Good times in a college town like Oxford often include tailgating, listening to live music on the Square and social events around town and on campus. More often than not, alcohol is part of the equation.
According to Visit Oxford Mississippi, there are 19 bars on the Square, inviting those who visit to relax and enjoy a drink. Numerous restaurants on the Square also serve alcoholic beverages. It can seem as though alcohol is around every corner in college. According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “27.4% of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 reported binge drinking in the past month.”
Still, there are individuals in the University of Mississippi community who choose to remain sober. So, what does sobriety look like in a college town?
For freshman Chinese and international studies double major Cali Orman, a support system is vital.
“I maintain sobriety with people who respect my choice of remaining sober,” Orman said. “A lot of times, I hear people say that they can’t have fun unless they are drunk, and that is really sad because it’s totally not true.”
Mason Glaze, a graduate assistant for the Collegiate Recovery Community is four years sober. He explained the importance of being involved in a like-minded community.
“Managing staying sober for me looks like attending meetings weekly and staying tied into the local and immediate sober communities on campus and in Oxford as a whole,” Glaze said. “I maintain my recovery first and foremost.”
Sometimes, maintaining sobriety means living a different version of college life.
“For me and those that remain sober beside me, staying sober during this time means that there are things that I do and do not do that go against the common or average way of living for many people in similar ages or periods in their lives,” Glaze said. “An example might be that I frequently spend my nights outside of classwork and the gym in anonymous meetings at the William Magee Center focused on working a strong recovery program.”
Autumn Robbins, student outreach specialist for the William Magee Center for Alcohol and Other Drugs and Wellness Education emphasized that what it means to be sober is different for everyone.
“The meaning of sobriety is truly up to the individual,” Robbins said. “Though I am not in recovery, I see sobriety as something beautiful. When I hear people tell their recovery story, you can literally see the impact that it has on others.”
For some UM students, maintaining sobriety has been easy.
“Alcohol has never been of interest to me, but I sure do have a handful of friends who drink and do stuff like that. So (in) maintaining sobriety, I kind of just stick to what I was taught in the household and try to stay close with God,” freshman exercise science major Jordan Sanderson said.
Though they may be less visible than fraternity parties, sober events do take place frequently on campus.
“The Collegiate Recovery Community holds so many unique events to provide not only a safe space but also a community of support around sobriety. For example (they host) tailgates, mocktail events, game nights, movie nights and more,” Robbins said.
The William Magee Center hosted an alcohol-free Valentine’s Day event, Boos Not Booze, to give those interested a space to feel comfortable and included. Freshman general business major Francesca Procaccini was in attendance.
“I really enjoyed the Valentine’s Day cocktail event that was at the William Magee Center. My friend and I went because we were without a valentine, and so we just decided to partake in a non-alcoholic mixer event,” Procaccini said. “Many people think drinking is the center of our college lives, but when the (William Magee) center is able to create a sober atmosphere, it makes me feel more comfortable in being here,” Pocaccini said.
Robbins emphasized the importance of normalizing sobriety.
“It is so beyond important that sobriety be accepted inside and outside of campus. Our generation advocates so much for mental health and being yourself, but we tend to judge those who do not fit into our bubble,” Robbins said. “I do not care for the bar scene and am typically responded to with odd looks and a quick end of conversation when I tell people that. This is exactly why sobriety needs to be accepted.”
Sanderson believes that drinking is not synonymous with having a good time.
“A lot of people will say, ‘You are missing out,’ but I still have a good time at parties and hangouts with my friends,” Sanderson said. “Being sober has just all around put me in a better spirit the majority of the time around my friends who do drink. I feel more happy and relaxed while others are depressed and anxious.”
Choosing sobriety is not a weakness, Robbins said.
“Sobriety means strength. Sobriety is strength,” she said.
