Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day quickly approaches. Students across UM’s campus are preparing to celebrate the romantic holiday with those they love the most.

In order to make this holiday, which tends to include a night of drinking and celebration, inclusive for all, the William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education has created a fun mocktail event so those who cannot or do not want to drink have a place to feel included.

The event is called Boos Not Booze, and it will take place at the William Magee Center from 6:00-8:30 PM on Valentine’s Day. Those who organized the event hope that it will be a fun time and help make people feel comfortable celebrating the holiday.

“We wanted students to celebrate themselves without feeling that they should rely on alcohol or other substances,” Magan Perry, a junior psychology major who coordinated this event for the William Magee Center, said. “A big push factor for this event specifically was pushing and providing an outlet for the Collegiate Recovery Community here. We understand that Ole Miss is a campus known for being a ‘party school’ with bars, parties, and huge tailgates. For several students on campus, coming into this environment can be very harmful to their recovery journey.”

Several similar events in the past have been held to promote healthy lifestyle habits on campus as students transition to college, but this event is new.

“In the past, the William Magee Center has hosted protein ball cooking demonstrations, dorm-easy meals and even hosted a few charcuterie nights for eating disorder awareness,” Perry said.

Events like these are meant to give students the opportunity to learn how to acclimate to their new environment and teach healthy habits.

“Right now, we have about 14 of 30 spots filled for the event. I hope that we fill up completely, and I think we might because our event the night before filled up within a week,” Autumn Robbins, a senior public health and health sciences major who coordinated the logistics of “Boos Not Booze” for the William Magee Center, said. “With this and future events, we are hoping to push students to gain free opportunities in substance-free environments.”