We live on a dry campus.
But what does that mean?
Out of my whole hometown friend group, I was the only friend to leave the state and go to a Christian campus. When I explain to my friends or acquaintances that at Asbury we live on a dry campus, there is an obvious tension and divide.
“They can’t make you do that,” they say.
“Why would you even want to do that?” some of them ask.
These are the same people who find it fun to fall down the stairs or run across the street while inebriated.
You’d think “it’s against the law” would be a decent reason to explain why you choose to abstain from drinking, but apparently, it is not. The on-campus numbers of underage drinking at universities are high: According to a 2015 study from the Journal of Primary Prevention, 65.6% of attendees at Greek life parties are underage, and 70.5% of people partying in residence halls are also underage.
Campus party culture is toxic. Students hurl the contents of their stomachs into bacteria-infested toilets. Both men and women take advantage of their peers by blaming it on the alcohol. These are broad generalizations, but you cannot say with full confidence that this does not happen in more than one place every single night.
One of my friends was at a party within walking distance of her campus. During the party, the student who owned the house started to get drunk and angry. He smashed things, yelled expletives, and caused a scene. My friend could not even drive away because she was tipsy. She and her friends had to call someone they trusted to come to pick them up, but what would’ve happened if the situation had escalated at that time? What if she had been too drunk to call someone?
This is only one of many stories I’ve heard from multiple friends about getting drunk or partying. In the same study mentioned above, fewer than 30% of students reported that there was a system in place to take care of intoxicated people. My ultimate concern is over the well-being of our peers and friends if something devastating were to occur.
If you cannot spend time with others without drinking or getting drunk, you have deeper problems that you need to address. Alcohol is an easy distraction from depression and anxiety. It is a quick but inadequate solution to personal problems. Alcoholism is not a joke, it is something that wrecks your body, ruins cognitive function, and tears apart relationships.
Alcohol is an idol in our generation. People hang tapestries on their walls, and they choose schools based on the party scene. They worship something that tears their bodies and minds apart. They use it as an excuse to act out. They laugh it off when they don’t remember anything that happened the night before.
You can find just about anything, even on a sober campus. There could be a student here with alcohol hidden in a Christian girl autumn boot in her closet. People find a thrill in doing something in secret, but this is a problem that should not be glorified.
Legally drinking in moderation is a different story. Alcohol in itself is not the devil. But, breaking the law in avoidance of your demons is unhealthy and dangerous.
As Asbury students, it is our job to hold one another on campus accountable. Remind them that breaking the law is wrong. Encourage your peers toward coping mechanisms that will lift them up and help them grow. Hold them to a higher standard. Push them to grow deeper in their relationship with the One who created them for a greater purpose. Remind them that there is redemption and forgiveness in Christ.
The struggle to live sober in a world that drinks to forget is a challenge not for the faint of heart. It is so easy to succumb to peer pressure and excuse your behavior because “everyone else is doing it.” Seek out the people in your life who want to cheer you on and steer you toward our Creator.
If you participate in drunkenness and want to find another way, ask someone to hold you accountable. There is grace for you here.
Embrace your friends who roll their eyes when you say you live on a dry campus. Respond with humility, and lead by example. Show people you can have more fun without alcohol than with it.
We are here at Asbury for a reason. Our time on earth will be short and our time at Asbury will be even shorter, so we should spend our time striving to hold ourselves to a heavenly standard. Our ultimate goal is to love our neighbor, and we accomplish this without being hindered by substance.