When Mike Brown goes drinking with his friends, he spares no
expense.
Brown hits the Westwood bars six nights a week, regularly
dropping $70, but to him, and many other UCLA students, the money
is well spent.
Even when finances are tight, and his credit card bill is
running high, Brown, a third-year music history student, still
finds the funds to throw back some beers at his favorite Westwood
venue ““ Madison’s Bar and Grill.
“You can drink anywhere, but drinking in a bar has a much
better social appeal than your room,” he said.
For many UCLA students, managing social life expenditures can be
as important a task as filing a tax return or applying for
financial aid.
This week, students can buy a 12-pack of Samuel Adams for $11.99
at Ralph’s, or a 30-pack of Budweiser for $15.99 from
Pavilions, but instead many choose to spend $3.50 per pint at
Westwood Brewing Co.
“If you buy a 12-pack and drink it at home, you are gonna
save a ton of cash,” said Westwood Brewing Co. manager Braden
Drypolcher.
But the cost is not a deterrent for most college students, said
Chris Thornberg, a senior economist in the Anderson School at
UCLA.
“It may be a major expense, but it’s also a major
benefit,” he said.
Jon Dubravac, a fifth-year sociology and history student,
understands this.
Dubravac said there have been a number of nights when he has
blown $100 on alcohol, and the next morning asked himself “Is
it worth it?”
He said his answer has continually been, “It definitely
is.”
When students go to bars, they are not just paying for the
booze, but also the social atmosphere they are immersed in.
Bars are a great place to meet potential mates, Thornberg said,
but he also offered a word of caution: The more appealing venues
often serve more expensive alcohol.
“If you are too cheap to afford a $10 glass of beer,
(girls) want nothing to do with you,” Thornberg added.
The allure of finding a dream partner is an important part of
bar-going, and is just as important for females as for males, said
Josh Normand, manager of Maloney’s On Campus.
A lot of students appreciate when a bar has attractive members
of either sex, but many said that is not the only reason they drink
at a bar.
“I go out to have a good time with my friends,” said
third-year communication studies student Ruby Rois.
Rois added that the nature of alcohol rewards the patient.
“The more you drink, the cuter the guys get,” she
joked.
Many UCLA students like to venture outside of Westwood and take
in the buzz of Sunset Boulevard or relax at a Wilshire pub.
“When I go out with my buddies, I like to go outside of
Westwood,” said Sam Slomowitz, a fifth-year molecular, cell
and developmental biology biology and anthropology student.
Slomowitz said he preferred drinking with a few friends in the
laid-back environment of a pub.
Other students still prefer the economics of staying at
home.
Eddie Grenier, a third-year mechanical engineering student, said
he saves “mucho dinero” by throwing parties at his
apartment.
Many other students avoid the high prices of bar drinks by
consuming beverages before going out.
“I go (to bars) occasionally, but when I do, I drink
first,” said Nathan Malkemus, a fourth-year sociology
student.
“The prices at bars are ridiculous,” he added.