This Student Turned 21. You Won't Believe What Happened Next. (They Had to Pay for Their Own Drinks)

In the weeks leading up to her 21st birthday on February 11, Lauren Mancini (W '19) was practically glowing with excitement. "I had been waiting for this day since I was in high school," Lauren admitted, delicately swirling a modest glass of red wine at 4:30 in the afternoon. "I was so excited to not have to worry about my shitty fake ID getting taken from me or snapped in half by the bouncer at Smokes' anymore."

But Lauren soon discovered that coming of age was not all it was cracked up to be: turning 21 meant having to buy her own alcohol.

"I found out the week after my birthday," she said. It all happened when she and some friends decided to get a six-pack of beer to drink while binge-watching Riverdale on a Saturday night. "They were like, 'Wait, Lauren can go get it from FroGro because she actually has a real ID now!' And I was totally hype to make my first legal FroGro beer run, so I said yes."

When she got up to the register, though, it all hit her at once. "He was like, 'Nine dollars and thirty-three cents, please. Are you paying cash or card?' I was floored. I had never had to pay for my own alcohol before."

When asked whether she regretted turning 21, Lauren said she wasn't concerned just yet. "Hopefully, I can still pretend I'm underage when I talk to men at a bar. That's how I used to get free drinks. And after all, age is but a number."

At press time, Lauren was seen "catching up" with her ex at Smokes.