Beer is super cheap per employee. I don't think many people would rather have another ~$50/month over having free beer available at work. It's also more convenient than having to buy it and bring it to work yourself.
I think it comes from many companies branding themselves as altruistic and developer-friendly. I don't think people would be surprised at this move had Twitter said: "Using our platform? We own you. We will pursue all potential profit deriving from our platform to the fullest extent of the law."
College is probably a lot more expensive than it needs to be -- do we really want to pick up that inflated bill? There has to be a better solution. I only went to college to get away from my parents (and party) for four years. I probably didn't need the excessive campus and amenities.
http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/permastun/blog/sabotage-and...