HOW KENT STATE STUDENTS REALLY DRINK

Reporting by Rachel Abbey

You’ve seen the signs. You’ve read the posters. But does the “Thinking About Your Drinking?” campaign really represent Kent State students’ drinking habits?

Kent State’s survey is run through the Office of Student Health Promotion, says Coordinator Scott Dotterer. The anonymous Web survey is sent out to a random sample of undergraduates in April, and about 700 to 800 typically choose to respond.

We wanted to find out for ourselves what Kent State undergrads had to say. We surveyed 159 of you around campus during different hours of the day as you studied, ate and hung out. Your responses were across the board — some students never drink, while others say they have at least one most nights of the week. One thing everyone had in common, however, was the somewhat sheepish laughter that accompanied the responses. The non- or light drinkers often said it was because they thought everyone else drank more than them; the heavier drinkers seemed to think their answers would shock.

Bottom line? Most everyone we surveyed seemed to feel like they are not the norm when it comes to drinking at Kent State.

Here’s how the stats stack up:

• Thinking about Your Drinking?: More than 60 percent of Kent State students had four or fewer drinks the last time they drank.
• We found that, on average, students say they have about five drinks when they party, and the responses ranged from zero drinks to 20.
• Thinking about Your Drinking?: 80 percent of Kent State students party less than once a week.
• Most students we surveyed say they drink an average of about one night a week or five to six nights a month.