Thanks much to chemgal, who has done all of the work of writing up the background and the CIDU question:
I really don’t get the April 7th Arlo & Janis, though it is in the middle of a series, so maybe tomorrow’s comic will explain it. For those who don’t read A&J regularly, the set-up to this point is that we’re seeing a flashback to when A&J met while she was taking art and he was working at the bookstore, and in the previous couple of comics, Janis slowed things down:
So my question is, what does “college town” have to do with anything here?
And an auxiliary question from me: Who else thinks Arlo’s moustache is the most annoying thing ever?
Comics I Don't Understand 
In college towns friends are always a distraction from what they are supposed to be doing (studying).
Colleges are like office parties, they encourage the formation of “convenient” (not always “good”) relationships.
Man, every college guy had that moustache back then.
Arlo’s moustache (back then) is not nearly as annoying as the one as that Wallace‘s father wears now (and Sterling’s eyebrows are even worse):
What Powers and Kilby said. Yes, it’s irritating but it’s perfect for the era. Nowadays that’s a pornstache.
My moustache is offended!
@Targuman – that actually explains it perfectly.