Wrote an editorial about being sober in college, interviewing graduate students and professors on their thoughts on sobriety. Originally developed the idea with Refinery29 before publishing in Dog Street Journal. (2019)
Many people know of the party game, called “Never Have I Ever,” which is one of the only mainstream outlets where “squares” like me thrive. Everyone goes around and says something that they’ve never done. If someone in the group has done it, they take a drink of whatever is sloshing around in their red solo cup. Usually, it’s a drink of the alcoholic variety. Beads of sweat drip down people’s foreheads as they cling to their sobriety and pray that they’ll end with some liquid remaining in their cup -- which is the only true way to win the game. I tend to take sips of water, lemonade or soda. I have a “never have I ever” that gets people every time: Never have I ever been drunk.
I’m twenty-one years old - prime drinking age - and I’ve never been drunk. My liver is as clean as a new store-bought whistle still in its plastic covering; I’ve never so much as participated in communion. I’m not special. I spray my Flonase one nostril at a time like everyone else. I’m not the only one in college who doesn’t drink. I have a bunch of friends who are also non-drinkers. Instead of drinking, we have movie nights or go to AMP events. Still, despite my personal experiences, binge drinking remains a huge problem on college campuses, William & Mary included.
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