Written by Janette, a senior at CLU. 

In today’s society, popular culture plays a significant role in shaping perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes, especially among young people. Popular culture could be defined as a culture that is widely favored or well-liked by various people. For example, when I think of popular culture I think of music. The way music has made an impact in our society and ho...

Written by Janette, a senior at CLU.

As time passes, more young adolescents are gaining access to alcohol, which has become a serious issue. What’s surprising is that the people allowing this are often those you least expect—close family members like parents, cousins, siblings, or family friends. The use of alcohol can have significant negative effects on adolescents, both short and long term. La...

By Tara McKee

Content warning: this post contains mentions of self-harm, domestic violence, and suicide. Please take care of yourself and practice caution if these are upsetting topics for you. 

Having a rough life as a child and not really being able to talk freely about my issues was always big for me. I always hid my emotions and my feelings. I shut down rather than talked. Even at a young ag...

By Anonymous.

I wanted to express my personal story of how alcohol almost and partly ruined my life. I am a young mom and was a young wife. My marriage was short-lived due to abuse on my end, and I couldn’t cope with the loss of my marriage. When I was 20 I thought a family should always stick together regardless of anyone feeling mistreated. I couldn’t have been more wrong, but that was the exam...

Written by Sydney Parker, a senior at CSUCI.

I am currently a fourth-year college student, about to graduate with my Bachelor’s degree. I have noticed that throughout my college years, I have become less inclined to drink alcohol. In high school, I drank a lot more than I do now. I was that girl that would peer pressure my friends into drinking with me, which I regret deeply. A factor as to why I...

By Sandy, a local parent and CSUCI student.

I admit it, I avoided this “Reality Party” idea when my three kids were in high school. My role this past week was to play the cool mom, letting the kids drink and have fun. This wasn’t a stretch for me. Even my kids made a joke about me playing this role. The horrible things that could have happened at my house while kids were drinking… I don’t want to...

Written by Kidra Avery, a CSUCI Service-Learning student.

“There is risk, it’s serious, you will lose friends. People will die, but you’re not alone and if a time comes that you need help, there are people there for you.”

Rachel is a long-time friend of mine. She and I were in the same dance class as adolescents, and then attended and graduated from the same high school 1 year apart. We didn’t b...

By Kidra Avery, a CSUCI Service Learning student.

This interview was conducted on Zoom on Tuesday September 29th, 2020. Jonathan and I have known each other since he got out of rehab the second time, and have remained friends since. Our interview was very casual, much like two friends speaking openly, with the awkward recognition that we were being recorded. This is his story.

What if you woke u...

Written by a CSUCI student.

Consuming alcohol is a common thing in today’s culture, but it's not a topic that everyone talks about comfortably. Many people use drinking alcohol to escape from their daily lives and relax without thinking about the ramifications. No one thinks about the long-term effects of drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol while participating in night life activ...

Written by a CSUCI student.

Many of us have someone close to us who is abusing alcohol and not even realizing it. It turns out that alcohol is the most common substance people turn to for fast relief. Alcohol provides temporary relief for some who suffer from low self-esteem and look for coping mechanisms. Peer pressure and feeling “lesser than others” can cause someone to over-consume alcohol. P...

Written by a CSUCI student.