Published 04/26/2011

The term “Thirsty Thursday” has been around long before any Shippensburg Univeristy students were born, and students at SU do a good job of keeping that term alive.

The question many people ask is, “Why do so many students drink on Thursday?”

Whether it is a party with two kegs, or a group of friends sitting around playing games having a good time, the weekend starts on Thursday for many students.

Classes still run as normal on Friday morning, but they may have a few extra students missing and a few more who made it to class still feeling the ill effects of the night before.

I believe one of the many reasons “Thirsty Thursday” is such a large event at SU is because so many students go home for the weekend, which is why SU is often referred to as a suitcase campus.

Students will go home after their classes on Friday, but they still want to hang out with their friends before they do so. Going out on Thursday is a way for them to socialize with their friends and still make it home for the weekend.

There are also many students who do not go home for the weekends, but they still pay homage to the “Thirsty Thursday” ritual.

The question, “Are you going out tonight?” or, “Are you drinking tonight?” circulates through classes, dining halls and text message conversations on Thursday.

Another reason students drink on Thursday is because they are introduced to it as freshmen, and it becomes ingrained in them to start the weekend on Thursday. I will never forget my first night out on a Thursday as a freshman.

I was blown away seeing students that went out one night and made it to class the next morning.

College is a place where you need to make all new friends, and if those new friends decide to go out and party on a Thursday night, it is likely you will go with them.

All of the previous reasons I gave hinge on one concept that kept reoccurring to me as I thought about drinking on Thursday nights.

College is a world of freedom that most people have never experienced before. The lack of supervision prompts students to do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it.

So why do so many students drink on Thursday?

Because they can.

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