As “No Shave November” comes to an end, I’d like to start off by saying thank you to all who participated, and kindly ask that as soon as December 1st rolls around, to please shave it off… or at least make it more or less even. The patchiness coming from those of you who are still not quite ready to grow a full beard was evident, and frankly, I will not be sorry to see those go.

However, there is another November tradition that not many people know about, called “No Drugs November.” Unfortunately, though, this does not have the same audience as “No Shave November," nor do its participants share the gusto as those who decide to grow out their beards.

After two months of unmonitored, non-stop partying, few students decide that they need their bodies to detox, and get back to prime condition before the winter, which obviously will include more partying. For the entire month of November, they decide to go on with their daily lives, go out, and stay in… completely sober.

While to some students, this seems like it’d be a really big deal, isolating them from their friends, and making pariahs out of themselves due to the stigma against not drinking. Although it comes off as a sacrifice, there is so much more to do sober than what meets the eye. Movie nights, parties, and off-campus excursions are so much fun, and can be enjoyed to the fullest without intoxication of any kind.

One student says of her experience so far, “I feel great! My body looks and feels so much better. Alcohol has so many calories, you know, but since it’s liquid, you don’t realize it until its too late.”

Catching wind of the conversation is another student who began November with this in mind, but caved six days in, claiming “ It’s just a little… who gives a s@*!.”

“Alcohol has calories?” He asked, incredulously, and my interviewee and I nodded in response.

It seems like for those who chose not to participate this year, maybe next year’s smart decision would be to, and to those who did, a new way of life has been discovered.