Spring Break
The Daily OrangeDrinking on a school night: Students tap brand repertoire, bottles in alcohol appreciation class
By Gavin Godfrey
Posted: 10/4/05, 11:46 PM EST Section: Pulp
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College students buy their Bud Light by the case, Keystone by the keg and red wine by the box. And these tastes can only mature with a little education, according to Bradley Beran, assistant professor in the College of Human Services and Health Professions.
"Students do not really know about the who, what, when and where elements that go into the alcohol they're consuming," Beran said. "They like to drink a lot, but that does not necessarily mean they're drinking good stuff."
Six years ago, Beran and his associate, restaurant owner and businessman Tim Burr, were conducting a wine appreciation class. Once a week, the class would meet and go over all of the technicalities of purchasing, understanding and drinking wine. As the class grew in popularity, so did the idea of adding another element to it. On a campus where beer pong, flip cup and funneling run rampant, it was only a matter time before students started thirsting for another element to be added to the already popular class.
"The students approached Tim and I and told us that the wine is great, but they wondered why we never spoke about beer," Beran said. "We figured, 'Hey, why not, let's add beer to the picture and have a class that covers both.'"
With the newly added brew element in place, Nutrition and Hospitality Management 422 was born, quickly becoming one of the most popular classes on campus. In the past five years, the class has boasted a maximum capacity enrollment average of 100 students.
With each student, there are various motives for joining such a class.
"The class obviously sounded fun, but I was hoping that the class would make me more knowledgeable about both beer and wine," said Alex Pellerano, a senior television, radio and film major.
When it comes to lesson plans for a class involving alcohol, the education goes beyond mere consumption of a beverage. Beran and Burr have prepared for the fall semester class since January 2004. Like the intoxicatingly humorous movie "Sideways," the two men set out to various wine conventions and vineyards, readying themselves for anything and tasting everything.
"The professors know their stuff, and they're serious about teaching," said senior nutrition major Lindsay DeSimon. "Their seriousness is reflected in the classroom, so it's good."
A class composed solely of 21-year-olds, the section meets every Tuesday at 5 p.m., and students are always anxious to get things going.
For the first half of class, things are pretty basic. Students are given history and geography lessons on the alcohol they taste. Following this is the science element of the class, when students learn about how chemical composition and environment affect taste.
