My name is Ashley, and I’m a senior here at Wesleyan. I’m very involved in peer health education on campus, and I’ve been noticing that while Wesleyan students are typically excited to participate in discussions surrounding health-topics such as sex, nutrition, and mindfulness, students seem much less willing to engage in open discussions about alcohol. There is a stigma surrounding alcohol use which makes it difficult to have open and honest discussions, yet alcohol-related issues continue to be prevalent on our campus. Why are we not talking about drinking? Why is there this stigma?

I think that discussions about alcohol can be realistic, honest, and encourage healthy behavior. I would encourage all of us, as a campus, to start talking to each other. Ask your friends about their experiences drinking on campus, both good and bad. If you see a friend struggling with their usage, reach out to them.

I’d like to remind all of you that Wesleyan offers a variety of resources to all students on campus including nondrinkers, low-risk drinkers, and high-risk drinkers. Please take advantage of them as you see fit and feel free to refer them to a friend if you think it might be helpful. Wesleyan offers events through the Usdan Center Activities Board as an alternative to going out and drinking during the evenings and on weekends. Check out http://www.wesleyan.edu/sald/ucab/index.html for more information! Also, wesleying and orgsync post information about events on campus which are all alcohol-free. Check for posts at http://www.wesleying.org and at https://orgsync.com/672/community/calendar. If you would like more information about safer drinking or general information about alcohol and drugs, please visit www.wesleyan.edu/weswell/online/alcoholbooklet.pdf. There is also a resource room at WesWell (in the back of Davison Health Center) where you can find additional brochures and more information about alcohol and/or drugs.

For students who need more support regarding more high-risk usage of drugs or alcohol, Wesleyan also has Recovery@ for students, faculty, or staff members in recovery who want a network for support. Email recovery@wesleyan.edu for more information. For confidential resources or support, please contact Wesleyan’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 860-685-2910 or www.wesleyan.edu/caps or the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at 860-685-2278 or www.wesleyan.edu/orsl. The 8-to-8 student listening service is also available, and you can either call at (860) 685-7789 or visit http://8-to-8.group.wesleyan.edu/chat-online/ for an online-chat service.

Additionally, Wesleyan has weekly Narcotics anonymous meetings on campus at 7pm. Please visit www.ctna.org for more information. For access to information regarding alcoholics anonymous, please visit http://www.ct-aa.org to find local meetings or access the helpline information.

Ashley Fine is a member of the class of 2015.