Peer Student Academic Success Coach, Terry Smith, told The VOICE, “I stayed in Mercer even after I graduated so that I could bring awareness to substance abuse and help the students who are suffering from it.”
Smith explains how he enrolled in Mercer the spring of 2016 with the sole purpose of picking up his studies, and obtained his diploma last May. Through his friendships made on campus, he learned that many students were dealing with addiction and no one was talking about it.
Smith says he has his own experiences with alcoholism and has been sober for 23 years. Seeing himself reflected in the students, he talks about his decision to stay active in Mercer and his efforts to address the problems of youth substance abuse.
Last fall he worked with Student Services to implement the “One Day at a Time” program on campus, reaching out to students who are struggling with any addiction and providing a safe space for them to communicate, confront and learn about their personal troubles. An Alcoholic Anonymous program has been sought and speculated about for years, though.
In 2010, the article “No AA Meetings Offered at MCCC” was published by The VOICE, reporting that, “In a survey taken on campus, seventy-five percent of students said that a twelve-step meeting would be very helpful.”
Dr. Diane Campbell, Executive Dean of Students, told The VOICE, “When you have a college campus with about 7,500 students, they come from all walks of life and they have all kinds of things going on in their lives… We started this program that is set up so that if a student has a drug or alcohol issue, there’s a place where they can come and talk about it.”
Mercer’s Director of the Center for Retention and Completion, Dr. Latonya Ashford Ligon, explains that this new addition to the student services was a collaborative effort. She said, “The initial meeting to discuss the program involved multiple success coaches and Dean Campbell, who actually came up with the acronym O.D.A.T.”
In a survey of 35 students done by The VOICE, roughly 19 percent of students admitted they are currently wrestling with alcohol and/or marijuana dependence. More than 68 percent reported having at least one friend or relative suffering from it.
Smith says he hopes to educate participants on overcoming addiction. The main goal is to “provide a support group for students to be involved in activities and find alternative ways to have fun,” he says.
A Business major, who asked to remain anonymous, told The VOICE, “My best friend has been an alcoholic for two years now. He always liked drinking, but after graduating Mercer last year it was nonstop for him. I wish he would’ve known about this program. Who knows, maybe it would have helped.”
According to information presented by the Scientific American on their website, “What occurs during AA meetings can vary considerably. Further, about 40 percent of AA members drop out during the first year.”
The statistics show that the more people who participate, the higher the rates of success. Increasing the size of Mercer’s ODAT meetings is a key goal. Flyers placed on bulletin boards all over campus are aimed at drawing students in need to the program.
Smith says, “sometimes ten people will join [the meetings], sometimes only one student attends and sometimes none. I’ve had students call me at 9 PM asking for help when they feel temptation, I want them to know I’m here for them.”
Andrew Cosma, told The VOICE, “I didn’t have any direct, obvious addictions but I had other personal issues that I wanted to get a handle of… I went to talk therapies and that didn’t really work out for me. I like ODAT because it’s more conversational instead of just sitting in a corner hearing people rant. I actually get to build connections and friendships with the people in the program.”
Dean Campbell added, “Student services and people are working with students. We are listening and we are trying to remove the barriers that would get in the way of students’ success. Academics and Student Affairs all work together to do this.”
ODAT meetings are held in room SC119 every Monday and Wednesday at noon.
