During the 1st term of undergrad (>10 years ago), multiple students in my year told me “what?! You dont drink? If you dont drink beer you’re not a real geologist”
I have no idea who they got this from, but it was obvs something they’d heard or seen within geoscience culture
(1/n) https://twitter.com/eatthecrust/status/1278356813528719360

I genuinely questioned my life choices when they said this, bcos I thought-what if theyre right? Is my pref. holding me back from a career? Why didnt I do this apparently necessary thing? Maybe I should have taken a diff subject..why did I think so differently to others? (2/n)

And then I realised - no, this wasn’t necessary to become a geoscientist. This was just something these students had come across that was hard ingrained in the system, &they had automatically believed it. (3/n)

A suitability to a subject at university isnt defined by whether you choose to like a particular beverage. You choose it because it fascinates you and it makes you happy. You also choose it without eating or drinking something in particular. (4/n)

This move by GSA shows a shift in the geoscience culture system. This is a really positive move - for reasons that have been mentioned in @EatTheCrust’s thread and others - & in that hopefully no one who begins their geoscience career will have to have a convo like I did. (5/n)

It’s 10 years later. Let’s change things for the better for incoming early career folks. Let’s ensure they are welcomed into the system no matter where they are from - and ensure their preferences are welcomed too. Science-y workplaces do not need alcohol to function.
(6/n)

Plus imagine what can be done with the money saved...carbon offsets, travel funds for students from low&middle income countries, even a travel ticket for delegates around the city a conference is in. So many positive things can come from it . (7/7)