San Diego State has had a reputation as a party school in the past. In 2002, the university landed the 10th spot in Playboy Magazine’s spread of the top 25 biggest party schools in the country. Finance sophomore Nicolas Newby agrees that much of college life involves drinking. “I would say about 62 percent is partying and drinking,” he said. “The other 38 percent is studying to get good grades and making new friends.” Integrated marketing communications senior Jason Toohey said he feels drinking is a big part of college life on the weekends. “Drinking is fun because it helps people loosen up a bit and be more comfortable,” he said. “It also makes it easier to talk to people in social situations.” Although some say you can’t put a price on fun, being a college drinker can get expensive. A 1999 study by Drug Strategies found college students spend $5.5 billion on alcohol every year. Newby said he spends somewhere between 10 and 20 dollars a week on alcohol. However, many students said they spend up to $80 in one week on alcohol alone. A keg of beer from the local liquor store Keg N Bottle, for example, costs anywhere from $59.99 to $159. A Keg N Bottle employee, who would like to remain anonymous, said the store sells about 30 kegs of beer each weekend, and about 25 of those are sold to college students. For those 21 and older, a pitcher of domestic beer costs $7 at the on-campus pub Louie’s. Owner Louie Holton said he feels it’s important to provide college students a safe place to learn to drink responsibly. “The plain and simple truth is, you turn 21 in college, and you are going to drink,” he said. International business senior Zephan Fischel said working and playing go hand-in-hand. Since the university is close to the beach and Tijuana, students are going to party while working hard to earn good grades, he said. “People who work really hard also play really hard, myself included,” he said. “SDSU is a highly underrated university, and it has gotten very hard to get into.” Fischel also explained what’s behind his desire to drink. “I won’t succumb to drinking peer pressure,” he said. “I might have some drinks on Friday night if I finish a huge test or finish a hard week in school, kind of like a reward basis.” He said students are driven to work hard during the week so they can drink and party on the weekends. Toohey said drinking in moderation also serves as an effective studying tool. “If I feel stressed out and I’ve done a lot of studying, I might have a beer to calm me down, just to kick back and relax for a little while,” he said.