To protect anonymity, some students quoted in this article are referred to by initials only.
“College is a time for you to have fun and express yourself,” said junior K.E. “So trying some ‘things’ like drinking or others should be okay. I mean, it’s college.”
For many students, “it’s college” is one of the biggest misconceptions they hold when trying to figure out who they are on the college scene. Many see college as a time to experiment with ideas, substances and sexuality — some good, some bad and, maybe,  some illegal.
For some students, the party scene is not appealing, not because of the social gatherings but because of the questionable decisions made at these events.
“I usually don’t try to go to many events due to what people do when they are drunk and high,” said senior J.F. “(Substance use) makes the whole party experience not all that it’s cracked up to be.”
Drug and alcohol consumption has been a problem on college campuses for years. The pressure to use substances is very high in college communities, which can make students who do not use substances feel out of place.
“People are getting high, sometimes over three times a day, and it leaves them being high more often then they are not,” said first-year Chris Jones.
If you feel like you are the only person who is looking for a good time without all of the vomiting, marijuana smoke and drunken mistakes — then there is a place for you.
The Sane and Sober Group and Personal Growth Group are two sobriety organizations on campus that try to help students get over or lessen their substance usage. These groups are headed by Part-time Counselor Ernest McCoy and Director of Counseling Gaither Terrell. Each group meets in the Hut on a weekly basis.
In the Personal Growth Group, students who wish to refrain from or have suffered due to substance usage come together on a weekly basis to seek comfort in their sobriety. In the Sane and Sober group, students who do not use substances meet up to discuss how they feel about living sober lifestyles on the college scene.
“Ernest’s support group helped me get over some mistakes I made with substances,” said sophomore T.W. about the Personal Growth Group. “After I got in trouble last year, I realized my mistakes I made with alcohol and have been trying to stay clean since.”
Another sobriety group that is better known on campus is the group Am I the Only One? This group is headed by Director of the Friends Center and Campus Ministry Coordinator Max Carter and meets on Fridays in the Hut at 4 p.m. The group is directed toward students trying to live substance-free lives.
“What’s one of the main reasons why people say that they drink around here?” asked Carter. “(Alcohol) removes (your) inhibitions, makes (you) feel better, you don’t feel as introverted and you can get out of yourself. In large part, they wish to be someone else.”
AITOO? co-sponsored the Cheerwine and root beer kegger as part of Religious Emphasis Week and coordinates other activities that emphasize that you can have fun without substances while in college.
“I lived through the sixties and seventies without the use of any substance,” said Carter. “And the best part is I still remember them.”
Although college is regarded as the greatest time in our lives, many would like to remember it when they grow older. Groups such as AITOO?, Sane and Sober and Personal Growth are open to all students who are sober or working to reach that title.
“Many students find that their relationship with substances changes over their time (at Guilford) as they grow and mature,” said Terrell. “We are always here to talk with students about substance-related issues on an individual basis as well as in groups.”