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People trash-talked over corn hole, dined on barbecue and beans, and two in-service veterans waved a giant red, white and blue UCF flag. Saturday 麻豆精品 S檚 UCF-Stanford tailgate party was a huge celebration. The only thing that wasn’t there was booze.
As part of National Recovery Month, UCF campus organizations 麻豆精品 S� Sober Knights, the Student Veterans of America chapter and SALUTE Veterans Honor Society 麻豆精品 S� teamed up to hold a sober tailgating party at the Veterans Academic Resource Center down the street from Spectrum Stadium. Students hoped the event encouraged people to talk more openly about recovery to reduce stigma and increase understanding.
Rebecca Benton is a student counselor at UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 . She says she 麻豆精品 S檚 a petite woman so no one believes she 麻豆精品 S檚 a veteran. Her husband is a former combat Marine. Their son is earning his degree at UCF and is a leader in the university 麻豆精品 S檚 veterans and recovery efforts. She and others know first-hand the misconceptions people have about veterans and people in recovery: Veterans are big, tough, mean. They never show their feelings. They 麻豆精品 S檙e all suffering from PTSD. People who abuse alcohol and drugs are weak. They don 麻豆精品 S檛 have any will power. They 麻豆精品 S檙e irresponsible.
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Medical experts estimate that at least 10 percent of the population is suffering from substance abuse 麻豆精品 S� addiction to alcohol and/or drugs.
Medical experts estimate that at least 10 percent of the population is suffering from substance abuse 麻豆精品 S� addiction to alcohol and/or drugs. That means that with an enrollment of about 68,000, UCF likely has almost 7,000 students who are struggling with alcohol or drugs or are in recovery. The goal of events like sober tailgating is to provide students with an alcohol-free event and raise awareness that not every student is able to spending their weekends 麻豆精品 S減artying. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淲hen it comes to a lot of activities on campus, people don 麻豆精品 S檛 think about people who are in recovery, people who don 麻豆精品 S檛 or can 麻豆精品 S檛 do alcohol, 麻豆精品 S� says junior Ryan Calderon, vice president of UCF Sober Knights. 麻豆精品 S淥ur message is that you can have a great, fun experience without drinking. It sounds crazy but it works. 麻豆精品 S�
Understanding was a key issue raised by student veterans Juan Landaverde and John Glenny, who lead UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Student Veterans of America. Landaverde spent eight years in the Army and was deployed three times. Glenny served oversees and in the U.S. as a combat medic. They explain that student veterans are different from young undergraduates who just left home for the first time. Veterans are adult learners with intense life experiences. The military has taught them focus, toughness, discipline and self-care. While they may come across as unapproachable, veterans say they are eager to share their experience 麻豆精品 S� and to learn from other, younger students who are, as Landaverde says, better at 麻豆精品 S渘avigating the whole college thing. 麻豆精品 S�
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Orlando resident and NFL Super Bowl Champion Fred Stokes joined the tailgating. The former defensive end for the LA/St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints autographed footballs, showed his Super Bowl ring and talked about dispelling the notion that that college has to be all about drinking. 麻豆精品 S淵ou get to college and it 麻豆精品 S檚 on, 麻豆精品 S� he says of partying. 麻豆精品 S淏ut I can have a great time, a can enjoy a party and not have any regrets 麻豆精品 S� about what I says, what I did, where I ended up or who I slept with. 麻豆精品 S�
While sober events help students in recovery, they also help students seeking a different type of college experience, recovery leaders says.
麻豆精品 S淯niversities may find if they offer alterative activities, sober curious students will find their way and change the narrative that drinking is central to having a good time, 麻豆精品 S� says Thomas Hall, 麻豆精品 S�16PhD, the Sober Knights advisor who is leaving UCF to become director of Orange County 麻豆精品 S檚 Drug-Free Coalition.
They key to raising awareness is openness, veterans and recovery leaders say. Openness to learning about people who have experiences different from your own. Openness to talking about and addressing stigma and misconceptions. Openness to asking questions without judgment. Openness to the fact that everyone is battling something and that together we are stronger to fight whatever issues we may have.
Luis Delgado is “The Dope Doctor,” a certified addictions professional and UCF alum who hosts The Coach Life Radio Show on recovery. He 麻豆精品 S檚 been sober for more than 25 years. His foundation, N.O.W. Matters More, helps people get into recovery, including providing scholarships to those who are underinsured or have limited benefits. Delgado aired his radio show live from UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 sober tailgating event and talked about how everyone plays a role in recovery.
麻豆精品 S淩ecovery is possible, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淲e need to be open about that because we 麻豆精品 S檙e all in this together. We are your sons, your daughters, your fathers, your friends. 麻豆精品 S�
