but he said setting it at 21 was unrealistic. He favors teaching students to use alcohol responsibly instead of promoting abstinence.
"Whether we like it or not, young people are going to use alcohol, and we have to teach them how to use it responsibly," he said. "I believe in the education of it because it is here to stay."
The Health Education Wellness Center in Watkins Memorial Health Center employs five staff members who actively promote alcohol education, Ambler said.
See NON-ALCOHOL, Page 14D
Night on the town
Lawrence clubs cater to local national bands
By Rebecca Osladli Kansan staff writer
Whether you like to groove to funk, two-step to country, or swing to ska, Lawrence has a music style to keep you moving. And Lawrence's nightclubs and bars offer various music genres.
Staff Photographer / KANSAN
"We have a wide array of different types of music, so everyone can come to see different stuff," said Jack Becker, promotion and production director at Pineline Production.
Local and national bands play at The Bottleneck 737 New Hampshire St.
The Bottleneck, which has pool tables and video games, also features special event nights. Monday is open-mike night; classic soul and funk music is played on Wednesday; and Sunday Swing Set night features swing, jazz and big band music.
Local and national bands play Sunday through Wednesday at The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St. Dis jockeys play dance music on the weekends.
The Jazzhaus, 926 1/2 Massachusetts St.,
has four shows each week. Bands touring
the country play most of the shows. Four
or five local bands appear each month.
"I always try to give young local bands a chance," said Rick McNeely, owner of The Jazzhaus. "We've also had some of the greatest musicians ever play here. It's the love of music that keeps the place running."
McNeely said that the Jazzhaus' primary styles were jazz, blues, funk, reggae and zydeco.
Johnny's Tavern, 401 N. Second St., also has live music on the weekends. Sunday is Blues Jam night. Just bring an instrument and play.
Staff Photographer / KANSAN Open mike night at the Night neck, 737 New Hampshire St., provides an informal atmosphere for performers. Above and right: Entertainer play for the Monday night open mike crowd on July 28.
The annual Jayhawk Music Festival will feature local and national bands Sept.7 at Clinton Lake.
Several music festivals kick off the fall semester.
Becker said that about 10,000 people had attended the event last year but that the organizers were hoping for at least 12,000 people this year.
For those who love to groove to funk, the Granada will sponsor the Funk Fest on August 20th. The Fest will feature Lawrence bands Bastard Squad, Band that Saved the World, Funky Shtuff and Double Stuff.
"Lawrence is a feeding ground for bands en route to becoming platinum Spin cover stars," Becker said.
For people interested in other bands, Becker said that Lawrence was a great place to check out up-and-coming local and national bands.
Becker's picks
Jacki Becker, promotion and production director at Pipeline Production, picks her top bands;
Post-Jerry Garcia jam bands
Einstein and The Deal
Indie Rock:
Sunborrow T-shirt
Country influenced:
Virginia Keen
Arthur Dodge
Country minded Virginia Keen
Rockabilly:
Fear & Whiskey
Kristie & the Starlight Rounders
Pre-alternative rock:
Creature Comforts
Station Wagon
The Norman Three-Sixty
The Secondhands
The Bubble Boys The Daydreams
Punk:
Ska:
The Daydreams
The lineup
The Bottleneck
Monday: Open Mike Night
Wednesday: Groovalicious Night, featuring classic soul and funk
Weekends: live music
Sunday: Swing Set, featuring swing,
jazz and big band music
Cover charge: $3 to $6 for local shows and $4 to $16 for national shows
Admittance: 18 and older with identification unless otherwise specified
**Thursday:** Retro-dance night, offering $1 pitchers of beer
Granada
Friday: Revolution night, featuring techno-dance music; open until 4 a.m.
Saturday: Cloud Nine, featuring top-40 dance music
Live music: some nights from Sunday to Wednesday
Cover charge: $3 to $6 for local shows and $4 to $16 for national shows
Admittance: 18 and older unless otherwise specified
The Jazzhaus
Cover charge: $2 to $5
Live shows: weekends and two nights during the week.
Cover charge: $2 to $5
Admittance: 21 and older
Johnny's Tavern
Sunday: Blues Jam night
Live music: Friday and Saturday night
Cover charge: vary
Too much alcohol washes life away
College scene can promote binge drinking
By Corrie Moore Special to the Kansan
Mike leans back and crosses his legs as he takes a gulp of his Bud Light. Someone yells out his nickname "Fanny" from across the bar. He shoots a half-cocked smile that direction and waves his hand. After a couple of minutes, he finishes his beer and heads to the bar for another.
"If it was Thursday night and I had $20 left," Mike said, "I would skip dinner before I would not go out."
It's Tuesday and just another night out with his friends.
It's not only on weekends that Lawrence bars are crowded. They're packing them in during the week, too. Students are slamming down beers, in an attempt to release pressure or to just fit in to the college scene.
According to a 1994 commission report by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, binge drinking is the biggest substance
abuse problem on college campuses across the country. The center reports that numbers have not decreased since the three-year-old study was completed.
Ashleigh Roberts / KANSAN
Lance Gutsch, Goodland senior, relaxes on a beach with a beer. Students who consume mass quantities of alcohol risk dehydration, nausea and possibly passing out.
Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women on one occasion in a two-week period. For students like Mike, five drinks seems unrealistically low. Studies show that between 75 percent and 96 percent of college students report having consumed alcohol during the past year, compared with 88 percent of the general population, according to figures provided by Douglas County Citizens Committee on Alcoholism Inc., (DCCCA) an alcoholism and drug abuse center in Lawrence that provides education and counseling.
Mike doesn't see himself as having a drinking problem, but he knows that others see it that way. For this reason, Mike withheld his last name.
"I don't drink to get drunk," he said. "I drink because I'm done with my other drink."
continues drinking with friends until 3 or 4 a.m. He said his record of nights out drinking in a row was 22.
Mike goes out to drink four or five nights a week. He starts about 8 p.m., but he doesn't stop when the bars close. He usually
Matt Tessier, the University of Kansas's greek alcohol programs and risk management educator, said there were more opportunities for college students to drink.
"They don't have parental guidance around them all the time," he said.
Christine Roney, St. Louis Junior, said college life was a new experience for freshmen.
"Students to college and have a chance to go out and get crazy." she said.
because of alcohol.
According to DCCCA Center, a 1991 national survey of college students reported that A students averaged 3.6 drinks per week, B students 5.5 drinks per week, C students 7.6 drinks per week, and D or F students 10.6 drinks per week.
Mike schedules his classes for later in the day, but he still misses several classes a week.
Although Mike goes out during the week and does miss class, he does fairly well in school.
"Sometimes after a rough night, I like to have a couple of drinks to feel normal," he said.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 159,000 freshmen drop out of college annually because of alcohol and other drugs. The heaviest drinkers at both 2- and 4-year institutions get the lowest grades, and almost one-third of the students at 4-year institutions report missing class
Often fraternity and sorority students are associated with alcohol abuse. Tessier said greeks had more social occasions to drink, but that they
behave the same as non-greeks.
"Non-greeks would do the same; they just don't have the same opportunities as greeks," he said.
Josh Newville, Omaha junior and president of the Delta Chi fraternity, agreed that alcohol was more available to greek students.
"It is an intermingling of older college students with younger students." he said.
In the last few years, the greek
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See BINGE, Page 14D
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