St. Mary's College Opens Pub To Promote Moderation

ST. MARY'S, Md. (AP) -- St. Mary's College of Maryland has turned a dorm recreation room into a campus bar to help promote responsible drinking.

It's not a place to get smashed. Instead, officials tell The Washington Post The Pub is a place where students get to know their professors and drink in moderation.

University-operated bars were common in generations past. But when the minimum drinking age was set at 21, many campus bars closed. Some colleges are bringing bars back to promote responsible drinking.

St. Mary's College President Joseph Urgo says it doesn't work to tell students not to drink. He says talking to them as adults helps.

George Mason University and the University of Maryland Baltimore County have long had campus pubs. Georgetown University is planning a bar in a student center.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)