I love Athens, and I love Ohio University. I love being a Bobcat, and I love sporting green and white at athletic events. I even love chanting the time-honored “OU, Oh Yeah!” at the top of my lungs.
But what I don’t love is the stereotype of “avid alcoholic” that has been set upon my shoulders back home.
Because I chose to attend a university that’s been named the number one party school on several occasions, everyone automatically assumes that I must help OU live up to its “prestigious” title. But in all honestly, I’ve never had a drop of alcohol. I don’t smoke, and I only lasted an hour at the one party I chose to attend as a freshman.
Trying to tell this to the people in my hometown is like trying to convince them that the sky is no longer blue. They’d much rather believe that I’m trying to appear innocent in front of my parents while secretly getting trashed every weekend. But when you gag at the smell of a Busch Light, well, knocking a few back is the last thing on your to-do list.
One of my biggest worries when I came to OU was that I wasn’t going to fit in because of my choice to stay sober and away from the party scene. But I was lucky enough to find a group of friends who accept my reasons for finding other things to do on a Friday night besides head out to one of the bars. Instead, we’ll often find other things to do on our Friday nights, like heading out to a movie in Nelsonville or catching a show at Blackburn.
As for the rest of the OU students who I’ve met, not one of them has questioned or belittled my choice of alcohol avoidance. Sure, they might find it a little weird that I’ve never attended one of the spring fests or that I have no interest in celebrating my 21st birthday, but they have never pressured me. In fact, everyone has always been rather supportive and interested in hearing my side of the story.
So when I go back to Small Town, USA for the summer, I’m sure I’ll be met with the standard “How’s the party school treating you” leers and the “She goes to OU, ask her which beer tastes better” remarks. And I’ll just smile and politely deny everything, because I know when I come back to Athens in the fall, what I do in my spare time won’t be anywhere near as important in everyone else’s lives.