Beer on breaks popular at Algonquin

By Phil Dukarsky

duka0004@algonquincollege.com

One exists in almost every college and university. It is a popular place for students to go. It’s Algonquin’s bar, the Observatory. At all hours of the day, students can be found inside its doors – some eating, some shooting pool, some drinking.

Christina Galetta, 25, a second-year sign language student is one of them. She drinks occasionally between classes with friends. Sometimes though, she goes a step further.

“Once in a while, I get drunk while waiting for class,” Galetta admits. “It makes class funner.”

Ashley Gordon, 25, is a second year social service work student. Gordon does drink by herself sometimes and sees nothing wrong with having a beer or two.

“Whether I drink or not depends on how long my break is, how much money I have and how bored I am,” says Gordon.

Getting drunk, however, is not an option and she makes sure that the drinking does not affect her school work.

“Getting buzzed stresses me out, so I’m very careful about how much I drink before class,” says Gordon.

Drinking between classes is not limited to these girls. According to a day-shift bartender at the Observatory who asked not to be identified, one of their peak times for business is between one and five in the afternoon -  the hours when most students have breaks between classes.

The majority of these students claim that they don’t drink to get severely intoxicated though.

“Most people just have a few drinks and they only drink to pass the time,” says the bartender. “It’s a social thing.”

It may be a social thing but it can hinder students all the same. The majority of students who drink in the afternoon, said the bartender, are male and they mostly consume beer. Even though beer has a lower alcohol level than liquor or wine, one or two beers can affect someone all the same and can result in a lack of focus and lost concentration. Some students do not see that as a problem.

Colin Limlaw, 19, is a first-year HVAC student. He drinks at the Observatory between classes on a regular basis and, for him, there is nothing wrong with that.

“It’s relaxing and those drinks help soothe your soul,” Limlaw claims. “As long as you can control, there is nothing wrong with it.”

In fact, Limlaw believes that the alcohol helps him in class.

“It keeps the concentration up and keeps me snappy,” Limlaw said. “So I always have one or two before class and many more after.”