To many students, alcohol and college sports go together like peas and carrots. Indiana University Professor Murray Sperber likes to describe it more like beers and circuses.

The English and American Studies professor will be discussing his new book, “Beer and Circus” at 6 p.m. today in the Erikson Hall Kiva. Olin Health Center is coordinating the event.

The book discusses whether universities are no longer a place to receive a higher education, but rather a place to party and socialize.

Sperber said he used a large part of his book to describe schools like MSU and Indiana and how drinking and college sports affect academic success.

He wrote the book during the time of March 27-28, 1999 riot near MSU, and it just happened to fit in with his book.

“I am familiar with MSU and other Big Ten schools, so I wanted to look at how alcohol and sports and having large lecture halls differs from smaller schools,” he said.

“I spent time at Hope College, in Holland, Michigan, and other smaller schools across the country,” he said. “What I found is that although they party on the weekend, it’s not like Indiana or Michigan State where it could be a nightly ritual.”

Mixing alcohol with athletics may be an especially significant factor at MSU, which has had athletics successes with men’s basketball and hockey in the past few years.

Still, some students say their education comes first.

Brad Smith, a general management junior, said athletics at large universities such as MSU are slightly overemphasized. But for the most part, education is still stressed.

“We’re going to get an education even though a lot of people pay attention to football games and come here just for athletics,” he said.

Jasmine Greenamyer, a health educator for Olin, said bringing a critical speaker like Sperber to MSU is a good first step toward addressing the issue of drinking on campus and may provide a chance to see what needs to be done in terms of improving alcohol use.

“In his book he is using MSU as a model,” she said. “We’re taking this as a challenge and really biting the bullet by bringing him here.”

The forum is being sponsored by the American Campus and Alcohol team, of which Olin Health Center is a part of through a committee of city members, administration and students who serve on the team.

There will also be a closed lunch engagement with Sperber today at the Union in which members of a new alcohol team will be introduced.