Column by Zachary Kiser

I was truly at a loss for ideas when deciding what I should discuss in this edition of my bi-weekly column. I wanted to try to write about something that didn’t have to do with the economy, President Barack Obama, or another cliché topic that other opinion writers have beat to death. For a while, I thought I could write about UK’s version of the Bataan Death March, in the snow last week, but everything that needs to be said on that topic has been said Ad nauseam. So instead of writing about something that angers or bothers me, I have decided to write about a campus oriented, personal quest of mine that occurred last semester. Along the way, I will plug a group on campus that has the prospect of being my solution to that problem.

I am of a member of two small minority groups on campus; both of these groups overlap in some instances. The first group that I am a member of consists of students here at UK that does not drink alcohol in any form. This is the broader of the two groups, and not where my problem lies. The second minority group that I am a part of at UK is the group of students that do not drink alcohol, and at the same time, are not religious. As you may guess, being a member of either of these groups heavily impedes upon your social life at UK and among your peers. The majority of social groups and activities that operate in the no alcohol zone are religious in nature, and therein lies the problem. What social groups can one join, or what activities can one participate in at UK, while still being a member of both minority groups? I am still working on that problem, as I have been for the majority of my time here at UK, but I believe I have made several steps in the right direction.

I know what you’re thinking, and it is a valid point. You’re thinking, “Zac, you need to be less picky; you can’t have your cake and eat it too!” To that I say: Why not? Several times during my tenure here at UK, I have ventured out to some non-alcoholic functions sponsored by campus religious groups in the hopes of having a good time and possibly meeting some new friends. Sadly, at every function I was met with the same “used car salesman attitude”. I felt as if these people were trying to unload a barely used ‘98 Camry on me, but instead of a car, it was a dead guy named Jesus and his self-help system. From the moment I walked into the door at every event, their number one priority was to make a sales pitch to me, not to get to know me or any kind of whole-hearted stab at normal conversation or discourse. From that point on, I decided that if I couldn’t have my cake and eat it too, then there really wasn’t a point in trying anymore. I wasn’t going to go to another dealership (religious gathering) just for empty conversation and stale cookies.

This leads me to the positive steps I have made this semester, and my proud plug of the group I have found. Recently I have become a peer alcohol educator with a group called CAUSE. This group is a small organization on campus, which seeks to promote safe drinking among college students. So far, the only exposure CAUSE has on campus is its “Question authority” campaign, and it’s “Alcohol awareness week” in the spring. This semester, however, CAUSE is beginning to retool itself in a very fresh and exciting way. CAUSE will begin offering alcohol-free events several times throughout the semester. It is my hope that during my time with the group, I will be able to network with like-minded individuals so that the tiny minority group that I am a member of won’t be so tiny anymore. It is my hope that this column has gotten the CAUSE name out there and that you will be looking for the CAUSE sponsored events in the coming months. I also hope that this column has reached out to other members of my minority group, and shown them that there are people like us; we just need to do a better job of networking.