Walking into a party, you might be asked: “are you drinking?” and your heart begins to race. You may be handed a cup, and now what? Your answer could be the result of how your night ends up, having people around you look down at you for saying no, or friends looking at you differently if they don’t agree with that decision.
Some students begin to look at these acts in comparison to whether they are cool or not. As students get older, the pressures to participate in activities you may not be comfortable with increase.
Kooper Richards ’27 plays varsity basketball at South and as a part of the student-athlete code of conduct, athletes have to sign a form in their first year stating that if they go to a “party” and they are in the presence of alcohol, they can face suspension from their team or even expulsion for the season. As the seasons have gone on, Richards learns there is nothing wrong with saying no.
“Honestly, being a good teammate is the most important thing to me,” Richards said. “I would never put them [my team] in a bad situation just because I want to do something.”
This pressure amplifies as students progress through high school and becomes a big factor during the infamous senior spring break. While it may be legal where you’re traveling to, it doesn’t always mean that it’s comfortable. Lotty Gates ’26 is leaving for her trip in less than a month, and as a student already struggling with college decisions and pressure, a whole new door opens up to worry about.
“Although I am still going to be 17, I am still super excited for my trip this spring break,” Gates said. “I don’t see the pressure to drink while on vacation because I know I will still have tons of fun without it.”
Drinking and drug use at this age can not only affect your mental health, but also ruin the part of your brain that makes those decision making patterns. Greg Golabeck, a counselor at South, is not surprised by this, as it has been a familiar topic for the many years he has been working at South.
“A negative thing could be these people could be alcoholics or drug addicts or people who even have mental health issues,” Golabeck said. “People could be using these as coping mechanisms to get through certain things.”
Drinking is dangerous, and it doesn’t need to be based on your social status in these choices. During these last couple of years of high school, making choices for yourself is important.
“It’s like who has the sphere of influence within each grade or within each school,” Golabeck said. “Just because people are doing it doesn’t make it something you need to do.”
